Course overview

Working in full-time employment and studying for a degree at the same time are no longer incompatible. Our BEng (Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (Distance Learning) can be studied online, meaning that you can tailor your studies to your own commitments, work pattern and priorities.

Studying engineering is not just a question of becoming conversant and competent with technology – though that is clearly an important part. Engineers derive practical, economic solutions to meet real-world needs. Engineers need to be able to:

• analyse requirements in both technical and business terms
• design systems employing a wide range of technologies
• justify and prove their designs using analytical, simulation and empirical techniques
• build and test prototypes and ensure that their designs are ready for manufacture
• express their ideas convincingly and manage activities and time

Electronic engineering is at the core of the telecommunications, entertainment and automated systems that we take for granted in our everyday lives. It also underpins our computers and networks, our financial systems and our defence systems. The worldwide electronics industry offers a tremendous range of career opportunities. Our BEng (Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (DL) programme is designed both to enhance your technical competence and develop your professional approach to engineering. It is easy to fit around work constraints and will help you realise your potential.

Our staff are approachable and accessible, whether through the virtual learning environment or face-to-face. They maintain good links with industry, so are able to track changing technologies and industrial needs. We have a well-established research group that is active in the fields of telecommunications and data communications, and another research group working in the areas of control, robotics and artificial intelligence.

To request the full programme specification for this course please fill out the information request form.

Course content

Our credit-rated system

The course is credit rated and consists of 120 credits. From September 2012 the course is comprised of six 20-credit units.

A 20-credit unit is expected to take a total of about 200 hours of work. For each unit you should expect to spend one to two hours per week in a scheduled online discussion with your lecturer and fellow students. The rest of the time will be spent in private study and informal communication with lecturers and other students, making use of the virtual learning environment as appropriate.

The flexibility to study over time

If you are able to study full time on the course, it can be completed within an academic year. Most people, however, choose to spread their study over two or three years. As an example, a typical three-year programme will have 20 credits (one unit) of taught material per academic period lasting approximately 15 weeks. This includes a consolidation and assessment period of three weeks. The academic periods are approximately late September to January and February to May. A 20-credit unit would typically require a study commitment of about 14 hours per week.

Agreeing your programme of study

When you enrol on the course, you will discuss your particular situation with our admissions tutor and agree your study programme.

Units

You will complete the following units:

• Electronics:in this unit you will explore how to design and evaluate advanced analogue electronic circuits, including analogue sensing and measurement systems, sensors and signal conditioning elements, and analogue programmable devices. You will also learn how to specify, analyse, design and implement simple digital combinational and sequential logic systems, and model and synthesise concurrent digital systems using VHDL.
• Digital Signal Processing: this unit covers the development of algorithms for analysing and modifying discrete time signals and how to design digital filters. You will also learn how to design and evaluate algorithms in the area of discrete spectral analysis.
• Data Communications: this unit covers all areas of the OSI seven-layer network stack and focuses on the TCP/IP data communication model, including routing algorithms and introductory graph theory.
• Control Engineering: in this unit you will learn how to model system elements in the time and s-domains, starting with physical definitions, and combine system element models to determine and improve overall closed-loop system performance.
• Operations and Quality Management: you will learn how to develop a strategic approach to operations and quality management in this unit. This includes the analysis of production flows and scheduling systems, planning, capacity management, Just-in-Time systems, the theory of construction, and investment planning and management.

In addition, you will undertake an individual project usually as the final unit of the course. The project requires a total of 200 hours in which you will tackle a substantial piece of work, drawing on a wide range of subjects that have made up your course and reflect your particular interests. It will encourage the development of planning and project management techniques alongside technical experimentation and design. Ideally, it will be carried out at your place of work and be overseen by a mentor approved by the University and following supplied University guidelines. If a work-based project is not feasible, then the project may be carried out elsewhere, but always with the guidance of a University-approved mentor.

Teaching and assessment

You are expected to have adequate internet access in order to complete the course. Our virtual learning environment includes mechanisms for:

• presenting study material at a managed pace
• providing you with formative work including exercises, quizzes and design activities
• configuring and managing discussion forums and online chat sessions

You will participate in online discussions with your peers and unit lecturers on each of the units in the course. Supplementary synchronous chat sessions will provide additional ongoing academic support. Simulation activities will also require appropriate software to be run on your local computer, the main packages being MATLAB (student edition) and a VHDL package. You will be required to buy a copy of MATLAB (student edition), which, at the time of writing costs approximately £57. Other software to support particular units is available free of charge.

Career prospects

When you graduate as an electronic engineer, your skills and knowledge will open a wide range of employment opportunities in areas as diverse as consumer and professional electronics, robotics, defence, broadcasting and telecommunications.

The problem-solving and analytical abilities of electronic engineers also make them very attractive to financial and commercial organisations. Successful completion of this course could also lead to postgraduate study at Portsmouth or academic institutions elsewhere.

Facilities and features

Although you may not be campus based, you will still benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services. Our student website, LookUP, will be your one-stop shop for all news, information and links to other services, and 24/7 online access to the University Library’s vast electronic book, journal and database collections will help you find the right resources for your research. You will also be given a Google mail account to keep for life and use of a variety of additional Google Apps to make planning and studying easier.

The School of Engineering provides a friendly and supportive environment for your studies. Online students interact with staff using our virtual learning environment. This provides a combination of study material and interactive discussion and chat facilities. You will need an internet connection to access the virtual learning environment.

If you are local to Portsmouth, you can also access our on-campus learning support services:

Learning support services

The School of Engineering offers various learning support and further development services to all students. They are additional to the normal academic support provided at all levels within the University, and they are run by teams of selected students.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BEng (Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (3 Year DL) for the academic year 2012/13 (opens in new window).

View all the entry requirements for BEng (Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (3 Year DL) for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).