Undergraduate study

If you’re already thinking about postgraduate study, then our integrated Masters courses are a great option for you.

Our undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Electronic Engineering can all be taken as an integrated Masters. This degree type covers four years and means that you graduate from Essex with a Master of Science (MSc) or Master of Engineering (MEng) in your chosen field.

By going straight in to a fourth year you will be able to continue working with academics you already know, without having to move and settle in to a new environment. You won’t need to complete a separate application and wait to be accepted, you simply move seamlessly from third year to fourth year. And by finishing with a Masters degree you’ll have a competitive edge in the job market.

In our School we know that picking your degree is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Some people know exactly what they want to do with their future, but many don’t. It can be hard to choose a subject that you have to study for the next three years, especially when you may not have had much experience of it at school.

That’s why we’ve designed our courses to share common first-year modules, with differences mostly between computer science and engineering. This means that it may be possible to change your degree course at the end of your first year. So if you start off with the BEng Communications Engineering, and then realise you really want to study BEng Mechatronic Systems, you can apply to change your degree before progressing to your second year.

Many of our undergraduate courses can be taken with an additional year between your second and final years, which you can use for either a placement in a relevant company, designed to maximise your chances of success in the graduate job market, or a year studying abroad.

With a host of technology companies based in headquarters and offices around the UK, you won’t be short of opportunities to apply for. Our School and the University’s Student Development team will help you identify and apply for relevant opportunities. You’ll get advice on your CV, and guidance on interviews and assessment centres. Our students have successfully applied for placements with companies including Microsoft, Intel, and British Aerospace.

Alternatively a year abroad offers an excellent opportunity for personal development. You can experience a new culture, a new language, and learn from other experts in your chosen field. There are opportunities around the world, including Europe and China, but don’t worry if the thought of a second language is a bit daunting! We also have partnerships with institutions in English-speaking countries too, including Canada and New Zealand.

Ultimately though best made plans don’t always work out. If you change your mind about doing a placement or going abroad for a year, then you can change to the standard three-year degree and go straight in to your final year.

Many of our degrees are accredited by the British Computer Society (Chartered Institute for IT) or the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Accreditation is a sign that our courses have been assessed against a rigorous set of external criteria. After graduation you’ll be able apply to be recognised Chartered professional, which can be included in your CV, or start the first steps toward Chartered recognition.

A degree in computer science or engineering can open doors to roles in a wide range of public and private sector organisations. Networks, programming, data analysis, cybersecurity, modern companies need people with skills in these and related areas.

Some of the organisations our graduates have found employment with include:

• Public sector, including central government departments such as the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the NHS. 
• Private sector, including Google, Sky, Conde Nast, and Formula One.
• Alternative paths, such as starting their own business or undertaking a research degree.

Some of our graduates have also returned to us after a few years in work to do a Masters degree. Our part-time options mean that many can undertake postgraduate study around work and other commitments.

We understand that your degree is a big investment for you and can impact your success at finding a job in the future. Studying your undergraduate degree with us means you’ll develop a set of specialist and transferable skills that are in demand in public and private sectors across the globe.

Our modules are designed to help you develop the key skills for any computer scientist or engineer; problem solving, programming, attention to detail, design, and implementation. Our facilities include a range of labs and equipment that will give you hands-on experience of using industry-standard tools and programmes for your work.

Your programming skills will start in your first year, when we teach you either Python or C (depending on your course). You may then have opportunities to learn additional programming languages such as Java or C++ as your studies progress. You may also be able to learn how to use specialist software such as Matlab or Project.

Our modules also incorporate different types of “soft skills”. These are in demand with organisations in all sectors. You may develop your written and oral communication skills through coursework and presentations, while our annual Challenge Week event helps you develop teamwork and leadership skills.

We also run specialist modules that can help bring your numeracy skills up to speed. So if you left school worrying that your mathematics may not be up to scratch then we can help you bridge that gap, with particular focus on the applications of mathematics to computer science or engineering.

In your final year you’ll be able to showcase all these skills in your Capstone Project. You’ll be given the starting point of a project and will develop it throughout the year, with regular support from your academic tutor or a company mentor. These projects may be inspired by a real world issue, our own research, or from a problem we’ve worked on with a business through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. 

At our Project Open Day you’ll show your work to businesses and leaders in specialist fields. Some of our students have even managed to secure job offers from the people they’ve met at this event.

You’ll leave us with a virtual toolbox of skills that will set you up for life, whether you take up a career in computer science and engineering, or swap to something entirely different.

One of the great things about computer science and engineering is how many different areas of interest fall under them. Our broad choice of modules gives you the freedom to build the degree that you want to study.

If you already have a career in mind then this means that you can develop some of the experience you need before you start applying for jobs. But even if you’re not sure what you want to do in the future, your choices can lead to a better understanding of what you enjoy. You can even try your hand at areas that look interesting, but that you couldn’t learn at school.

Our School has strong working relationships with a host of companies and organisations through our research and our Advisory Board.

Through these links we know what skills companies need for the future, and incorporate them in to our courses. You’ll have the skills that are in demand across multiple sectors and be ready to jump in to work after graduation. These connections may also give you opportunities for placements, internships or work experience projects.

Our research also leads to engagement with businesses through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). Our School has an excellent track record of KTPs, in which a business comes to us with a problem and our research helps find a solution. This gives us working knowledge of issues facing companies, which we can address in our module teaching, and can even lead to Capstone Project ideas.

Additionally Colchester Campus, where our School is based, includes the Knowledge Gateway. This suite of buildings houses a number of businesses who have strong links to the University through enterprises such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. It is also home to the Innovation Centre, which helps entrepreneurs and fledgling businesses take their first steps.

We’re an active, engaged community of staff and students from a wide range of countries and backgrounds.

While we might argue over the best programming language, or debate the moral implications of social media companies using personal data for advertising, we’re all united by our interests in the technical world. We’re passionate about making sure you have a transformative educational experience, and we’re here to support you in making the most of your time at our university.

But your degree is more than just sitting in a computer lab. The University’s Students’ Union is home to a wide collection of societies who host events and activities throughout the year. Some of the societies our community are part of include the Film society, the Video Game society, and the Origami society. Through them you can make friends with students outside our School who share similar interests.

With so many creative students, it’s not surprising that many of our undergraduates plan on starting their own business.

Our School and University are keen to help students interested in this alternative form of employment. The Student Development team run a series of events throughout the year designed to help support your ambitions, such as the £100 challenge and talks from local business leaders.

In our School we’ve contributed our expertise to the Digital Accelerator, based in the £12m Innovation Centre at Colchester Campus. Students have access to a range of facilities, such as the dedicated digital creative space, mentoring from business leaders, and workshop and networking events led by innovators and entrepreneurs from across the country.

Our School has developed a Research Experience Scheme which allows undergraduate students to take an active role in academic research.

Throughout the year there will be opportunities to assist in projects with our academics. Along with helping students gain experience in research before carrying out their own projects, it gives an insight into the importance of academic research.

Experts from across the world have travelled to Essex to take up academic positions with us, carrying out research in our labs and teaching our students. We also have partnerships with other universities across the globe, which gives us additional expertise for both research and teaching.

We have a strong portfolio of cutting-edge research, with three research Centres and six research groups in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and mechatronics, brain-computer interfaces, and communication and networks. Our work is highly interdisciplinary, and we carry out projects with colleagues in other departments around the University, such as Psychology, Life Sciences, and Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science. In the latest Research Excellent Framework we were 9th for research impact (Grade Point Average, REF 2021), with 100% of our research impact in computer science is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021).

Our research feeds in to our teaching, so you will learn the latest theories that are being developed and tested in our labs with other experts across the fields of science and health. It has also led to degree collaborations with other departments, such as our BEng Neural Engineering with Psychology.

We also host regular research seminars with guest experts from around the world. We encourage our undergraduates to attend these seminars, so you can benefit from additional expertise and find out more about research in the wider scientific community.