(BEng) Bachelor of Engineering
Communications Engineering (Including Placement Year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (School of)
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
Engineering
Computing
BENGHPK1
15/07/2013
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A-levels: ABB-BBB, including Mathematics
Please note we are unable to accept A-level Use of Mathematics in place of A-level Mathematics
GCSE: Science C
IB: 32-30 points, including Higher Level Mathematics grade 5 and Standard Level Science grade 4
BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, including Merit in Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. (Different requirements apply for second year entry.)
If you are an international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels required. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
Dr Tahmina Ajmal
Senior Lecturer
University of Bedfordshire
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
BEng Telecommunication Engineering is a 3 year programme of study.
Its teaching aims are:
1. to equip students with the knowledge and skills that are currently in high demand in the telecommunication and related industries
2. to provide students with a foundation for further study and research
3. to enable students to acquire a broad understanding of telecommunication engineering, whilst providing opportunities for them to develop expertise within particular areas of specialisation
4. to develop the students' ability to make an effective contribution to team-based activity
5. to encourage students to adopt an investigative approach and develop autonomous study skills in order to ensure their continuing professional development
6. to provide students with an understanding of the industrial context and an appreciation of a range of external factors that affect the work of the professional telecommunication engineer.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Principles, techniques and processes of project management.
A2: The industrial context and the professional, legal and ethical responsibilities of telecommunication engineers.
A3: Mathematical principles that are fundamental to the analysis and design of electronic and telecommunication systems.
A4: Programming and hardware design languages and environments that support the development of electronic and telecommunication systems.
A5: Computer systems, including computer architecture, operating systems, embedded computer systems and computer networks
A6: Electronic principles, materials and devices that are fundamental to the analysis and design of electronic and telecommunication systems.
A7: Analogue and digital systems, including circuit and system design, analogue-digital conversion, digital signal processing, audio and video technologies.
A8: Principles, techniques and applications in those areas of electronic engineering or related disciplines in which the student has chosen to develop special expertise.
A9: An experience based understanding of work roles is developed through the placement year
Learning methods
Lectures are the principal method of delivery for the concepts and principles involved in outcomes A1 - A8.
Students are also directed to reading from textbooks, academic papers and material available on-line.
Understanding is reinforced by means of exercise classes, discussion groups, laboratories, assignments and project work.
Specialist knowledge (A8) is further developed during supervision of the final year individual project.
A9 is acquired through a placement year at a host organisation.
The details of the learning/teaching methods are included on each training agreement and are specific to an individual student.
Assessment methods
Achievement of knowledge outcomes is assessed primarily through unseen closed-book examinations, and also through marked coursework.
An assessment of the understanding of underlying concepts and principles forms part of the overall assessment of the final year individual project report and oral presentation.
Assessment of the placement year is through a number of elements including an assessment of the students performance in securing the placement, undertaking the placement, and reflecting on the placement experience.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Analyse a given problem and select the most appropriate methods for its solution.
B2: Evaluate the relative strengths of a range of theories, techniques, tools, languages etc used in the design and construction of telecommunications systems.
B3: Interpret the contents of articles and other sources, and form a critical judgement of their relative importance and relevance to an area of study.
B4: Construct informed, succinct and reasoned descriptions of, and proposals for, telecommunications systems.
B5: A capacity to connect subject specific theory to practice in a work environment
Learning methods
The basis for intellectual skills is provided in lectures, and they are developed by means of recommended reading, guided and self directed study, assignments and project work.
B1 is a key element of most assignments and project work.
B2 is developed through exercises and exposure to a range of systems software.
B3 is developed through guided reading and tutor led discussion groups.
B1 - B4 are all important aspects of the final year project, and are developed in the course of individual supervision.
B5 is developed during the placement year.
Assessment methods
Achievement of intellectual skills is assessed primarily through unseen closed-book examinations, and also through marked assignments and project work.
C: Practical skills
C1: Make effective use of a range of theories, techniques, programming languages, operating systems, design support tools and development environments.
C2: Specify, design, implement, test and document a telecommunications system.
C3: Work as a member of a team, contributing to the planning and execution of a system development task.
C4: Propose, plan, undertake and report a self-directed individual programme of investigation, design and implementation.
C5: Communicate with a range of colleagues and clients in a working environment
Learning methods
Practical skills are developed in exercise classes, laboratory classes, assignments and project work.
C1 is developed through exercises and exposure to a range of systems software.
Various aspects of C2 are acquired in laboratory programmes and coursework assignments, and further developed in team and individual project work.
C3 is developed in group assignments and the first and second year team projects.
C4 is developed during the supervision of the final year individual project.
C5 is developed during the placement year.
Assessment methods
Achievement of practical skills is assessed through marked coursework, project reports, oral presentations and demonstrations of completed systems.
Assessment of the placement year is through a number of elements including an assessment of the students performance in securing the placement, undertaking the placement, and reflecting on the placement experience.
D: Key skills
D1: Communicate effectively in written reports and oral presentations using appropriate terminology and technical language
D2: Retrieve information using search engines, browsers and catalogues; use appropriate IT facilities to prepare and present technical reports in various formats (documents, oral presentations)
D3: Use mathematical techniques in the processes of analysis and desig
D4: Analyse complex problems and design effective solution
D5: Plan and manage team projects using available support tools; work effectively as part of a tea
D6: Organise activity and manage time in a programme of self-directed study
Learning methods
Students learn key skills in research, problem solving, communication and team project work in the first year module CE121, and thereafter the development of key skills forms an integral part of their overall learning activity.
In particular D1 and D2 are developed in team and individual project work.
D2 is developed through the use of the internet as a major information source, and practice in the use of tools such as Word and PowerPoint.
D3 and D4 are developed in exercises and assignments.
D5 is developed in group assignments and the first and second year team projects.
D6 is developed in the final year individual project.
Assessment methods
Assessment of the key skills D3 and D4 is intrinsic to subject based assessment.
The assessment of project work includes specific allocations of credit for project management (D5, D6) and the quality of presentations (D1 and D2).
An individual's contribution to team projects (D5) is determined by means of a submission containing reflective and self-assessment components.
The assessment of the final year individual project report includes specific allocation of credit for the quality, extent and relevance of a bibliography, including internet sources (D2).