BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Birmingham City University
BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year at BCU. The foundation year prepares you for university-level study before progressing to the main engineering programme.
About this course
This BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a Foundation Year degree is designed to develop industry-ready engineers – developed through project-based learning and aligned with emerging technologies to meet future demands in engineering innovation and sustainability. From the provider’s course page.
BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BEng (Hons)) at BCU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Engineering graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Foundation Year 4 modules
- Future Manufacturing and DesignCore30 credits
Module details
You will explore the fundamentals of modern manufacturing, gaining the knowledge and skills to contribute to this dynamic field. This module introduces core manufacturing processes, focusing on the design, production, and improvement of products to meet societal needs. You will develop technical skills, including the use of CAD tools, material selection, and safe operation of workshop machinery. Hands-on activities will enhance your proficiency with measurement tools and quality control techniqu
- Mechanical Engineering Application ToolkitsCore30 credits
Module details
The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and problem-solving skills in science to enable you to progress to Level 4 of an engineering degree. The science theme contains the material normally encountered in a BTEC/A-level physics course which is relevant to entry to an engineering degree. The Level 3 Science module concentrates on the theoretical and practical aspects of physical science. The subject material stream includes laboratory exercises linking engineering to the real world. Thi
- Automotive Engineering PracticeCore30 credits
Module details
The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and problem-solving skills in physical science to enable you to progress to Level 4 of an engineering degree. The science theme contains the material normally encountered in an BTEC/A-level physics course which is relevant to entry to an engineering degree. The Level 3 Science module concentrate on the theoretical and practical aspects of physical science. The subject material stream includes laboratory exercises linking engineering into real wor
Assessment: Assessment combines competency-based and project-based evaluations. Competency-based assessments, on a pass or fail basis with multiple trials, focus on fundamental skills like kinematics. Project-based assessments evaluate the application of these skills in real-world contexts, including being able to justify sizing o
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering PracticeCore30 credits
Module details
This module introduces you to electrical and electronic engineering through a hands-on, project-based learning approach. You will design, build, and test small-scale electrical and electronic circuits, integrating key components into functional systems that perform real-world tasks. Through practical labs and collaborative projects, you will develop technical skills in circuit design, prototyping, and system implementation, while enhancing your problem-solving and teamwork abilities. You will ex
First Year 4 modules
- Mechatronic Systems EngineeringCore30 credits
Module details
You will explore the field of mechatronics by designing and building a fully functional system that integrates mechanical, electronic, and software components. This hands-on approach develops your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative working practices. Following the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) framework, you will define project goals, develop system designs, integrate hardware and software solutions, and refine system performance through iterative testing.
- Computer Aided DesignCore30 credits
Module details
You will develop hands-on expertise in computer-aided design (CAD) by designing, prototyping, and presenting a product from concept to completion. This module follows a design thinking approach, guiding you through need analysis, market research, concept development, and iterative refinement of mechanical, electronic, and software components. You will define project objectives, design components and assemblies, and implement solutions using CAD tools for modelling, simulation, and technical docu
- Electronic Circuits DesignCore30 credits
Module details
This module equips you with practical skills in analogue and digital electronics, focusing on circuit design, analysis, and implementation. You will work with semiconductors, diodes, transistors, operational amplifiers, and integrated circuits, applying hands-on techniques to build and test electronic systems. You will explore circuit analysis methods such as nodal and mesh analysis, Thevenin's and Norton's theorem, amplifier circuits, and filter design, gaining experience in designing small-sig
- Electrical Machinery and DrivesCore30 credits
Module details
This module provides you with practical skills in electrical machines and transformers, focusing on electromechanical energy conversion and industrial applications. You will work with single-phase and three-phase transformers, direct current machines, induction and synchronous machines, gaining hands-on experience in their operation, control, and performance analysis. Through lab-based experimentation and project-based learning, you will build, test, and analyse electrical machines and transform
Second Year 4 modules
- Intelligent Systems EngineeringCore30 credits
Module details
This module focuses on the design, development, and implementation of smart systems using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, integrating microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, and automation techniques within Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). You will gain hands-on experience in developing and optimising connected systems using IoT platforms and communication technologies. Through Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-led training sessions, you will develop programming skills for embedded sys
- Embedded Control Systems DesignCore30 credits
Module details
This module provides you with practical skills in embedded systems design, focusing on microprocessor-based hardware, real-time applications, and Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) development. You will specify, design, implement, and test embedded hardware and software, integrating digital and analogue electronics, sensors, and actuators. Through hands-on projects and lab-based experimentation, you will use Electronic Computer-Aided Design (ECAD) tools to design circuits and fabricate PCB. The modul
- Electrical Power Systems EngineeringCore30 credits
Module details
This module explores electrical power and automation systems, focusing on power system structure (generation, transmission, and distribution) and power system operation. You will explore and experiment with key components such as generators, transformers, transmission lines, switchgear, circuit breakers, protection relays, and substation equipment, gaining hands-on experience in their roles in power system reliability and safety. You will explore the automation technologies in electrical power s
- Leadership for Engineering ExcellenceCore30 credits
Module details
This interdisciplinary STEAM module equips you with essential leadership, project management, and business strategy skills, preparing you to navigate complex engineering challenges. You will work in industry-driven, collaborative teams, applying technical expertise to solve real-world problems, integrating sustainability, ethics, and global engineering principles.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course combines project-based learning with emerging technologies to develop engineers ready for industry innovation and sustainability challenges. You'll usually start with engineering mathematics, mechanics and materials, and design fundamentals, progressing through core electrical and electronic systems in Year 2. Alongside this, you'll undertake engineering analysis, computing and collaborative design projects that mirror real-world practice. In Year 3, you'll choose from specialisations such as robotics and mechatronics, energy and sustainability, or the chartered (CEng) pathway, whilst completing professional engineering practice modules on safety, ethics and project management. The course culminates in a substantial individual design or research project that forms the degree's centrepiece.
Who it's for
This course suits students who want to study electrical and electronic engineering but may not yet meet standard entry requirements. The foundation year bridges that gap, preparing you for degree-level work. Most entrants to the university held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among accepted students was 80–95 points. You'll need to study in English and commit to full-time study over four years.
Careers & job market
Across engineering courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 80% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £29,000–£35,000 at 15 months; after three years, £26,775–£37,800; and after five years, £33,150–£46,800. These figures reflect the wider engineering graduate population, not a guarantee for individual outcomes. First-year retention across the university stands at 88%.
University & format
Birmingham City University is a public university located on its City Centre Campus in the city centre. This BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year is a 4-year full-time degree taught in English. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, your degree is nationally recognised. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Professional placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 60% |
| another higher-education qualification | 35% |
| an Access course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at BCU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £28,000 | £25,000 – £30,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £23,500 | £18,500 – £29,000 | 485 |
| 5 years after | £30,500 | £22,500 – £38,000 | 500 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Engineering courses at the same study level.
Compared with 2,256 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 40; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 87.3% · in work or study 80% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birmingham City University
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around City Centre Campus
4,178 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,570 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BCU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BCU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BCU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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