Our Electrical and Railway Engineering MEng degree programme enables you to gain strong theoretical and practical skills in electronic and electrical engineering and to collaborate with academics who are global experts in their field.
Building on the global reputation of the Newcastle Centre for Railway Research and Education, you will obtain a thorough Electrical Engineering education alongside a specific focus on the railway industry. Unique in the UK, this programme ensures that upon graduation you will have the skills and knowledge to benefit from the excellent career prospects in an industry experiencing significant growth.
You will be the subject expert on a major project during your degree, the projects are set and assessed alongside our partners from major industries. You’ll apply your in-depth technical knowledge and also learn how to share your ideas through virtual reality. In these projects, you’ll gain vital employability skills that will give you a competitive edge in applications forms, interviews and assessment tests for graduate jobs.
The Newcastle degrees in Electrical and Railway Engineering are the first of their kind in the UK. They have been put together in close collaboration with the railway industry; making them immediately relevant, ensuring you have the knowledge, experience and capability needed to have successful careers. Your studies will include core electrical engineering as well as specialised study on railway infrastructure, traction and energy, railway management, timetabling and control, and your design and research projects, which are highly valued by employers, will all have a railway focus.
Why study Electrical and Railway Engineering at Newcastle?
- Accredited degrees, we have been an academic partner of the IET for over a quarter of a century providing employers with assurances that you have the qualities they seek.
- Significant project work which is highly valued by employers, is a thread that runs through your degree. This is underpinned by your coursework. Our projects and assessments developed with, and informed by, industry and research leaders.
- Our degrees will equip you to meet the technological challenges of the 21st century – autonomous vehicles, the internet of things, embedded computation, renewable energy, distributed generation, secure and high rate communications, electric vehicles, remote sensing, big data analytics, human-machine interactions, mechatronics, robotics.
- Our courses are designed to meet the request from industry for graduates who are well versed in subject fundamentals yet skilled in working across traditional boundaries.
- You have the opportunity to choose specialities in your final year. See modules below.
- The department fosters a lively student community with a strong discipline identity and close working relationships with highly supportive staff.
- Graduates have gone on to work for highly respected organisations such as IBM, the National Grid and National Rail.
A degree that’s flexible to you
The programmes within the School of Engineering have been designed to give you choice. This allows you to find out more about the field of engineering that you want to further your studies in. These choices are shown below:
Choice 1: Complete year 1 and then decide which branch of engineering to follow. This also includes Mechanical (Automotive), Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering and Railway routes.
Choice 2: Complete year 2 and decide whether to continue onto the BEng or MEng* pathway. *Must achieve minimum grade for MEng pathway.
Choice 3: Complete year 2 and decide whether to take an industrial option, international study or continue with studying at Newcastle.
Institutional Accreditation
University of Newcastle is accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission (DETC), www.detc.org.uk Since , University of Newcastle has been continually accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.
Electrical and Railway Engineering BEng
Course Level:
Undergraduate, Single Honours
Credits
120
Course
CODE U463
How long it takes:
Undergraduate (4 years)
Study Mode:
Distance learning/ Campus
Course cost
Price: US$20,220
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Department:
Newcastle Law School
Year 1
Our first year has been designed to provide a contemporary and flexible educational model that builds upon essential engineering fundamentals to develop your broader understanding of behaviour, policy, entrepreneurship, and global perspectives and kindles the passion necessary to address the societal challenge agenda.
The first year is shared across the disciplines of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.
- Computing for Engineers
- Electrical Engineering 1
- Engineering Materials
- Engineering Mathematics 1
- Fluid Mechanics and Energy Transfer
- Mechanics 1
First year engineering robotics class
Year 2
You’ll extend your technical understanding and learn how to apply your knowledge and creativity to solving electrical and railway engineering problems. You’ll focus on designing real control systems and embedded systems. You will come to understand power transmission, railway infrastructure and traction systems. All modules compulsory.
- Digital Electronics and Electrical Machines – 20 credits
- Engineering Mathematics 2 – 20 credits
- Electronic Circuits and Devices and Electromagnetics – 20 credits
- Microprocessors and Control Systems – 20 credits
- Railway Traction – 20 credits
- Railway Infrastructure Engineering – 20 credits
Year 3
During your third year you will solve real-world problems through a challenging individual design project in the railway sector. You will study railway operations and management and train control. All modules compulsory.
- Electronic Engineering – 20 credits
- Engineering Mathematics 3 – 20 credits
- Railway Design Project – 20 credits
- Railway Management and Control – 20 credits
- Power Electronics and Power systems – 20 credits
- Mechatronic Design – 20 credits
Year 4
The highlight of the fourth year is a challenging individual research project. You will, in addition, study a range of advanced railway engineering topics, with significant input from practicing railway engineers.
Core modules
- Individual Project – 40 credits
- Advanced Topics in Railway Engineering – 20 credits
- Sensing and Control for Autonomous Systems – 20 credits
- Railway Synoptic Project – 20 credits
Optional modules
Choose 20 credits. Example optional modules may include:
- Power System Economics – 20 credits
- Power Systems Operation and Control – 20 credits
- Renewable Energy Systems Integration – 20 credits
- Power Systems Stability Control and Protection – 20 credits
Entry requirements
Applicants should normally have one of the following:
- A non-law bachelor’s degree (from a UK university or recognised by the BSB if you wish to study the BPTC), or
- A ‘stale’ law degree, where five or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
- An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level
If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have IELTS 7.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in all components.
If you intend to become a Solicitor
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reduced its requirements for pre-authorisation this year. For details of the current arrangements, see the SRA website. You should pay special attention to the Character and Suitability section. If you think you may have a character or suitability issue, you may wish to clarify with the SRA before proceeding with the GDL.
See further details of our English Language requirement
USA,UK & EU students, 2019/20 (per year)
£8,500
International students starting 2019/20 (per year)
£13,100
Assessment
You’ll show your progress through a combination of written essays, problem-solving assignments and presentations.
All students take our core modules, but please note that the availability of optional modules is subject to demand.
Industrial Year
A year working in industry provides you with the opportunity to build skills and confidence in the workplace. Our Industrial Liaison Officer provides advice and support for students looking to complete an Industrial Year. Students within the department secure placements for a wide range of employers with students regularly taking an industrial year at IBM, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, GE and Caterpillar.
Graduates who have studied our courses:
Example employers
- Arup
- Defence Science And Technology
- GlaxoSmithKline
- IBM
- Jaguar Land Rover
- National Grid
- Network Rail
- Wessex Water
Example careers
- Analyst
- Design engineer
- Electrical power engineer
- Client engagement
- Lead software engineer
- Automotive reader manager
- Electrical engineer
- Project control engineer