Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Qualifications

BE(Hons), ME, MEM, MEngSt, PhD

See also Engineering

Introduction

Electrical and electronic engineering involves the generation, storage and use of electricity, and also the transmission and transformation of information using computers and communications networks. Electrical and electronic engineers create and design new electrical, electronic and computer products, and also analyse, manage and redesign existing systems.

Electrical and electronic engineers have played a major role in the development of technological advances such as electric heat and lighting, nationwide electrical power, mobile phones, digital television, fly-by-wire aircraft, medical imaging systems, hybrid cars, and robotic space exploration. Now, with the ever-increasing role of computers and electronics in every facet of our lives, electrical and electronic engineers have the opportunity to be involved in developing an extremely wide range of systems, including:

• new ways of generating power from renewable energy sources including wind, hydro and solar powered technologies
• faster, cheaper and more reliable ways of sending information through mobile phone networks, the internet and new communications technologies yet to be developed
• more precise non-invasive medical instruments and scanners
• new nano-scale devices and materials that enable whole new ranges of products
• more efficient ways of using electric power, such as low-power lighting systems
• intelligent systems, such as autonomous cars or search-and-rescue robots, to improve people's lives while protecting the environment
• better ways of gathering information through sensor networks to help people like farmers and manufacturers make accurate decisions
• new ways of controlling the administration of medicines or the motion of rockets.

The University of Canterbury has a well-established international reputation in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Our programme provides a solid grounding in the theoretical fundamentals of electrical engineering, as well as valuable practical experience building and testing real systems through projects such as solar-powered cars, electric go-karts, robot hardware and software, and radio-frequency amplifiers. In addition to having strong connections with the electrical and electronic engineering industry both in New Zealand and internationally, the university is home to the Electric Power Engineering Centre, or EPECentre, New Zealand's Centre of Excellence for electric power engineering. The EPECentre is supported by funding from the New Zealand power industry, and works to foster power engineering innovation through research, scholarships, practical work, mentoring, and opportunities for student-industry interaction.

Recommended background

To know whether you have an aptitude for engineering is difficult when you haven't tried it! Some indicators are:

• enjoyment of practical hobbies (eg, electronics, electrical tinkering)
• enjoyment of using computers (eg, programming, creating applications)
• good organising skills and enjoyment of project work
• enjoyment of art, drawing and design, as well as a curiosity for how things work and a desire to make them work better.

100-level courses

The first year of the BE(Hons) is called the Engineering Intermediate Year. See Engineering for more information on the Engineering Intermediate.

200-level and beyond

• See all Electrical and Electronic Engineering courses

The First Professional Year is aimed at establishing a sound foundation in the core Electrical and Electronic Engineering subjects. Courses focus on circuits and signals, electronics and devices, electrical systems, computer systems, and materials in electrical engineering.

A significant amount of flexibility in course structure, through a system of options, is available in the second and third professional years. The list of options includes embedded computer systems, digital electronics, signal processing, communications engineering, control systems, power electronics, electronic devices, electric power engineering and management.

During the Third Professional Year, each student undertakes a major project. These projects give students the opportunity to solve real engineering problems.

Career opportunities

University of Canterbury Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduates are well prepared to join the technological revolution, with a wide range of career options. Some examples of these are:

• consulting engineer for the telecommunications industry
• consultant or design engineer in the electric power industry
• electronic design engineer in one of the many New Zealand electronics companies
• computer software engineer
• biomedical engineer
• research engineer in areas such as nanotechnology, renewable/power engineering, communications, biomedical engineering
• project management for a new electronic or software product
• entrepreneur with own company
• teacher/educator in industry, school or university.

For further career information, please go to www.canterbury.ac.nz/careers

Contact

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Telephone: +64 3 364 2867