Bachelor of Science in Electronics

General Information

Smart electronic systems are an ever-increasing part of daily life.They are encountered in the home and in the workplace, controlling the environment within our buildings, safely regulating the cars that we drive and revolutionizing the way in which we spend our free time. The electronic systems of today are highly complex and miniaturized so that they can fit in our pockets, can be worn without discomfort (indeed they will be soon embedded in our clothing), or occupy as little desk space as possible. Examples of these systems include mobile phones, iPods, PCs, Energy meters, and all of the electronic instrumentation that is used today to measure how healthy we are.

The list of areas where electronics specialists are required is endless and is growing everyday. It has been estimated for example that the ever-spiraling cost of energy means that all utility supplies to home or business (be it electricity, water or oil) will need to be monitored electronically within the next 10 years.To achieve this objective, the Irish government has set aside four billion Euro to facilitate the installation of so-called "smart" Electronic energy meters and devices in our homes.

It is clear that the extraordinary growth in the Electronics sector is set to continue far into the future and that the need for talented people and new companies to design, test, install and maintain these systems has never been greater.

To equip students with the ability to best exploit their Electronics skills it is evident that some expertise in enterprise formation will be invaluable to the graduate scientist who is interested in the technology start-up market. Hence, students on this course can pursue the entire minor option in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Formation that is currently offered by the Kemmy Business School.

About You

Electronic products, devices and services will continue to provide a broad range of employment opportunities for Irish graduates.The Electronics degree at UL provides you with a broad range of practical skills and will appeal to anyone who enjoys solving problems or playing with electronic equipment or devices.Working in our state of the art laboratories will allow you to develop the right type of cutting edge expertise that is such a valued commodity in the market place.The BSc in Electronics at UL has recently been completely updated to take account of all the new technological developments in this rapidly changing sector.The programme now features an enhanced focus on the design and installation of electronic devices for the smart use of Energy; a set of outcome and problem based learning modules have been developed to ensure that your practical skills are put to good use and there is also a special focus on Enterprise Development (delivered in partnership with the Kemmy Business School).These particular features are unique to the BSc in Electronics degree at UL.

Students of the BSc in Electronics share a common first year with LM083, BSc in Mobile Communications and Security. Transfer between these courses is possible at any stage up to the beginning of second year.

For further details logon to www.ece.ul.ie

Course Structure

Year 1 comprises Part 1 and covers foundation material in: Electronics, Software Development, Maths and Entrepreneurship.

Years 2, 3, and 4 comprise Part 2 of the course and covers material in the following areas:Analogue and Digital Electronics, Computer Programming, Circuit implementation and Test; Instrumentation, Intelligent devices for Home, Medical, Automotive and Sports Applications, Electronic Systems and the Environment; Monitoring and Security, Small Business Formation and Marketing.

In the final year, (Year 4), students pursue certain specialist elective modules to gain more advanced knowledge in chosen areas of specialization. Students also undertake a major project that involves a design and implementation task.This project puts into practice the skills and techniques that have been acquired throughout the course.

Industrial work experience is provided through a positive, motivating, and most importantly paid, thirty week period of Cooperative Education. CoOp is highly popular with our students and provides them with experience of the practice and application of electronic systems in a relevant working environment.

For further details, go to ECE - Electronics

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with at least Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher Level subjects (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English). In addition, applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate, or an approved equivalent: Grade B3 in Ordinary Level Mathematics (Grade D3 in Higher Level Mathematics also suffices) and a Grade D3 at Higher Level or Grade C3 or above at Ordinary Level, in any one of the following:Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry, Engineering,Technical Drawing/Design & Communication Graphics,Technology, Construction Studies, Agricultural Science, Biology.

Students can also enter this programme of study via the Science Choice degree LM117..A Special Mathematics Examination will be offered at UL following the Leaving Certificate results for those students who did not achieve the Mathematics requirement.

Career Prospects

Graduates from this course are in demand and have successfully developed careers in the following areas:

• The Installation of Electronic Energy Management,
• Heating and Lighting systems,
• Technology Startup and Management,
• Test Engineering,
• Instrumentation,
• Environmental Health and Monitoring,
• Electronic Health Systems,
• Quality Control,
• Advanced study and research.

The above list provides just a flavour of the broad range of highly relevant opportunities that exist to graduates from this programme.The knowledge and skills gained in this course can be applied in both large scale multinational as well as small technology startup companies that design, deploy, service, or use electronic devices. Graduates are therefore required in a wide range of industries across the public and private sectors at both national and international level.