Computer Systems Engineering BEng
This project-led course using industry-standard design and build technology will give you the specialist skills for a career designing the computer systems that shape how we live
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Viewing course details for 2024 year of entry
- Code
- HP50
- Attendance
- Full-time
- Start
- September 2024
- Fees
- £9,250 (UK) | £16,600 (INT)
- Duration
- 3 years full-time, 4 years full-time (with placement)
- Course Leader
- Dr Ramona Trestian
- Study mode
- On campus
- Location
- Hendon campus
- Entry Requirements
- 112 UCAS points
- Placement year
- Yes
- School / Department
- Design Engineering and Mathematics
Why choose Computer Systems Engineering BEng Honours at Middlesex?
From social media to business, smartphones to smart homes – computer systems engineering has a visible impact on every area of modern life.
Working alongside our team of industry experts in high-tech labs, you’ll learn the specialist skills and knowledge to design, develop and manage the computer systems which shape the way we live.
Collaborating closely in teams, you will develop confident communication skills, and problem-solving skills required to develop projects quickly within an agile and fast-paced industry.
We have strong links with industry giants like Cisco, Festo and Siemens. This means the best facilities and guest speakers presenting real-world problems and hands-on solutions. Our north London location gives you access to industry contacts. And you can develop your professional skills with a year-long, paid work experience placement as part of a four-year study option.
You’ll also get support from our Student Learning and Graduate Academic Assistants, who have experience in your subject area.
What you will gain
Our degree opens up career opportunities wherever digital, mobile or network systems are used.
You will gain experience in many areas including wireless and digital design, network design, network planning, mobile internet applications and services development.
This course will also help you develop the confident interpersonal and communication skills, problem-solving and teamwork skills required by the industry.
Our graduates leave fully equipped with the technical and analytical skills they need to secure jobs in this growing field. They go on to careers with global companies in wireless and digital design, network implementation, network planning and more.
Our staff are are experts. Dr. Purav Shah won the Huawei ICT Academy Best Instructor Award 2021-22.
A team of three third-year BEng Computer Systems Engineering students and their tutor, Dr. Purav Shah, won second place worldwide at the Huawei IoT and Networking Competition, 2020.
The BEng EE programme runs on our Dubai campus as well. So on this course you could transfer to our Dubai campus and study aboard.
We have over 145 years of experience delivering professional, creative and technical education that prepares students – like you – for success in global careers, so find out more today.
What you will learn
You'll cover a wide range of topics which demonstrate the diversity of roles within this growing area. From software to hardware development, apps to IoT, computer architecture and networks.
You will develop your skills with plenty of hands-on practice in our Cisco, Xilinx, and mobile communication labs. And you'll also have access to observation control rooms and test areas in the computer lab.
You'll work on projects which will build into a professional portfolio of work throughout your degree. You will also attend regular guest lectures and project feedback from industry professionals, with the option of spending a year on industry placement.
You will also be encouraged to enter prestigious engineering competitions which will enhance your experience and career prospects.
You will also have the opportunity to work on ongoing research projects with the London Digital Twin Research Centre through group projects, final-year projects or summer internship, This is an exciting opportunity for students to engage in cutting-edge research projects that link with the industry as well as with our international partners in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt.
3 great reasons to pick this course
About your course
This course combines skills and knowledge from the areas of computer science and electronic engineering by introducing you to the design, implementation and maintenance of software and hardware components of modern computing systems as well as networks of intelligent devices.
It reflects the importance of developments in computer systems engineering, by providing a strong foundation in science, technology and application development, principles, and the development of practical skills in key areas needed by the industry.
This course content covers three main areas:
- Theoretical knowledge skills – a solid background in the theories and principles of computing, mathematics, science and engineering
- Building practical skills – applying these theories and principles in solving real-world technical engineering problems that reflect industry-practice
- Project-led learning – working on your own projects and tasks which will stimulate your creativity and help you develop skills such as project management, decision-making, communication, team working, and critical thinking.
Year 1
We will equip you with the fundamental of computing and electronic engineering as well as the mathematics for engineers delivered through practical applications.
You'll make use of different programming environments to solve problems and you'll work in groups to deliver projects against specifications with reference to industrial practice.
Year 2
Year 2 builds on the skills gained in Year 1 and will introduce topics to help you develop an understanding of the process of moving from prototype design to product creation.
Working in groups, you'll be tackling specific management functions appropriate to professional working practices, continuing the professional development of team working attitudes and skills to complete a project which addresses one or more elements of a major issue of current concern.
Topics such as digital systems design as well as advanced techniques of signal processing and interpretation will be introduced, using concepts and abstractions central to the development of computing systems.
Year 3
Year 3 offers you the opportunity to undertake a major self-directed engineering project using the knowledge and skills learnt throughout the course. You will also learn the principles underpinning real-time hardware and software.
The focus is on structured design principles and techniques that yield, cost-effective, ad hoc, and testable systems whose development typically involves the integration of custom hardware, software or hardware interfaces, IP devices or peripherals, one or more processors, and software.
Modules
You can study the course over three years full-time, or over four years if you decide to take up the 12-month placement option after year two. Learning is split between compulsory modules, designed to give you a grounding in key subjects, and optional modules through which you can begin to specialise.
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of digital electronics and develop knowledge and understanding of a range of modelling and prototyping processes and techniques to successfully complete the final project. Students will learn a range of practical skills, and techniques required to construct digital electronic circuits successfully and to use a range of tools to accomplish this. The projects will require you to develop and use a variety of problem-solving skills and to utilise knowledge gained from other taught modules.
This module aims to provide a comprehensive overview and in-depth understanding of the principles and theories employed in electronics and communications. It places electronics and communication principles in a realistic context showing the benefits and the challenges that everyday electronic engineers face in real life.
This module introduces fundamental computational concepts and programming constructs and uses of a range of widely used programming languages. The module will expose you to problem solving through programming and introduce you to a selection of hardware. You'll make use of different programming environments to solve problems that were introduced in the other modules.
The module aims to provide you with the mathematical knowledge and tools to model and understand particular problems in engineering, and to interpret these results to provide information relevant to designs and decisions you will make as engineers.
This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to carry out computing and engineering projects that address one or more elements of a major issue of current concern with reference to industrial practice. You'll develop an understanding of the process of moving from modelling and simulation to prototyping. You'll gain experience of working in groups by taking on a specific management function appropriate to professional working practice.
This module aims to provide you with understanding of the process of developing software using various programming languages and hardware components. You'll be familiarised with the state of the art phased process of software development. The module will introduce you to technical and non-technical aspects of software development process that will allow them to successfully take project from requirements stage, through design to a fully working product.
This module aims to introduce the digital systems design using concepts and abstractions central to the development of computing systems. The module will be introduced using VHDL (hardware description language), in which the designs can be implemented and tested. Development often requires knowledge and understanding of digital logic building blocks, hardware description language (VHDL), development tools similar to the ones used in the industry; this module provides you with the essential concepts for that purpose.
This module will introduce students to advanced techniques of signal processing and interpretation as well as the applications of signal processing in wireless communications.
The aim of this module is to strengthen, extend and apply the knowledge, skills and experiences you have gained from your programme in the context of a working environment, and to complement, stimulate, reinforce and encourage the development of discipline-specific technical knowledge, and your transferable skills.
This module aims to introduce you to the design and implementation of systems typically having potentially complex concurrent behaviour, stringent timing requirements, and significant communication requirements in a single field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. The principles underpinning of real-time hardware and software are also addressed and deployed. The focus is on structured design principles and techniques that yield, cost-effective, ad hoc and testable systems whose development typically involves the integration of custom hardware, software or hardware interfaces, IP devices or peripherals, one or more processors, and software.
This module aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of internetworking systems along with their principles and theories applied in practical network design and development. It will teach you how to evaluate a network situation and to help them to identify the most important network aspects that need to be monitored and analysed. You'll design and develop simulation software as appropriate models to evaluate the pure performance and availability, as well as performability of the internetworking systems.
This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake a major piece of self-directed computing and engineering project using the knowledge and skills learnt throughout the programme. You're expected to provide a significant personal contribution to all phases of the engineering design and development process, appropriate to the goals of your programme.
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Teaching
You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience. The course has a strong project-based focus and is taught using an active practice-based teaching approach.
Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.
We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.
Year 1 – weekly timetable
Your weekly timetable will typically consist of:
- 4 blocks of 3 hours of workshops (a total of 12 hours of contact time per week)
Teaching vs independent learning
Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking self-directed research, self-directed, resource-based learning, and preparing for assessments including coursework and presentations.
Here is a guide of how you will spend your time.
Year 1
| Percentage | Hours | Typical activity |
|---|---|---|
| 24% | 288 | Teaching, learning and assessment |
| 76% | 912 | Independent learning |
Year 2
| Percentage | Hours | Typical activity |
|---|---|---|
| 24% | 288 | Teaching, learning and assessment |
| 76% | 912 | Independent learning |
Year 3
| Percentage | Hours | Typical activity |
|---|---|---|
| 18% | 216 | Teaching, learning and assessment |
| 82% | 984 | Independent learning |
You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience. The course has a strong project-based focus and is taught using an active practice-based teaching approach.
You'll learn and develop your skills by attending practice-based workshop sessions combining lectures with seminars and laboratories. You'll also develop your skills through design projects, simulation and testing, problem-solving activities, modelling tools to industry-standard hardware prototyping, technical presentations and thorough report and project writing.
You'll engage in small group discussions, small group and individual exercises, group presentations and research projects
Most seminar groups have about 20 students.
Some of this course will be delivered using live interactive teaching sessions via learning platforms. You will take part in online problem-solving discussions, critical debates and exercises, online workshop examples and quizzes, and other in-class activities.
The course has a strong practical element, with an emphasis on developing the skills needed in a laboratory setting and gaining hands-on experience in diagnostic techniques. Virtual laboratories and pre-recorded lab and practice demonstrations can also be used to facilitate your learning.
Each academic year of this course includes a project that replicates industrial practice which will give you the practical skills required for professional practice and maximise your employability chances.
You will develop a range of practical competencies which, by the end of year two, are relevant to the needs of industry and student employability and will help you to gain industrial experience on placement.
The course includes staff-led interactive workshops to discuss theoretical material, which are supported by guided practice-based laboratory activities to apply the learnt theories by ways of simulations and experiments.
For one-to-one support, you will meet with either your personal tutor or module leader. You’ll also get support from our student learning and graduate academic assistants, who have experience in your subject area.
Your work will be divided into credits of approximately 10 hours of study time. You will need to complete 120 credits per year, which are broken down into modules of typically 30 credits.
Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. Our Sheppard Library is open 24 hours a day during term time. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.
You'll be mostly studying in the Ritterman Building at our north London campus in Hendon. It is equipped with industry-standard equipment in mechatronics, robotics, electronics and networking solutions.
This course aims to produce fledgling practitioners in computer systems engineering who have been exposed to an engineering ethos and are thus aware of the importance of designing and implementing a system on time and within budget.
| Coursework % | Student Observable Behaviours | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 100% | |
| Year 2 | 100% | |
| Year 3 | 100% |
This course moves away from the unseen exam component and towards the direction of practice-based learning. Typically, each module involves a variety of assessment techniques to take into account different learning styles.
Your learning will be assessed regularly by individual or group coursework assessment, laboratory experimentation, analysis and synthesis tasks, and tests.
Assessment will also include problem-solving exercises, modelling and simulation tasks, seminar work (including presentations, formal reports of work undertaken or work-in-progress, dialogue) lab-based evaluation and project demonstration, blogs, videos, technical reports, simulation models and functioning prototypes, etc – all of which are framed at progressively more complex systems-based content.
Student Observable Behaviours
Your first-year study is assessed using a competency-based assessment system using a bespoke assessment tool, which measures Student Observable Behaviours (SOBs).
The key course concepts/topics are broken down into a collection of SOBs and could represent a sequence of exercises, tasks, challenges, mini-projects, or case studies. These are observed and assessed by a member of the academic staff.
Each SOB is marked as Pass/Fail. The SOBs are divided into three categories:
- Threshold – all SOBs must be successfully demonstrated, and this is the minimum expected to be able to progress to Year 2.
- Typical – SOBs you would expect to see in a student aiming to get 2:1
- Excellent – these are competencies that would stretch the students.
Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.
To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.
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North London campus
Our north London campus is 23 minutes away by underground train, travelling from London Kings Cross.
Learn moreFacilities and support
Our Sheppard Library provides a wide range of resources and support to help you to succeed in your studies.
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Over 1,000 study spaces including rooms for group study and over 500 computers available.
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We have one of London's biggest and best university campuses with everything you need in one place.
Our facilitiesStudent Support
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.
Additional needs
We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.
Wellness
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
Work while you study
Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.
Financial support
You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.
We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.
Careers
How can the Computer Systems Engineering BEng support your career?
Our Computer Systems Engineering graduates have excellent career prospects across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Careers range from computing systems or associated industries such as computer design, wireless networking, design automation, robotics, embedded systems, machine intelligence etc. within the UK, as well as to Europe and the overseas market.
Graduate Job Roles
- Software engineer
- Hardware engineer
- Network engineer
- Security engineer
- Systems engineer
- Embedded systems engineer
- Test engineer
- Project manager
- Business analyst
- Product manager
Graduate Employers
Our graduates have followed a wide range of career paths, some of them are currently working for companies such as:
- McLaren Automotive
- GoMedia Services Ltd.
- Imagine Software Ltd.
- MarQuest Ltd
- Innovery S.p.A
- CDW
To support you during your studies, you are encouraged to develop a commercial approach to engineering and communication systems through projects with industrial partners and industrial placements.
You will undertake contextual studies into the nature and contexts of the profession. By interacting with a variety of guest lecturers with professional backgrounds from both academia and industry you will begin to build your own professional networks.
Transferable skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to learn new technologies quickly
- Strong analytical and logical thinking skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure.
MDXworks
Our employability service can help you to develop your employability skills and create a career entry plan. We provide workshops, events and one-to-one support with job hunting, CVs, covering letters, interviews and networking. We also support you in securing part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities, and offer an enterprise support service for those looking to start their own business.
MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.
Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has been recognized with the following awards:
The top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money, 2023
A top 10 university for producing CEOs – Novuana, 2023
MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support
Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.
Global network
You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.
Work placements
Placements and internships greatly improve graduate employment prospects, and those who take part achieve excellent academic results through applying their learning in a professional setting.
This course provides an optional placement year where students can further enhance their skills by working in the industry. On placement, you will be given the opportunity to put your academic studies into practice to enhance your employment prospects after graduation.
You can also opt to extend this degree course by a year (without paying additional tuition fees) and spend your third year doing a paid work placement of between 36 and 48 weeks, which we will help you to find. This is very much encouraged as it helps you build a significant portfolio of work and a good CV ready for an exciting career.
Our specialist employability service and north London location ensure that every year our students and graduates gain placement opportunities.
Entry Requirements
Our entry requirements provide a guide to the qualifications that you’ll need to study our courses. We have a personalised admissions approach and we make fair but aspirational offers. We want you to aim high and achieve great results.
Qualifications
- UCAS points
- 112 UCAS Points
- A-Level
- BBC including a grade C or above from a numerate subject or Engineering
- BTEC
- DDM in a numerate or Science subject
- Access requirements
- Overall pass in a relevant subject: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher
- Combinations
- A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 120 UCAS Tariff points including 32 points from a numerate subject
At Middlesex, we're proud of how we recognise the potential of future students like you. We make fair and aspirational offers because we want you to aim high, and we’ll support you all the way.
We’ll always be as flexible as possible and take into consideration any barriers you may have faced in your learning. And, if you don’t quite get the grades you hoped for, we’ll also look at more than your qualifications. Things like your work experience, other achievements and your personal statement.
Our general entry requirements page outlines how we make offers where we have given a range (e.g. BBB – BBC in A levels), and how you will be made an offer if you are studying a combination of qualifications (e.g. BTEC and A level). In both cases, we will base this on information you’ve provided on your application. Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed, provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience.
Foundation year
If you don't meet the entry requirements, why not consider our Computing and Engineering Foundation course to help you prepare for the full degree?
Mature students (over 21)
We welcome applications from mature candidates, including those without formal qualifications if you can demonstrate relevant experience and ability.
Academic credit
If you have a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. Find out how you can transfer courses.
If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.
Interview
You won’t be required to attend an interview for this course.
We welcome students from the UK and all over the world.
Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:
- Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
- Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
- Work placements and networking with top London employers
- Career support to get you where you want to go after university
- Global alumni network and connections.
Qualifications
112 UCAS points.
Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience
Please check our general entry requirements page.
In addition to qualifications such as A level and International Baccalaureate, we accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more on the relevant country support page. And if you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office.
English language
You'll need good English language skills to study with us. The most common qualification we accept is the IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all sections). We also normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. Find out more at our English language requirements page. And, don’t worry If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, as we offer an intensive pre-sessional English course.
Visas
To study with us in the UK, you will need a student route visa.
Interviews
You won’t be required to attend an interview for this course.
You can apply now via UCAS using the code HP50.
Need help with your application? Check out our undergraduate application page.
Fees and funding
The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:
UK students1
Full-time: £9,250
Part-time: £77 per taught credit
International students2
Full-time students: £16,600
Part-time students: £138 per taught credit
Additional costs
The following course-related costs are included in the fees:
- Free access to the resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
- Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
- Free printing for academic paperwork
- Free online training with LinkedIn Learning
Scholarships and bursaries
To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:
- MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
- Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
- Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.
Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.
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Student Testimonial
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Unistats information
Discover Uni provides applicants with Unistats statistics about undergraduate life at Middlesex.
Please select 'see course data' on the following course option to view the full Unistats data for Computer Systems Engineering.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.