Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Electronic Circuits and Systems)
Masters of Electrical Engineering are capable of developing complex electronic (communications) systems for a broad field of applications efficiently and methodically, starting from the conception and analysis over the design, implementation, testing, and up to the management of such systems.
EUR-ACE® Master (EURopean ACcredited Engineering Master)
The EUR-ACE label was accredited to this programme by the Commission des titres d’ingénieur (CTI), under the auspices of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).
EUR-ACE® is a framework and accreditation system that provides a set of standards that identifies high-quality engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad.
What
The electrical engineer analyses, designs, builds and programs the beating heart of every smart device. These smart devices are drastically changing society, increasing life comfort, safety and even people’s life chances. Soon all these smart devices will also be connected through the Internet of Everything (IoE). Would you like to contribute to the rise of the new generation of communicating systems?
The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering offers an in-depth training in the domains of electrical and electronics engineering. Learn how GPS systems keep working in a city full of tunnels and buildings of steel and concrete, how to contribute to the rise of the new generation of “smart factories” and even how a new medical progress was enabled by non-invasive diagnostic techniques, microsurgery, implants and brain stimulation.
An electrical engineer shapes the strong evolution towards a ‘smart’ environment consisting of interconnected devices that exchange information through wired or wireless communication. Some pertinent applications include virtual education, remote surgery, human-centric 6G communication, highly digitised smart cities, industry 5.0, smart grids 2.0, connected robotics and intelligent transportation systems.
Electronic system design typically focuses either on the design of circuits and systems that form the basis of smart devices or on the connectivity between those devices and how communicating devices build much more powerful systems that push the Internet of Everything forward. Students specialise either in Electronic Circuits and Systems (ECS) or in Communication and Information Technologies (CIT). By concentrating on analogue and digital systems, and on communication networks, treating both hardware and software aspects but with a clear focus on electronic components and systems, and designing at the circuit and system level, ours is the only Electrical Engineering programme that covers all hardware aspects of such smart devices and systems.
Moreover, when specialising in Electronic Circuits and Systems (ECS), you will gain thorough insight in the technology for their construction. Both on an individual basis and as part of a team, you are capable of efficiently and methodically developing complex electronic (communications) systems for a broad field of applications, starting from the conception and analysis over the design, implementation, testing and up to the management of such systems. Your designs are based on a firm theoretical foundation and technological knowledge. They are conceived by exploiting state-of-the-art computer-aided design tools. Given the acquired research attitudes and competences, you drive creative or innovative (r)evolutions in industry and in academic research. Moreover, this study programme provides a broad non-specialist knowledge in other engineering disciplines and in several economical, legal, deontological, ecological, and societal aspects. On top of a sound theoretical base, every year of the programme includes practical projects that gradually enhance your skills in effective teamwork and in acting as skilled team leaders in an industrial research environment.
Remarks
The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA) offers most of its Engineering programmes at Master’s level in English. This underlines the international ambition of the faculty, as well as the importance of an international education and multiple language skills for students.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
In its entirety, the Electrical Engineering programme consists of two phases: the first three-year programme leads to a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering. The subsequent two-year programme awards a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
Throughout the Master’s programme, students may either choose to deepen or to broaden their scope by compiling a personalised curriculum based on a wide range of elective course units, or by including a (broadening) minor into their curriculum.
Labour Market
Our programme focuses specifically on research and development, as well as on creation and design in the field of electronics, information and communication technology (ICT). Many companies exclusively accept electrical engineers for the development of the smart systems they are producing and are therefore constantly looking for our highly trained students.
Electrical engineers are mainly responsible for the design and development of data, image and speech processing systems, measurement and sensor technology, robot design, as well as the future ICT infrastructure, including wired, wireless, satellite and vehicular communication systems. Our graduates thrive in large multinational electronics, ICT and telecommunication companies, as well as in a wide range of small and medium-sized enterprises active in the forefront of technology or consultancy. Their degree is highly appreciated for the broad scope of the programme and its strong bond to state-of-the-art research.
The balanced mix between hardware and embedded software enables new graduates to play key roles in the development of hardware for smart devices, the future internet, and the internet-of-things, and to have an impact on very important evolutions in society such as green electronics, smart health care and ambient assisted living.
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Research-oriented: the Electrical Engineering programme is based on recent, state-of-the-art research results by our own professorial staff and researchers. Our students are trained to becoming engineers with the ability to apply existing knowledge and to create new high technology.
- Project Learning Pathway: each year’s curriculum contains at least one project course unit, in which our students learn to tackle multidisciplinary assignments in a targeted manner. Working together in teams, the students step by step acquire a set of soft skills such as planning, convincing, presenting efficiently, giving feedback and reporting.
- Efficient Systems: our graduates are able to design and realize complex systems containing hardware and software components. In so doing, they have learnt to be mindful of an efficient use of means, time and energy.
- Our students gain an understanding of the different steps in the development chain of electronic devices such as smartphones. We start with the characteristics of the raw materials, over the design and testing, right up until the finished product.
- Broad curriculum: our curriculum covers a broad technological basis, making our graduates into much sought-after employees in many sectors. Later in the curriculum, this solid basis allows for more freedom of choice and gives students the opportunity to tailor the curriculum according to their own interests.
- In recent years the importance of the Electrical Engineering degree has received more attention: nothing in a modern society can work without electronics and the green an sustainable evolution is impossible without it. This is acknowledged in the European Chip act which explains the urgent need of more Electrical Engineers.
Strengths
- State of the Art: our alumni have no trouble finding suitable, high-level jobs and point out high national and international esteem for our programme. To live up to this reputation, the Programme Committee continuously monitors the programme’s quality, relevance and topicality. We have been updating the Master’s curriculum in this way ever since 2017-2018.
- Our programme is embedded in a strong research environment: research activity in our discipline is high, and we have close ties with imec. These two factors combined, means that we can avail ourselves of a large pool of committed researchers. It is our explicit choice to include these researchers in our education. Students receive targeted coaching and supervision in their exercises, practicals, projects and their Master’s dissertation. We have also invested heavily in infrastructure (equipment, lab space), the most obvious testimony of which being the new IGent Tower.
- Our programme boasts a highly committed team of lecturers. They combine their passion for teaching with a ceaseless commitment towards creating high-quality education. All of our lecturers are highly approachable and ready to answer students’ questions.
- Our curriculum leaves ample room for practical experience, e.g. by means of projects, (international) work placements, and the Master’s dissertation. The Master’s dissertation and project course units are well-organized: our students traditionally produce high-quality work.
- Our graduates are in high demand on the job market and have good career perspectives. They usually receive multiple job offers, or start their own company. Our programme also instils in our students an attitude of lifelong learning and a desire to be abreast with the newest developments.
Challenges
- Our programme’s profile is insufficiently known among prospective students. Although young people nowadays use highly complex electronic devices (smartphone, satnav, tablet…) on a daily basis, they have no clue of how these devices actually work. As a consequence, they often do not realize that our programme is all about the underlying electronics, signal processing and communication of precisely these devices. The importance of electronics is a message that needs further active spreading, something to which we contribute wholeheartedly (e.g. Science Day, the robotics competition, among other things).
- Society would benefit from more diversity among the electrical engineers. For that purpose, we stimulate children and youngsters to recognize the importance of technology (STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Among our international research staff, we have excellent role models for appealing to prospective students with a migration background. In addition, we want to participate in our faculty’s efforts of introducing technology into schools and making it more attractive to girls.
- Internationalization: Our programme is taught in English, which allows international students to enter the degree. But the programme should attract more international top students.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 14/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.