Microelectronics Optoelectronics and Communications

The MSc covers current and future trends in microelectronics, optoelectronics and communications, encouraging the development of a range of capabilities and allowing you to acquire essential skills and analytical abilities required to embark on a career in a relevant engineering sector.

Graduate destinations

This course aims to provide students who have a prior undergraduate degree in physics, mathematics or another discipline in engineering, with skills and knowledge commonly needed to become an engineer in an area related to microelectronics, optoelectronics or communications.

There are also opportunities to continue studying at doctoral level, either via a DPhil or DEng (a professional doctorate where students undertake much of their research within an organisation).

The structure of the course has been tailored for busy people in employment who wish to minimise time away from the workplace to study. It is targeted at students who are already working in an engineering context, have a mathematics or physics undergraduate degree, and who have been encouraged by their employers to gain up-to-date knowledge and skills in three key electrical engineering sectors: microelectronics, optoelectronics and communications. This part-time course is also applicable to graduates from other disciplines in engineering.

Course modules are expected to include:

• Fundamentals of Microelectronics and Communications
• Advanced Microelectronics
• Wireless Communications
• Fundamentals of Optoelectronic Devices and Applied Optics
• Optical Communications
• Organic Electronics and Nanotechnology for Optoelectronic Devices, or Engineering in Society.

The first year consists of the Microelectronics and Communications units, which includes the principles, theories and methodologies underpinning the design of both analogue and digital electronic systems. For the Wireless Communications unit, you will learn about technologies used in the wireless communications industry and gain a critical awareness of their limitations and the new insights gained by looking at the forefront of current research.

The second year of the course will focus on the Optoelectronics units, which will cover the fundamentals of applied optics and semiconductor physics that are required to understand the performance and design of optoelectronic components and devices. You will then have the option of choosing the Organic Electronics and Nanotechnology course or the Engineering in Society unit before embarking on a dissertation.

Each of the six units includes an intensive residential week in Oxford that includes lectures, tutorials, classes and, in some cases, practical work. For each unit, these residential weeks are supplemented by the online learning environment that consists of additional course material and examples to support the distance learning and assessment.

Units are assessed through practicals, problem sets, written reports and assignments. Practicals are assessed when students are in Oxford. Students are provided with written feedback as well as verbal feedback from the course tutors.   

For their dissertation, students normally conduct their project in their home institution or company, with the aid of supervisors from the Department of Engineering Science. 

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in mathematics, physics or engineering.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA normally sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Personal statement: 500 to 1,000 words
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course