Curious about studying Computer Systems Engineering - BEng (Hons)at University of Essex? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hons)
University of Essex
Full Time
Oct 2026
3 Year
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What is the BEng (Hons) Computer Systems Engineering?The BEng (Hons) Computer Systems Engineering is a three-year degree, extendable to four with an optional year in placement or abroad.
You’ll build a strong foundation in core computer science theory as well as the architecture and components of digital computer, electronic and embedded systems. ###
Why this courseThe BEng (Hons) Computer Systems Engineering gives you the theory and practical knowledge to understand – and create –computer systems that make a real impact on the world. You’ll learn from active computer scientists and engineers whose work and teaching are driven by creativity and imagination as well as technical excellence. Discover which areas you’re interested in exploring further such as assistive technologies, computer games, artificial intelligence, evolutionary computation, Big Data or robotics. You’ll also be able to undertake a project or product development specified by a member of academic staff or a partner company. Add a placement year or study abroad to put your learning into practice, expand your perspective and build confidence in professional or international settings. By graduation, you’ll have the confidence and ability to dig deeper into how computer systems influence people’s lives. You’ll be ready for careers in systems analysis, engineering and programming. ###
Who should apply* Future computer scientists and engineers * Students eager to develop their own computer systems, from everyday use to unique applications * Those considering a career that benefits from a broad understanding of how computers and digital systems work * People who get to the heart of how things work
Our Team Project Challenge gives you the opportunity to develop a range of professional skills by working as part of a small student team on a specific project. The projects are research-based and incorporate the concepts of specifications, design, and implementation. You’ll learn about sustainability, project and time management, design, legal issues, health and safety, data analysis and presentation, team reporting, and self-evaluation. You’ll also develop skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, agility, leadership, collaboration across networks, and effective oral and written communication, as well as curiosity and imagination, all of which will enhance your knowledge, confidence and social skills necessary to innovate and succeed in a competitive global environment.
The aim of this module is to cover fundamental mathematics for Computer Scientists. It does not assume A-level mathematics, and the emphasis and delivery will be on understanding the key concepts as they apply to Computer Science.
This module will provide you with an introduction to fundamental concepts of computer programming in the C language, which is particularly relevant to programming embedded systems and for electronic engineers.
Want to become a Java programmer? Topics covered in this module include control structures, classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, file I/O, event handling, graphical components, and more. You will develop your programming skills in supervised lab sessions where help will be at hand should you require it.
Databases are everywhere. They are employed in banking, production control and the stock market, as well as in scientific and engineering applications. For example, the Human Genome Project had the goal of mapping the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up human DNA. The result is a genome database. This module introduces the underlying principles of databases, database design and database systems. It covers the fundamental concepts of databases, and prepares the student for their use in commerce, science and engineering.
Data structures and algorithms are two of the foundations of computer science, distinguishing it from just programming. In this module, you will learn what algorithms are and how they can be implemented even in very simple computers. You will cover fundamental algorithms for sorting and searching, along with data structures for lists and trees, and will be introduced to the analysis of algorithm efficiency.
Computers, embedded systems, and digital systems in general have become an essential part of most people's lives, whether directly or indirectly. The aim of this module is to introduce the software and hardware underpinnings of such systems at an introductory yet challenging level suitable for future computer scientists and engineers. Topics covered in the module include both top-view as well as bottom-view approaches to understanding digital computers. They range from the more theoretical (e.g., state machines, logic circuits, and von Neumann's architecture) to the more practical (e.g., how transistors produce binary signals, operating system functions, memory management, and common hardware devices). The module also includes problem solving classes in which a guided discussion of weekly exercises is aimed at giving the student an opportunity to consolidate his/her understanding of the topics involved. Upon completion of this module, students should have a good conceptual and practical understanding of the nature and architecture of digital computer systems and their components.
This module develops the fundamental concepts introduced in the Digital Systems Architecture. We examine how data are represented within digital systems, including floating point, 'text' and 'data' files, and how the conversions between internal and human-readable forms are performed. The design and applications of higher-level logic elements such as counters, registers and multiplexers are discussed, as well as the more general concept of the finite state machine and its design. Transmission of digital data between systems is introduced by examination of the RS232 protocol. Further, fundamental decisions on how such sources should be represented in digital format include sample rates and quantization accuracy are discussed. In the case of audio and video especially, the possibilities for signal processing and data compression are investigated
This module introduces fundamental concepts of digital signal processing and their applications in the analysis of biomedical signals. It describes how signals can be represented as digital waveforms, explores the application of digital filtering techniques to enhance noisy signals, and looks at analysis of signals in both the time and frequency domains. Additionally, the module explores the extraction of biomedical signal characteristics for classification tasks. The module is designed to teach Digital Signal Processing to students without prior knowledge of calculus or Fourier analysis. However, you should take an introductory mathematics module to prepare you for this module, such as Mathematics for Computing.
The overall goal of this module is to provide you with an understanding of how programs are written in C (a computer programming language) to solve engineering problems. Learn how to program an embedded microprocessor in C and how to design embedded microprocessor systems as solutions to various problems. Explore the design input and output modules for an embedded system.
This course covers the principles of project management, team working, communication, legal issues, finance, and company organisation. Working in small teams, students will go through the full project life-cycle of design, development and implementation, for a bespoke software requirement. In this course, students gain vital experience to enable them to enter the computer science/Electrical engineering workforce, with a degree backed by the British Computer Society, and by the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
The highlight of our undergraduate degree courses is the individual capstone project. This project module provides students with the opportunity to bring together all the skills they have gained during their degree and demonstrate that they can develop a product from the starting point of a single 1/2 page description, provided either by an academic member of staff or an external company. In all the student spends 450 hours throughout the academic year, reporting to their academic tutor, and in the case of company projects, to a company mentor. All projects are demonstrated to external companies on our Project Open Day.
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