Embedded Systems Engineering MSc

Postgraduate

Embedded systems are at the heart of many advanced technologies across all sectors. This course emphasises their practical applications, preparing you to lead the development of these technologies.

Year of entry

2026-27 2027-28

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
With Professional Placement

Duration

1 year full-time
Up to 2 years full-time with professional placement

Course code

EEST005

Start date

September 2027
November 2027
January 2028
March 2028
May 2028
July 2028

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Postgraduate events

Course overview

This course has been designed to offer a comprehensive education in embedded systems, covering extensive practical skills and the development of a wide range of current embedded system platforms, hardware and software tools.

Advanced electronics design – delve into advanced design of advanced electronics, including field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital system design, signal processing and intelligent wireless systems.
Embedded systems expertise – develop skills in embedded systems programming, operating systems and hardware engineering.
High-performance PCB design – design robust, high-performance printed circuit boards (PCBs), implement effective strategies to minimise electromagnetic interference (EMI), and conduct rigorous failure analysis of electronic devices.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Ranked 1st for Engagement

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2026

Ranked 5th for Overall Satisfaction

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2026

Why you should study this course

Applied technical focus – course content emphasises applied technical work aimed at enhancing your engineering development skills.
Industry-linked projects – we aim to incorporate real-world projects from companies into your coursework and projects.
Activity-led focus – our activity-led learning approach means you’ll work individually and in groups on projects and laboratory exercises.⁴
Design engineering career preparation – we’ll help you learn the essential skills needed to pursue a career as a design engineer in various high-demand sectors such as aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and telecommunications.
Professional placement opportunity – gain practical experience and boost your CV with an additional professional placement. See the modules for more details.²

Ranked 3rd

for overall satisfaction in Engineering and Technology

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2026 (ranked out of 44 HEIs)

What you'll study

Modules

Embedded Hardware Applications – 30 credits

Cover the full development cycle, from initial concept through design and testing to final hardware realisation. Different microcontrollers and HDL design tools relevant to industry will be utilised. Develop knowledge and experience of the engineering techniques and processes required for the realisation of complex embedded hardware systems.

Compulsory

Embedded Programming and Operating Systems – 30 credits

Expect substantial hands-on content involving the programming of a microcontroller and incorporating suitable software tools. Real-time embedded operating systems will be studied, to deal with complex issues in modern embedded devices. You will also learn real-time operating systems (RTOS) on a microcontroller and explore alternative embedded operating systems and platforms such as Embedded Linux running on a single-board computer.

Compulsory

Intelligent Wireless Communication Systems – 30 credits

Control and Signal Processing – 30 credits

Develop an advanced understanding of the concepts of control theory and signal processing in the frequency domain with applications in modern electrical and electronic industrial systems. Expect to develop the advanced skills necessary for the integration of control theory and signal processing methods in the context of up-to-date industrial applications.

Compulsory

Master’s with professional placement

If you successfully secure a placement in industry within your first semester, this master’s with professional placement option allows you to extend your 12-month master’s course up to an additional year to complete the placement before starting your final 60-credit module.

Gain valuable industry insights and skills as you apply your academic knowledge and skills to a professional placement.
The placement must be sourced and secured by you during your first semester. Our careers and employability team are available to support you with the sourcing process.
Start your professional placement after completing the first 120 credits of your course.
The professional placement will be integrated into your course learning and outcomes. This will take the form of a reflective diary demonstrating your learning and engagement with the placement experience.
The professional placement option is subject to additional fees, living costs, visa requirements, availability, competitive application and university approval of the placement.²

For full terms and conditions please visit the enhanced master’s landing page.

Optional

Individual Project – 60 credits

This is your opportunity to put into practice the learning from your taught modules to solve a significant engineering problem in a professional manner. The project will be an industrial or research-based project that is technical in nature. You will work under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Although the project is essentially self-directed, independent study, you will be expected to acquire additional knowledge to undertake the project.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

lectures – builds strong theoretical foundations in digital systems, embedded programming, signal processing and hardware design
seminars – explores emerging technologies and industry trends, encouraging critical thinking around real-world engineering challenges
tutorials – receive focused support to deepen understanding of complex topics such as FPGA design, operating systems and system integration
presentations – develops confidence in explaining technical designs and engineering solutions to professional and non-technical audiences
group projects – simulates industry development teams, strengthening collaboration, system-level thinking and project coordination skills
workshops – provides hands-on experience with development tools, simulation software and hardware design techniques
practical laboratory sessions – gives you direct experience designing, building and testing embedded systems using modern equipment and industry-relevant technologies.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time postgraduate student, you will study modules totalling 180 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average, you will have between 8 and 12 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the opportunity to attend optional sessions including time with a Success Coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include:

reports
tests
essays
exams
practical coursework
assignments
vivas
presentations.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

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Focus with block learning

Most courses use block learning. You study one module for six weeks, then move on to the next. It's a simple, structured way to stay organised and build confidence in your studies.

Explore block learning

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

An honours degree 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) in a related discipline.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications; speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

An honours degree 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) in a related discipline.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£11,970 £1,615 professional placement fee (if placement secured)	Not available
EU	£11,970 per year with EU Support Bursary £1,615 professional placement fee (if placement secured) per year with EU Support Bursary £19,980 per year without EU Support Bursary £1,950 professional placement fee (if placement secured) per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£19,980 £1,950 professional placement fee (if placement secured)	Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees³ and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the University's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of international scholarships. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Your tuition fees cover teaching, assessments, access to course facilities and university support services. You will need to budget for additional costs that are not included in your tuition fees, such as accommodation and living costs, recommended books, stationery, printing and any reassessment fees (if you need them).

Additional costs may include:

optional ﬁeld trips or visits: from £400 per trip or visit
placement-related costs, such as travel, accommodation and any other costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement. These will vary depending on the placement location and your individual circumstances.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Postgraduate Master's Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We assess your fee status using the information in your application. This status determines your tuition fees and the scholarships or financial support you can get. The Department for Education sets the rules for who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees in England.

The regulations list which students can pay the home fee rate. Because these rules are complex, the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides fee status guidance to help you find the right category. If you meet all the criteria for one category, your institution must charge you the home rate.

Facilities

Electronics Laboratories: there are three electronics labs with industry-standard equipment from brands in the field such as Tektronix and Keithley. They include bench power supplies, multimetres, signal generators and oscilloscopes. One of these labs contains a large variety of old and new bench equipment, allowing you to get experience on a multitude of test and measurement equipment.  
 
Prototyping and manufacturing capabilities: a dedicated prototyping facility is used for soldering and desoldering and is equipped with a CNC machine used for manufacturing simple printed circuit boards. There is also a reflow oven for automated soldering of surface mount components on simple boards. All the facilities are well stocked with all the relevant development boards (including our own university development platform – ePIC board), such as STM32, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, PIC boards and a large variety of smaller add-on boards used for developing and testing all manner of different embedded, IoT systems and robotics systems (sensors, drivers, communications, input/output, displays modules).   
 
Printing: there are seven 3D printers, three of them are for polylactic acid (PLA) printing, two are more advanced and can use a multitude of materials, and the last two are resin printers for high-resolution printing. Objects can be printed for your projects at any stage in your studies. Each laboratory has a fully-equipped soldering station or a rework station available, including fume extractors magnifiers and a couple of microscopes for more precise work.  
 
In-house development board for embedded systems: to support activity-led learning, you will have access to the experimental Peripheral Interface Controller (ePIC) board, developed by the electronics team of Coventry University. The board provides flexibility of using different microcontroller with other peripherals such as motors, sensors and LCD screens.    
 
Electrical Laboratory: equipped with industry-standard high voltage equipment allowing experimentation on topics related to power generation and regulation, motor control and motor investigations of behaviours under load.  
 
Physics and Robotics Laboratory: facility for testing robotics prototypes. There are several platforms in use for postgraduate projects.  

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The Library

You will benefit from our support designed to help you succeed and our industry-relevant teaching and resources. These include our modern library and computing facilities, dedicated careers advice and Your Students’ Union.

Beautiful building surrounded by trees on a sunny day

Jaguar Centre

The Jaguar Centre has been specifically designed to provide facilities and services to support our postgraduate students including social spaces, computer suites and separate areas for small group study.

Glass modern building with a spire in the background

The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student campus life. It's also home to the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Spirituality and Faith Centre, the Tank Studio, Student Success Coaches and the Enterprise Hub.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

Embedded systems are now ever-present, influencing all aspects of technological life. On successful completion of this course, you should have the capabilities to pursue the following careers:

Embedded Systems Engineer
How this course will help:
Develop advanced skills in embedded programming, real-time operating systems, FPGA design and hardware/software integration. Practical laboratory sessions and industry-linked projects prepare you to design, test and optimise embedded platforms used across sectors such as automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics.
FPGA/Digital Design Engineer
How this course will help:
Through specialist modules in digital system design and FPGA-based development, you’ll gain hands-on experience creating high-performance hardware solutions. Workshops and lab work strengthen your ability to implement and verify complex digital architectures required in telecommunications and defence industries.
Electronics Design Engineer
How this course will help:
The course builds strong expertise in PCB design, signal integrity, EMI mitigation and failure analysis. Applied technical projects simulate real engineering challenges, helping you develop the practical and problem-solving skills needed for professional electronic product development.
Systems Engineer
How this course will help:
By working on group projects that involve full system integration, you’ll learn how to design, model and manage complex embedded systems. The course enhances both technical and managerial capabilities, supporting progression into roles that require system-level thinking and coordination across multidisciplinary teams.
IoT/Smart Systems Engineer
How this course will help:
With coverage of intelligent wireless systems, signal processing and connected device technologies, you’ll be prepared to design secure and efficient smart devices. Activity-led learning ensures you gain practical experience building and testing interconnected embedded solutions aligned with Industry 4.0 trends.

How to apply

UK students

To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online. Please read the entry criteria page before applying.

Start your application

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 6565

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

International students

Full-time international students should apply directly to the university. Please read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degrees view our International hub.

You can also download our international mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 6565

applications.io@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University, Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations, partnerships and memberships

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply. See the relevant body website for more details). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships are subject to successful renewal in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. If the accreditation, recognition or membership of this course changes, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, guest speakers, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first academic year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees annually, but such increases will be no more than 5% above the inflation rate. If you defer your course start date or extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (for example, to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the University. A copy of the current 2026/27 contract is available for information purposes only. The 2027/28 contract will apply to the 2027/28 intakes and may differ from the current version. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the University will owe to you. You should read the applicable Student Contract carefully before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the University.