Electrical Engineering
What Is It?
Electrical Engineering is about understanding and harnessing electricity to design the systems, devices, and technologies that power modern life. From the national grid to the microchip inside your phone - electrical engineers make it work.
Electrical engineers work across energy, communications, healthcare, transport, defence, and consumer technology.
What makes electrical engineering different is that electricity underpins everything - it's the most fundamental force in modern engineering, and it touches every industry on earth.
Subfields & Specialisms
Power Engineering
Designing and managing the systems that generate, transmit, and distribute electrical energy - from national power grids to renewable energy infrastructure like solar and wind.
Electronics Engineering
Designing the circuits and components inside everyday devices - from smartphones and laptops to medical equipment and industrial machinery.
Telecommunications Engineering
Building the systems that carry information across the world - mobile networks, satellite communications, broadband, and the infrastructure behind the internet.
Control Systems Engineering
Designing systems that regulate and automate the behaviour of machines and processes - from autopilot systems in aircraft to robotics in manufacturing.
Renewable Energy Engineering
Developing the engineering systems behind clean energy - solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, and the smart grids that manage them.
Power Engineering
Designing and managing the systems that generate, transmit, and distribute electrical energy - from national power grids to renewable energy infrastructure like solar and wind.
Electronics Engineering
Designing the circuits and components inside everyday devices - from smartphones and laptops to medical equipment and industrial machinery.
Telecommunications Engineering
Building the systems that carry information across the world - mobile networks, satellite communications, broadband, and the infrastructure behind the internet.
Control Systems Engineering
Designing systems that regulate and automate the behaviour of machines and processes - from autopilot systems in aircraft to robotics in manufacturing.
Renewable Energy Engineering
Developing the engineering systems behind clean energy - solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, and the smart grids that manage them.
Subfields
Electrical Engineer - Designs and develops electrical systems and components across industries. The foundation of the field.
Power Systems Engineer - Works on the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. Keeping the lights on at scale.
Electronics Engineer - Designs circuits and electronic components for devices and systems. The engineering inside everything.
Telecommunications Engineer - Builds the networks and systems that connect people globally. The infrastructure behind every call, message, and stream.
Control Systems Engineer - Designs automated systems that regulate machines and processes. Engineering that runs in the background of modern industry.
Renewable Energy Engineer - Develops clean energy systems and sustainable power infrastructure. Engineering for the future of the planet.
Microelectronics Engineer - Designs chips and semiconductors for use across technology industries.
Instrumentation Engineer - Develops sensors and monitoring systems used across healthcare, aviation, and industry.
What you could do
What Do You Need to Study?
You Might Be Interested In:
How electricity and technology work, renewable energy and sustainability, the systems behind everyday devices, problem-solving at a technical level.
Core Subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Further Mathematics
Helpful Subjects: Computing, Design & Technology, Chemistry
Higher Education:
A degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
An optional Master's for specialisms like power systems, renewable energy, or microelectronics.
Professional accreditation pathways through engineering bodies depending on your region.