Overview

We are currently accepting applications for Year 2 and 3 entry. If you wish to apply for Year 1 please consider our Electrical and Electronic Engineering course, which has a common first year and offers the ability to transfer across for Year 2.

Have you ever wondered how electricity from wind farms reaches your home? How cities of the future will be powered? Or how engineers are shaping a smarter, cleaner energy world? These are the challenges that Electrical Power Engineers solve every day.

The BEng (Hons) Electrical Power Engineering course at GCU prepares you to play a key role in the global move to sustainable energy. Using your creativity and problem-solving skills, you’ll learn how to design and operate modern power systems that integrate renewable energy and emerging technologies.

This course has been developed with industry experts. It features a mix of electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering with specialist modules in power systems and power electronics. You’ll gain hands-on experience through:

laboratory work
simulation tools
research
real-world projects.

Why study Electrical Power Engineering at GCU?

Part-time study option available for students in relevant employment.
Offers an optional year placement opportunity, where you can do a one-year long paid placement in an industry.
Excellent networking opportunities with industries through career fairs, industrial guest talks, events, and industrial site visits.
Diverse group of students consisting of part time, full time and graduate apprentice students for a wider university experience.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology

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The Institute of Measurement and Control

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What you will study

Please note that full module information is in the process of being finalised for publication and will be made available here shortly.

In the meantime, you can view and download the Programme Specification at the bottom of this page. This document provides an overview of the course structure, including indicative modules, learning content and further key information. The modules listed on the Programme Specification are for the current academic year and are intended to give you an idea of what you may be able to study on this course.

Careers

Graduates in Electrical Power Engineering are in high demand as the world moves towards cleaner energy systems. You’ll be ready for a wide range of careers in the power and renewable energy sectors in the UK and around the world.

Our graduates have gone on to work with leading employers including:

National Grid
Scottish Power
Howden
Doosan
Babcock
GEC
H&MV Engineering
Black and White Engineering
the Weir Group.

Typical roles include:

Power Systems Engineer
Renewable Integration Specialist
Grid Planning
Protection Engineer.

You’ll gain valuable contacts in industry with projects and guest lectures involving our partners in the utilities sector.

The course also includes an optional year in industry placement at home or abroad for full-time students, which can be taken at any time during the course, on top of optional shorter summer industrial placements.

Previous students have had year-long placements at companies including

Scottish Power
GE
CERN
EDF Energy
Drax.

You’ll get an academic supervisor from GCU during the 48-week placement to make sure everything is going well and to monitor your progress. These experiences will help you build connections and confidence for your future career.

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC), providing a recognised pathway towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. It is a qualification that opens doors to exciting and well-paid roles across the global energy sector.

Course information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BEng (Hons)	Part Time	4 Years	Sep 27	Glasgow		Enquire
Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BEng (Hons)	Full Time	3 Years	Sep 27	Glasgow	H630	Enquire Apply
Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BEng (Hons)	Part Time	4 Years	Sep 26	Glasgow		Enquire Apply
Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BEng (Hons)	Full Time	3 Years	Sep 26	Glasgow	H630	Enquire Apply

Please note that admission to GCU is considered on a competitive basis, and the academic entry requirements stated here may be the minimum required to be eligible for an offer.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Year 2 entry

Standard entry requirement

HNC Electrical or Electronic Engineering with B in Graded Unit 1

Year 3 entry

Standard entry requirement

HND in Electrical and/or Electronic Engineering or equivalent with a minimum grade B in the graded units

English language

IELTS score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5

Attendance at GCU Maths Summer School is strongly recommended.

Additional information for international applicants

Entry requirements by country
Application deadlines
English language tests
Knowledge of English - Applicants from a majority English speaking country may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Information about this requirement is available on the Student Visa section of the gov.uk website.

Additional information for all applicants

Relevant experience (Recognition of Prior Learning)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered through a blend of lectures, tutorials, and seminars. Learning is complemented by practical laboratory and simulation-based activities using specialist facilities and software. Teaching is supported by online learning resources and flipped-classroom approaches where appropriate. Regular input from industry professionals and guest speakers helps ensure strong links between theory and real-world practice.

Assessment methods

A range of methods are used to assess your achievements during the learning outcomes. They include:

examinations
coursework
class tests
presentations
computer-based exercises written reports.

Learning experience

Our aim is to build your abilities in the areas demanded by employers in a global knowledge economy, through linking with employers to provide you with an authentic learning experience that blends with relevant studies. You’ll find that one of the underlying strengths of this course is the other students on the course, as many will be studying part-time, while holding down full-time jobs, or are sponsored by international companies. The valuable experience of these students is fed back into the classroom and informally shared.

Work placement options

Two industry-based placements are offered:

a summer-long placement
a 48 weeks sandwich placement.

These aren’t compulsory placements and are not guaranteed.

If you are a full-time student, you can choose to undertake a one-year industry placement, usually in Year 3, if you meet the required criteria. This extends your studies from four years to five years.

You’ll gain valuable professional experience, and your degree will be awarded as a BEng (Hons) Electrical Power Engineering with Year in Industry. The 48-week long placement will have a structure and counts as a module for the course. You’ll normally be expected to find the placement yourself, but our course team’s industry links often alert us to opportunities that are available.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Visit the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) website

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).

Visit the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) website

Download the programme specification

In addition to the core modules that all students must undertake, some courses offer students a choice from a selection of optional modules to shape the focus their degree. Optional modules where available, form part of the overall credit structure of the course.

Download the programme specification for a detailed breakdown of the course structure, including modules, what you'll learn and other useful information.

Terms and Conditions

Details of the University’s terms and conditions are available here.

Overview

Why study Electrical Power Engineering at GCU?

Accreditations

What you will study

Careers

Course information