Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Telecommunications

Telecommunications is the branch of engineering that deals with sending information over a distance: voice, data, images and video carried by cable, optical fibre, radio and satellite. It covers mobile and fixed networks, the internet, broadcasting, radar and satellite links, and the electronics and software that make them work. The Politecnico di Milano describes telecommunications engineers as professionals who understand systems for the acquisition, processing, transmission and sharing of information.

Students start with mathematics, physics, programming, circuits and electronics. They then study signals and systems, electromagnetic fields and antennas, radio and optical communications, digital signal processing, and network architecture and protocols. Later courses deal with mobile systems, network security, audio and video technology and telecommunications regulation.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training. Technicians who install and maintain networks train at vocational level. In Spain the Electricity and Electronics family of vocational training (FP) includes the intermediate-level Técnico en Instalaciones de Telecomunicaciones, the higher-level Técnico Superior en Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones e Informáticos, which has 2,000 hours, and a specialisation course in 5G network implementation. In the United States and Canada, community colleges and polytechnic colleges offer certificates and two-year associate degrees or diplomas in the field.
  • Bachelor's degree. In Spain, Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación is a regulated profession that requires an official bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits. The ministerial order that sets the requirements defines four specific technologies: telecommunication systems, telematics (networks and services), electronic systems, and sound and image. One example is the Grado en Ingeniería de Sistemas de Telecomunicación of La Salle – Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona: 4 years, 240 ECTS credits, taught in Catalan, Spanish and English. In the United States the subject is usually a specialisation within electrical or electronics engineering.
  • Master's degree. In Spain the profession of Ingeniero de Telecomunicación requires the Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación, an official master's degree whose name is protected by ministerial order; bachelor's and master's together must add up to at least 300 ECTS credits. Other official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. In Italy, the Master of Science in Telecommunication Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano lasts 2 years and is taught in English.
  • Continuing education and doctorate. Universities and their continuing-education schools offer shorter postgraduate courses in areas such as networks and cybersecurity. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has. A PhD leads to research in universities and industry.

Where to study telecommunications

SpainExchange lists 64 active schools for telecommunications. The United States has 17 and Spain 16. The United Kingdom and Ecuador have three each; France, Canada, Bolivia, Germany and Uruguay have two each; and Italy, Chile and Slovenia are among the countries with one.

In Spain the list includes the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), La Salle – Universitat Ramon Llull, the online Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), UPC School, which offers continuing education endorsed by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, and the vocational school Stucom in Barcelona. In the United States it includes universities such as The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Florida and community colleges such as Des Moines Area Community College and Pasadena City College. Elsewhere it includes the Politecnico di Milano, London Metropolitan University, the engineering school EPF in France, Conestoga College in Canada, and the Universidad Católica del Uruguay and Universidad ORT Uruguay in Montevideo.

Bachelor's degrees are mostly taught in the language of the country, sometimes with several languages in one programme, as at La Salle. Master's degrees in continental Europe are more often in English, as in Milan. Check the language of instruction of each programme before applying.

Careers

Graduates work for network operators, equipment and device manufacturers, broadcasters, satellite and aerospace companies, IT and cybersecurity firms, consultancies and public regulators.

Official employment figures are published by occupation, and they differ by level. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of electrical and electronics engineers, the group that includes most telecommunications engineers, to grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035; a bachelor's degree is the usual entry requirement. For telecommunications technicians, who install, maintain and repair network infrastructure, it projects a decline of 3 percent over the same period, and for network and computer systems administrators a decline of 4 percent. These figures refer to the United States only.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a telecommunications engineer in Spain?

The bachelor's degree that gives access to the profession of Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación has 240 ECTS credits, normally four years. The profession of Ingeniero de Telecomunicación also requires the Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación, so that bachelor's and master's together reach at least 300 ECTS credits.

Is telecommunications the same as computer science?

No, although they overlap. Telecommunications deals with how information is transmitted: signals, radio, optical fibre, antennas and networks. Computer science focuses on software, algorithms and data. Networking and cybersecurity are taught in both.

Can I work in telecommunications without a university degree?

Yes, as a technician. In Spain the vocational route includes the higher-level Técnico Superior en Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones e Informáticos (2,000 hours). In the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers of telecommunications technicians may prefer candidates with a certificate or associate degree.

Can I study telecommunications in English in Europe?

Yes, mainly at master's level. The Master of Science in Telecommunication Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano, for example, is taught in English.