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Studies & Degrees in Communications Engineering

Communications engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the transmission of information: voice, data, images and video sent over cables, optical fibre, radio links and satellites. It is also called telecommunications engineering, and many universities teach it together with electronics as electronic and communications engineering. The University of Bristol sums up the field as the wired, wireless and optical communication systems behind the network services and infrastructure used every day.

Students start with mathematics, physics, circuit theory and programming. They then move on to signals and systems, signal processing, electromagnetics and antennas, digital communications and network design. Advanced courses reflect current technology. The MSc at the University of Bristol, for example, covers wireless networks, high-speed optical networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), satellite communications, quantum communications and emerging 5G and 6G systems. Laboratory work, simulation and a final project are part of most programmes.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's level: a first degree in communications, telecommunications or electrical and electronic engineering takes three or four years, depending on the country. In the United Kingdom some degrees add a year in industry: on the BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, the four-year placement route includes a third year on an industrial placement.
  • Bachelor's degree (grado) in Spain: degrees that give access to the regulated profession of Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación have 240 ECTS credits. Under Orden CIN/352/2009 they include a 48-credit block in one specific technology, such as telecommunication systems, telematics, electronic systems or sound and image, and a 12-credit final project.
  • Master's level: the MSc Communication Networks and Signal Processing at the University of Bristol takes one year full-time. The Master of Science in Communications and Electronics Engineering at the Technische Universität München (TUM) takes four semesters (120 ECTS credits), requires English and has two specialisations, Communications Systems and Communications Electronics. In Spain, the master's degree that qualifies for the regulated profession of Ingeniero de Telecomunicación must bring bachelor's and master's study together to at least 300 ECTS credits (Orden CIN/355/2009).
  • Doctorate: research degrees follow the master's and are common in wireless systems, photonics and signal processing.

Admission to a master's degree normally requires a first degree in a related field. The University of Bristol asks for an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in subjects such as communications engineering, computer networks or computer systems engineering. TUM selects applicants through an aptitude assessment.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 21 active schools for communications engineering. The United Kingdom has the most (5), followed by Spain (3). India, Iraq, China, Mexico and Germany have two each, and Nepal, Canada and Ireland one each.

In the United Kingdom the listed schools include the University of Bristol, Cardiff University, the University of Kent, Manchester Metropolitan University and London Metropolitan University. In Germany the subject is taught at TUM in Munich and at the Universität Duisburg-Essen. In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha and the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, and in Mexico the Universidad de Guadalajara and the Universidad de Sonora.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Spanish in Spain and Mexico. Several master's degrees in Germany are taught in English, the TUM programme among them. Schools in English-speaking countries ask international applicants for a language certificate; Manchester Metropolitan University, for example, requires an IELTS score of 6.0 with no component below 5.5 for its BEng.

Careers

Graduates work for network operators, equipment manufacturers, satellite and broadcasting companies, consultancies and research centres. The University of Bristol lists careers in mobile and fixed networks, optical communications, wireless systems, satellite communications, signal processing, IoT, systems engineering, technology consulting, project management, and research and development.

Official statistics rarely count communications engineers separately. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes them among electrical and electronics engineers. It counted 297,900 jobs in that occupation in 2025, gives a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education and projects employment growth of 8 percent from 2025 to 2035.

In Spain, Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación and Ingeniero de Telecomunicación are regulated professions that require the corresponding official bachelor's or master's degree. Students who plan to work there should check that the degree they choose gives access to the profession.

Frequently asked questions

Is communications engineering the same as telecommunications engineering?

In practice, yes. Both names describe the engineering of systems that transmit information. Some universities combine the subject with electronics or teach it as a specialisation of electrical engineering.

How long does a degree take?

A bachelor's degree takes three or four years; in Spain the grado has 240 ECTS credits. A master's degree takes one year at the University of Bristol and four semesters (120 ECTS credits) at TUM.

Can I study communications engineering in English outside the United Kingdom?

Yes. The master's degree in Communications and Electronics Engineering at TUM in Munich requires English, not German.

Which degree do I need to work as a telecommunications engineer in Spain?

The profession is regulated. Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación requires an official bachelor's degree that meets Orden CIN/352/2009, and Ingeniero de Telecomunicación an official master's degree that meets Orden CIN/355/2009.