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Studies & Degrees in Networking Engineering

Networking engineering is the part of computing and telecommunications that deals with data networks: how computers, phones, servers and sensors are connected, how data finds its way between them, and how the connection is kept fast, available and secure. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes the two typical jobs in the field. Network and computer systems administrators install, configure and maintain an organisation's local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), data communication networks, operating systems and servers. Computer network architects design and implement those networks.

Students start with mathematics, programming and the basics of electronics and communications, and then move on to the network itself. A first-year networking module at London Metropolitan University, for example, covers protocols, the OSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet, IP addressing, routing protocols and network devices such as routers and switches. Later years of that degree add enterprise networks, cloud computing, network security and a final project.

Qualifications and levels

The subject rarely has a degree title of its own. It is usually a specialisation inside a telecommunications, computer engineering or computing degree, and its name changes by country: computer networking in the United Kingdom and the United States, telemática in Spain and Latin America.

  • Bachelor's degrees. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías y Servicios de Telecomunicación at the ETSIT of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid lasts four years, and in the fourth year students choose one of four tracks, one of which is Telemática. The Grado en Ingeniería de las Tecnologías de Telecomunicación at the Universidad de Sevilla also has 240 credits over four years, is taught in Spanish and trains students to design, plan and manage public and private communication networks. In Ecuador, the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) awards the title Ingeniero en Telemática after eight semesters of on-campus study. In the United Kingdom, the Computer Networking and Cyber Security BSc at London Metropolitan University is organised in three years of modules and is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The ETSIT lists a Máster Universitario en Ingeniería de Redes y Servicios Telemáticos among its official master's programmes.
  • Vocational training. Spain's higher vocational qualification (FP de grado superior) in the field is the Técnico Superior en Administración de Sistemas Informáticos en Red, a 2,000-hour programme that includes a module on network planning and administration. In the United States, community colleges offer two-year associate degrees and shorter certificates: Montgomery College in Maryland has a Cloud Computing and Networking Technology Associate of Applied Science.
  • Industry certifications. Vendor certificates sit alongside academic qualifications. The BLS notes that employers may require administrators to be certified in the products they use. Some programmes build this in: London Metropolitan University states that its degree incorporates the complete set of Cisco CCNA modules, and Montgomery College offers a Cisco Certified Network Associate + Security Certificate.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for networking engineering. Three are in Spain, three in the United States, two in the United Kingdom and two in Ecuador; Chile, Albania and France have one each. In Spain the list includes the ETSIT of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Universidad de Sevilla and CENEC Málaga. Elsewhere it includes London Metropolitan University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Tennessee Tech University, the University of Pennsylvania, Montgomery College, ESPOL in Guayaquil, the Universidad Internacional SEK Ecuador, Universidad SEK Chile, the University of New York Tirana and SUPINFO in Rennes.

The language of instruction follows the country: Spanish in Spain, Ecuador and Chile, English in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Careers

Graduates work as network technicians, network and systems administrators, network security specialists and, with experience, network architects, in telecommunications operators, IT service companies, banks, public administration and any organisation that runs its own infrastructure. Spain's FP qualification lists network technician among its job profiles.

For the United States, the BLS counts about 323,600 network and computer systems administrators in 2025 and projects that employment will decline 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year from people leaving the occupation. Design work is moving the other way: computer network architects held about 181,800 jobs in 2025 and their employment is projected to grow 8 percent over the same period. The BLS adds that network architects typically need several years of experience with IT systems, so the usual route is to start in administration or support and move into design later.

Frequently asked questions

Is networking engineering a degree in its own right?

Sometimes, but more often it is a track inside a telecommunications or computing degree. At the ETSIT in Madrid, for example, Telemática is one of four tracks chosen in the fourth year of the telecommunications bachelor's degree.

How long does it take to qualify?

A Spanish bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits over four years, and ESPOL's telematics engineering degree in Ecuador takes eight semesters. Spain's higher vocational programme in networked systems administration has 2,000 hours.

Do I need Cisco or other vendor certificates as well as a degree?

They are not a legal requirement, but the BLS notes that employers may require administrators to be certified in the products they use. Some degrees and college programmes include the Cisco CCNA curriculum.

Is there demand for network engineers?

It depends on the role. In the United States the BLS projects a 4 percent decline for network administrators from 2025 to 2035 and 8 percent growth for network architects.