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Studies & Degrees in Automation

Automation is the branch of engineering that makes machines and processes run with little or no human intervention. An automated system measures what is happening with sensors, decides what to do with a controller, usually a programmable logic controller (PLC) or an industrial computer, and acts through motors, valves or robots. The same principles are used on a car assembly line, in a bottling plant, in a water treatment works and in the heating and lighting of a building.

Students learn electricity and electronics, control theory, PLC programming, industrial communications, instrumentation, pneumatics and hydraulics, robotics and industrial computing. The Universidad de Alcalá, for example, describes its degree as training specialists in robotics, PLCs, microprocessors and microcontrollers, electronic instrumentation, industrial computing and power electronics, all applied to the automation and control of industrial processes. Laboratory work is a large part of every programme.

Qualifications and levels

Automation can be studied at vocational level, as an engineering degree and as a postgraduate specialisation.

  • Vocational training: in Spain, the official higher vocational training (FP de grado superior) qualification is Técnico Superior en Automatización y Robótica Industrial, in the electricity and electronics family. It lasts 2,000 hours and is open to holders of the Bachiller certificate, among other routes. Holders can continue with specialisation courses such as collaborative robotics. In the United States, Idaho State University offers an Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Automation Engineering Technology, a lab-based programme that accepts students in August and admits 20 per cohort.
  • Bachelor's degree: in Spain, automation is taught within industrial engineering. The Grado en Ingeniería en Electrónica y Automática Industrial of the Universidad de Alcalá lasts four years and has 240 ECTS credits: 60 of basic training, 132 compulsory, 36 optional and a 12-credit final project. It qualifies graduates for the regulated profession of Ingeniero Técnico Industrial, for which Spanish law requires an official bachelor's degree of 240 credits. Idaho State University offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Robotics and Communications Systems Engineering Technology, a programme accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET.
  • Postgraduate and continuing education: SEAS, Estudios Superiores Abiertos, teaches an online Máster de Formación Permanente en Automatización Industrial of 1,500 hours and 60 ECTS credits. According to SEAS, it is a university's own qualification (título universitario propio) issued by the Universidad San Jorge, and entry requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Private training centres also offer shorter courses on PLCs and robotics; ask the school what recognition the certificate has.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 11 active schools for automation. Four are in Spain, and there is one each in Canada, Denmark, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Russia and Slovenia.

In Spain the list combines universities, such as the Universidad de Alcalá and the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, with training centres for adults, such as SEAS in Zaragoza and Campus Training. Abroad it includes Idaho State University, the Universidade de São Paulo, Manchester Metropolitan University, VIA University College in Denmark and the University of Maribor.

The language of instruction follows the country. The Universidad de Alcalá gives Spanish and English as the languages of its degree, which has 75 places. SEAS teaches online in Spanish, which makes it accessible from Latin America. Programmes in the United States and the United Kingdom are in English.

Careers

People trained in automation design, install, program and maintain automated systems. According to TodoFP, the vocational training portal of the Spanish education ministry, holders of the higher vocational qualification work in public and private companies in the design, assembly and maintenance of industrial automation systems, in jobs such as control systems designer, commissioning technician or maintenance team leader. The Universidad de Alcalá names industrial automation, hardware and software companies, energy, power electronics, robotics and building automation among the fields where its graduates work. Idaho State University lists manufacturing, food and beverage processing, chemical processing, water treatment and power generation.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish figures for automation as one occupation. For the related group of electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians, who operate, test and maintain electromechanical or robotic equipment, it counted 15,700 jobs in 2025 and projects growth of 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. These workers typically need an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to work in automation?

No. Technician jobs are open to holders of vocational qualifications, such as the 2,000-hour Técnico Superior en Automatización y Robótica Industrial in Spain or an associate degree in the United States. Design and engineering roles usually require an engineering degree.

How long does an automation degree take in Spain?

The bachelor's degree at the Universidad de Alcalá lasts four years and has 240 ECTS credits. The higher vocational qualification lasts 2,000 hours.

Can I study automation online?

Yes, at postgraduate and continuing-education level. SEAS offers a 60 ECTS online programme in industrial automation, which is a university's own qualification and not an official master's degree.

What is the difference between automation and robotics?

Robotics deals with robots themselves. Automation is wider: it covers any system that controls a process automatically, with or without robots.