Studies & Degrees in Radio Physics and Electronics
Radio physics, also written radiophysics, is the branch of physics that studies radio waves and other electromagnetic oscillations: how they are generated, how they travel through the atmosphere, space and materials, and how they are received and measured. Radio electronics is the engineering side of the same field. It deals with the circuits and devices that use those waves, such as antennas, transmitters, receivers, radar, navigation aids and satellite links.
A programme in radio physics and electronics therefore combines physics and mathematics with electronic engineering. Students take electromagnetism and wave theory, analogue and digital circuits, microprocessors, signal processing and measurement, and they spend a large part of their time in laboratories. The applications are wide: radio communications, radar and radionavigation, radio astronomy, remote sensing and medical equipment.
Qualifications and levels
Few universities use the exact title "Radio Physics and Electronics". More often the subject is a department, a specialisation or a named degree inside physics, electrical engineering or telecommunications. The level and length depend on the country.
- Spain: the Universidad de Cádiz (UCA) teaches the Grado en Ingeniería Radioelectrónica, a bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 credits over four academic years, first taught in the 2010-11 academic year. It offers 30 places, is taught in Spanish and in person at the Escuela de Ingenierías Marina, Náutica y Radioelectrónica on the Puerto Real campus. The degree gives access to the regulated profession of radio-electronic officer in the merchant navy; the professional titles themselves are issued by the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante under the international STCW convention.
- Russia: Siberian Federal University (SibFU) has a School of Engineering Physics and Radio Electronics, founded in 2008, whose teaching and research areas include radio electronics and radio physics. On the university's lists for international applicants, a typical bachelor's programme lasts 4 years (240 ECTS) and a master's programme 2 years (120 ECTS), although the university notes that the length of a bachelor's degree varies by programme.
- Doctorate: research in the field is done in physics and engineering departments. Ask the university which doctoral programmes its radio physics groups belong to.
The Cádiz curriculum shows what the subject looks like in practice. It starts with calculus, physics (including a course on electromagnetism and waves) and computing, moves on to analogue and digital circuits, radio engineering (Radiotecnia I and II), microprocessors and radionavigation systems, and ends with an external work placement of 18 credits and a final degree project of 12 credits.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists four active schools for radio physics and electronics, one each in Spain, India, the United States and Russia: the Universidad de Cádiz, the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, The University of Texas at Austin and Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk.
The language of instruction follows the country. The Cádiz degree is taught in Spanish. SibFU teaches mainly in Russian, offers some programmes in English and runs Russian language preparatory courses for applicants who do not yet have a language certificate. Programmes in India and the United States are taught in English. Because the subject is often a specialisation and not a separate degree, check on each university's own site which department teaches it, at which level, and what the current admission requirements are.
Careers
Graduates work wherever radio waves are generated, measured or regulated. The Universidad de Cádiz lists outlets such as radio-electronic officer in the merchant navy, operation and maintenance of maritime and ship communication stations, technical posts in electronics and maritime telecommunications companies, test and certification laboratories, and the state maritime administration. SibFU says its school works closely with high-tech companies in the Krasnoyarsk region and with institutes of the Academy of Sciences, and names space engineering among the careers open to its students. Spectrum regulators are another employer: the radiocommunication sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at global level.
Official statistics do not treat radio physics as a separate occupation. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics groups most of these jobs under electrical and electronics engineers, who typically need at least a bachelor's degree. It projects employment in that group to grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035. Electronics engineers (except computer) held about 98,200 jobs in 2025, and their largest employers were the federal government (15%), telecommunications (14%) and semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing (14%).
Frequently asked questions
Is radio physics a physics degree or an engineering degree?
It can be either. Some universities teach it inside a physics faculty, others inside electrical or telecommunications engineering. The Universidad de Cádiz, for example, offers it as an engineering degree, the Grado en Ingeniería Radioelectrónica.
How long does a degree in radio electronics take?
At the Universidad de Cádiz the bachelor's degree has 240 credits and takes four academic years. At Siberian Federal University a typical bachelor's programme lasts 4 years (240 ECTS) and a master's 2 years (120 ECTS).
Can I study radio electronics in Spanish?
Yes. The Grado en Ingeniería Radioelectrónica at the Universidad de Cádiz is taught in Spanish on the Puerto Real campus and offers 30 places.
What jobs does the subject lead to?
Typical roles are in radio and satellite communications, radar and navigation systems, electronics design, test laboratories and maritime radio services. In the United States these jobs are counted under electrical and electronics engineers, a group expected to grow 8 percent between 2025 and 2035 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.