Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Technical Engineering in Management Information Systems

Technical Engineering in Management Information Systems is the name this directory uses for a Spanish computing degree, Ingeniería Técnica en Informática de Sistemas. It trained engineers who work close to the machine: computer architecture, operating systems, networks and the software that keeps them running. Royal Decree 1461/1990 established the official title of Ingeniero Técnico en Informática de Sistemas as a first-cycle degree lasting three years, with a study load of at least 180 credits under the system of that time.

Spanish universities reorganised their degrees in the European Higher Education Area, and the field is now taught as a four-year bachelor's degree (grado), usually called Ingeniería Informática or Ingeniería de Computadores. This page explains what the old title covered, what replaced it and what to look for today.

What students learn

The 1990 guidelines listed the core subjects of the three-year degree. They included the structure and technology of computers, operating systems, programming methodology, data structures, the theory of automata and formal languages, and networks (network architecture and communications), on a base of mathematics, physics and statistics.

The current degrees keep that core and add a choice of specialisation. The recommendations published by the Consejo de Universidades in 2009 describe five areas of specific technology: software engineering, computer engineering, computing, information systems and information technologies. Two of them are closest to the old systems degree:

  • Computer engineering: designing and building digital systems, including computers, microprocessor-based systems and communication systems
  • Information systems: integrating information and communication technology with business processes to meet the information needs of an organisation

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree (grado). Under the 2009 recommendations, degrees linked to the profession of Ingeniero Técnico en Informática have 240 ECTS credits: 60 credits of basic training, 60 credits common to the computing branch, a full 48-credit block of one specific technology and a final degree project. Royal Decree 822/2021 confirms 240 credits as the standard length of a Spanish bachelor's degree.
  • Master's degree. An official master's degree in Spain has 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Ingeniería Informática is the usual continuation for graduates who want the full engineering profile.
  • Vocational training (FP). The computing and communications family includes the intermediate qualification Técnico en Sistemas Microinformáticos y Redes and the higher qualification Técnico Superior en Administración de Sistemas Informáticos en Red, which lead directly to systems and network support work.
  • Holders of the old title. People who hold the three-year title can ask a university about an adaptation course or credit recognition towards the current bachelor's degree. Each university sets its own conditions.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 19 active schools for this subject, all of them in Spain. Most are universities that taught the old degree and now offer its successor. Two examples show the range:

  • The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) teaches its bachelor's degree in Ingeniería Informática fully online, with 240 credits, in Spanish and in Catalan.
  • The Universidad de Alcalá offers a bachelor's degree in Ingeniería de Computadores on its science and technology campus. It lasts four years, has 240 ECTS credits, of which 48 are compulsory credits of specific technology, and lists Spanish and English as its languages.

Teaching is mostly in Spanish, with Catalan, Basque or Galician at universities in those regions and some subjects in English. When comparing programmes, check the specialisation offered in the final years, the language of instruction, the laboratory and internship arrangements and, for students who already hold a foreign qualification, how the university recognises previous studies.

Careers

Graduates work as systems and network administrators, systems analysts, embedded-systems and hardware developers, security specialists and IT project staff, in technology companies and in the IT departments of banks, industry and public administration.

Official Spanish employment figures for this exact degree were not found, so the figures here come from the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes computer systems analysts as professionals who study an organisation's current computer systems and procedures and design improvements to them. It projects that their employment will grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,900 openings a year. For network and computer systems administrators it projects a decline of 4 percent over the same period, although about 13,400 openings a year are still expected as workers leave the occupation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still enrol in Ingeniería Técnica en Informática de Sistemas?

The three-year title dates from 1990 and belongs to the earlier structure of Spanish degrees. New students enrol in a four-year, 240 ECTS bachelor's degree such as Ingeniería Informática or Ingeniería de Computadores.

How long does the current degree take?

Four years and 240 ECTS credits, as the Universidad de Alcalá states for its degree. A master's degree adds 60 to 120 ECTS credits.

Is it possible to study it online?

Yes. The UOC teaches its 240-credit bachelor's degree in Ingeniería Informática fully online, in Spanish and Catalan.

What is the difference between computer systems and management computing?

The old systems degree concentrated on hardware, operating systems and networks. Its sister degree, Informática de Gestión, concentrated on software for business management. In the current bachelor's degrees both profiles are specialisations within one degree.