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Studies & Degrees in Digital Technology

Digital technology is a broad label for the study of how digital systems are designed, built and used: software and applications, websites and interfaces, data, networks and digital media. It sits between computer science and design. Some courses are close to engineering and concentrate on programming, data and security. Others are close to the creative industries and concentrate on digital design, animation and interactive products.

The occupations the subject leads to show its range. In the words of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), software developers design computer applications or programs, web developers create and maintain websites, and digital designers develop, create and test website or interface layout, functions and navigation for usability. A student of digital technology usually learns some of each.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. In Spain, a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits, and 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study. U-tad, Centro Universitario de Tecnología y Arte Digital, in Las Rozas (Madrid), offers official bachelor's degrees in animation, digital design, video games, engineering and digital sciences. Its Grado en Diseño Digital has 240 ECTS credits, is taught in Spanish and can be taken on campus or online.
  • Degree apprenticeships in the United Kingdom. Manchester Metropolitan University runs a Digital and Technology Solutions Professional degree apprenticeship. Over four years, apprentices attend university one day a week during the academic year, and specialise in data analysis, cybersecurity, software engineering or IT consultancy. On completion they receive a BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions degree and a Level 6 degree apprenticeship qualification. Apprentices combine the degree with a job, so international students should ask the university whether it is open to them.
  • Master's degrees. An official Spanish master's degree has 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
  • Vocational training. In Spain, the higher-level vocational qualification (FP de grado superior) Técnico Superior en Desarrollo de Aplicaciones Web is a 2,000-hour course that leads to jobs such as web programmer and multimedia programmer. CES, a vocational school in Madrid, teaches this course together with the equivalent courses in multi-platform application development and in network systems administration.
  • Online and continuing education. SEAS, Estudios Superiores Abiertos, in Zaragoza, offers more than 250 online programmes. The centre states that its courses are recognised as own qualifications (títulos propios) of the Universidad San Jorge, which are different from official university degrees.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 42 active schools for digital technology: 19 in the United States, 11 in Spain, 4 in the United Kingdom, 2 in China and 1 each in Australia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Brazil and Argentina. In Spain the listed schools include centres in Barcelona, the Madrid region, Valencia, Zaragoza, Badajoz and Almería. Among them are universities such as the Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the Universidad de Extremadura, a business school, the UPF Barcelona School of Management, and specialised centres such as U-tad and CES.

In the United States the subject is taught at research universities, including the University of Florida, Northeastern University and the University of California, Irvine, and at community colleges such as College of Lake County and Linn-Benton Community College, which offer shorter programmes. In the United Kingdom the listed schools include Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Sunderland.

Teaching is in English in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, and mainly in Spanish in Spain and Argentina. Because the label covers very different courses, compare the content before the name: how much programming the course contains, whether it leans towards design or engineering, whether it includes placements, and what kind of qualification it awards. If the recognition of a qualification is not clear from the school's website, ask the school.

Careers

Graduates work as software and web developers, digital and interface designers, data analysts, digital project managers and specialists in areas such as cybersecurity. The BLS reports that educational requirements for web developers and digital designers range from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree, so a portfolio of finished work matters as well as the qualification.

According to the BLS, overall employment in computer and information technology occupations in the United States is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 280,000 openings a year. Web developers and digital designers held about 220,100 jobs in 2025 and their employment is projected to grow 5 percent. Employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers is projected to grow 10 percent, with about 106,100 openings a year. These figures describe the United States only.

Frequently asked questions

What is digital technology as a subject?

It is the study of how digital systems and products are designed, built and used. Courses range from software and web development to digital design, animation and interactive media.

How long does it take to study digital technology?

A Spanish bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, which is four years at 60 credits a year. The Spanish higher vocational course in web application development has 2,000 hours, and the degree apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University takes four years.

Can you study digital technology online?

Yes. U-tad teaches its bachelor's degree in digital design on campus and online, and SEAS in Zaragoza offers more than 250 online programmes.

What are the job prospects?

In the United States, the BLS projects about 280,000 openings a year in computer and information technology occupations from 2025 to 2035, and 10 percent growth for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers.