Telecommunications Engineering Schools and Programs in Spain

Telecommunications Engineering Studies in Spain

Telecommunications Engineering covers the networks, electronics, signals and services behind mobile and fixed communications, the internet, audio and video. In Spain it is one of the regulated engineering professions: the law sets what a degree must contain before it can lead to the professional title. That gives Spanish degrees a common structure, which makes it easier to compare programmes across the country.

Two levels: technical engineer and engineer

The profession has two levels, each defined by a ministerial order. The bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits gives access to the regulated profession of Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación (technical telecommunications engineer) under Order CIN/352/2009. The full profession of Ingeniero de Telecomunicación requires an officially recognised master's degree under Order CIN/355/2009, with bachelor's and master's together totalling at least 300 credits. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid explains it plainly: it is the master's degree that grants the professional rights of the engineer.

Order CIN/352/2009 sets the bachelor's structure: 60 credits of basic training, 60 credits common to the telecommunications branch, a complete 48-credit block in one specific technology, and a 12-credit final project. The four technologies are telecommunication systems, telematics (networks and services), electronic systems, and sound and image. This is why degree names vary: the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) returns 66 bachelor's records for "Telecomunicación", from Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación to Ingeniería Telemática, Ingeniería Electrónica de Telecomunicación or Sonido e Imagen. It also lists 45 master's records under "Ingeniería de Telecomunicación".

Where to study Telecommunications Engineering in Spain

Madrid and Barcelona have the most schools, but most regions have at least one. Examples of official bachelor's degrees in RUCT:

• Madrid region: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universidad de Alcalá, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Universidad Europea de Madrid and Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio
• Catalonia: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Universitat Ramon Llull and Universitat Rovira i Virgili
• Valencian Community: Universitat de València and Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
• North: Universidad de Cantabria, Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de Deusto and Universidad de Navarra
• South and west: Universidad de Málaga and Universidad de Extremadura
• Canary Islands: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• Online: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Many of these universities also offer the master's in Telecommunication Engineering. At the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid it lasts two years (120 credits), has 200 new places, and is taught in Spanish or English depending on the specialisation. Graduates of related degrees from other Spanish or foreign universities can also apply.

Admission and language

Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter a bachelor's degree, and then apply to each university within its own deadlines. Places are limited: the Universidad de Alcalá offers 75 and the Universidad de Málaga's degree lists 65. Most teaching is in Spanish; Alcalá teaches in Spanish and English and recommends a good level of English, while Málaga teaches in Spanish. The Universidad de Alcalá recommends a good grounding in mathematics.

Recognition of the qualification

Because both titles are regulated professions, engineers with a foreign degree who want to practise in Spain apply for homologación, the procedure that gives access to a regulated profession. Holders of a Spanish degree who plan to work abroad should check how their home country recognises it.

Careers

The Universidad de Alcalá lists the main professional fields as telecommunication applications and services, software, telematic equipment and systems, transmission equipment and systems, and computer hardware and architecture. Graduates work for network operators, equipment makers, audiovisual companies, consultancies and the public sector.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a telecommunications engineer in Spain?

The bachelor's degree takes four years (240 credits) and qualifies you as a technical telecommunications engineer. The full Ingeniero de Telecomunicación title requires the official master's degree, for a total of at least 300 credits.

Can I study Telecommunications Engineering in English in Spain?

Partly. Some universities, such as Alcalá, teach in Spanish and English, and the master's at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid has specialisations taught in English.

Can I enter the master's with a foreign bachelor's degree?

Yes. Order CIN/355/2009 allows access from any bachelor's degree, with bridging courses if needed, and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid accepts graduates from foreign universities in related fields.