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Studies & Degrees in Telecommunications Technology

Telecommunications technology deals with the systems that carry voice, data and video over a distance: fixed and mobile networks, fibre optics, radio links, satellite and the internet. Students learn how signals are generated, transmitted and received, how networks are designed and dimensioned, and how the equipment is installed, configured and maintained. The subject sits between electronics and computing. Typical course topics are circuits and electronics, signal processing, data networks and routing, wireless communication and network security.

The field is taught at two broad levels. Technician programmes train people to install and maintain networks. Engineering degrees train people to design systems and services, and require considerably more mathematics and physics.

Qualifications and levels

  • Technician and associate programmes. In the United States, community colleges and technical schools teach data transmission systems, data communication, electrical circuits and computer programming in programmes that lead to a certificate or an associate degree, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In Chile, the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (USM) offers a Técnico Universitario en Telecomunicaciones y Redes at its Viña del Mar site. It lasts two years (four semesters), includes 320 hours of industrial placement and covers fibre optics, routing in data networks, wireless systems and IP telephony.
  • Vocational training in Spain. The official qualification is the Técnico Superior en Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones e Informáticos, a higher-level vocational training (FP) programme of 2,000 hours.
  • Bachelor's degree in Spain. Telecommunications engineering is a regulated profession. A ministerial order (Orden CIN/352/2009) sets the content of the bachelor's degrees (grados) that give access to the profession of Ingeniero Técnico de Telecomunicación: 240 ECTS credits, with 60 credits of basic training, 60 credits common to the telecommunications branch, 48 credits in one specific technology and a final project of 12 credits. One example is the Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías y Servicios de Telecomunicación at the ETSIT of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. It lasts four years, is taught mainly in Spanish and offers 300 places for new students. In the fourth year students choose one of four tracks: telecommunication systems, telematics, electronic systems or audiovisual systems. The school states that the degree is accredited by ABET and EUR-ACE and is registered in the RUCT, the Spanish register of official degrees.
  • Master's degree in Spain. The profession of Ingeniero de Telecomunicación requires an official master's degree. Under Orden CIN/355/2009, bachelor's and master's studies together must total at least 300 ECTS credits.
  • Long engineering degrees in Latin America. USM offers Ingeniería Civil Telemática, a five-year degree (ten semesters) taught in Valparaíso and at the San Joaquín campus.
  • Short courses. Vendor certification courses in networking are an alternative for people already working in the sector. Europa Networking in Italy, for example, teaches Cisco courses.

Outside regulated systems such as the Spanish one, students should ask the school what recognition its qualification has.

Where to study it

This directory lists 17 active schools for telecommunications technology. Eight are in the United States and four in Spain, and Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Vietnam and Italy have one each. In Spain the directory lists the ETSIT of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad Europea de Madrid and the Universidad de Vigo. In Latin America it lists the Universidad de Guadalajara, the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil. The schools in the United States include Illinois State University, Morehead State University and community colleges such as Century College, Kirkwood Community College and County College of Morris.

Degrees in Spain and Latin America are taught mainly in Spanish, and programmes in the United States in English.

Careers

Technicians install and maintain networks. The BLS describes how they set up and fix devices and equipment that carry communications signals, such as internet routers and fibre optic lines. The Spanish vocational qualification leads to jobs such as site manager for telecommunications installations and specialist in installing and maintaining telecommunications equipment, in companies that work in telecommunications, systems integration, broadband networks, telematics and audiovisual media. Engineers work for network operators, equipment manufacturers, consultancies and public bodies, in network planning, systems design, project management and regulation.

Figures from the BLS show a mature market for technicians in the United States. There were about 257,800 telecommunications technicians in 2025, and 61% of them worked in the telecommunications industry. Employment is projected to decline 3% from 2025 to 2035. About 20,300 openings a year are still expected, all from the need to replace workers who leave. Demand for radio, cellular and tower equipment installers is expected to increase. The entry requirement is a high school diploma, but employers may prefer candidates with a certificate or an associate degree.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a telecommunications degree take in Spain?

The bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. To work as an Ingeniero de Telecomunicación, graduates add an official master's degree, so that the two together total at least 300 ECTS credits.

What is the difference between a telecommunications technician and a telecommunications engineer?

Technicians install, configure and maintain networks and equipment, and train in programmes of about two years. Engineers design systems and services and study a university degree of four or five years with more mathematics and physics.

Can telecommunications be studied as vocational training in Spain?

Yes. The higher-level vocational training (FP) programme Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones e Informáticos has 2,000 hours and leads to an official Técnico Superior qualification.