MSc in Telecommunications Engineering

Telecommunications Engineering

Department: Information Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics

Level: Master's

Class: LM27

Admission typology: Open admission with assessment of personal competencies and skills

Internationalization: International degree course

The Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering is aimed at training professional figures with solid competencies in Information Engineering and a specific education in one of the sectors, into which the ample disciplinary sector of Telecommunications is divided. Starting from a solid preparation in mathematics-physics and engineering disciplines, necessary for the admission to the Course, this Master’s program intends to deepen the theoretical-scientific aspects related to the distinctive disciplinary sectors and give the necessary knowledge and competencies to develop advanced project management skills, referring to high complexity systems that require innovative solutions, for what concerns products and/or services.

At the end of the training process, Master’s graduates will have acquired:

• a clear knowledge and a deep understanding of the principal issues and the relevant design methodologies of Telecommunications Engineering;
• an adequate knowledge of the modern techniques in the field of numerical transmission (modulation and demodulation, coding and decoding, equalization, multicarrier and spread-spectrum systems), wireless communication systems (mobile radio systems, access systems and wireless backbone, ad-hoc networks, sensor networks and actuators), network architectures and protocols for access and transport in photonic systems, signal processing and relevant multimedia applications (audio and video coding), remote sensing systems, electromagnetic systems;
• knowledge of analytical methods to analyse the performances, together with the simulation environments and the protocol and algorithm synthesis tools (the latter are mainly observable in the context of programmable electronic platforms and software architectures).

Students can conduct studies and in-depth-analysis also on texts written in a foreign language (mainly in English) and participate at lectures and seminars in English.

The achievement of the learning outcomes is mainly assessed through written and/or oral exams that conclude with a grade and that can include workshop tests, as well as through the composition and presentation of group works, crossing different training modules.

Applying knowledge and understanding

According to the learning objectives and the organisation of the didactic path, the Master’s graduates will be able to apply their own knowledge and understanding skills to the formulation and solution of highly complex design issues, as well as the development, configuration and employment of systems managing complex telecommunications networks.

The ability to apply knowledge and understanding is achieved through the critical reflections on the texts proposed for the individual study, numerical analysis exercises and workshop activities, and eventually through individual or group activities that involve the bibliographic research and the employment of simulation and/or development environments oriented towards design. Some of these activities can be assigned together in the context of several teaching modules, in order to motivate students to autonomously define and conduct proper projects that require an interdisciplinary approach. Through various tests (written and oral examinations, reports and seminar presentations of project works) students show their mastery of specific themes, tools, methods and critical autonomy. The final exam represents the point of arrival, through which the acquired abilities are perfected and assessed, in addition to possible elements of innovation and research.

Making Judgements

Master’s graduates will be able to analyse, interpret and describe complex issues linked to Telecommunications Engineering, also on the basis of limited or incomplete information, including the critical thinking about the social and ethic responsibilities connected to the application of their knowledge and judgements. They will be able to integrate and use the necessary knowledge to make autonomous judgements on the themes relating to their specialization and will be able to develop a satisfying level of creativity to define solutions and innovative approaches.

Students achieve the above-mentioned learning outcomes by participating at courses and project activities, at meetings and conversations with the representatives of the world of work, in the context of seminars and conferences and through the preparation of the Master’s degree thesis. The latter represents the moment, in which students compare themselves with the typical contexts of Telecommunications Engineering, by conceiving original and innovative ideas and assuming the task of explaining them and supporting their effectiveness during the discussion.

Communication skills

Master’s graduates will have acquired the ability to clearly communicate and express, also in English, the development and the conclusions of their own analysis or project activity, as well as the context of the relevant knowledge.

They will be able to compare themselves with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors on themes concerning the disciplines of the course of study, highlight significant problems and communicate solutions, by using argumentations and languages suitable for different circumstances.

They will have developed relational skills to support the teamwork and the ability to coordinate it.

These objectives will be achieved during the ordinary didactic activities (at which students are stimulated to actively participate), during the examinations (both oral and written, with open-ended questions) and through group activities that implicate the necessity to prepare reports and seminars. At last, the final exam provides for the discussion of a degree thesis, in the presence of an opposition committee, developed autonomously and under the guidance of a supervisor. In this case, not only the contents of the whole thesis are evaluated, but also the synthesis, communication and presentation skills of the candidates.

Learning skills

At the end of the training process, graduates will have developed the necessary learning skills to organise autonomously the study of both basic and specific engineering disciplines. These skills, through which graduates become aware of the importance of lifelong learning as an essential part of their future professional activity, allow them to autonomously and successfully undertake both further studies (Professional Master’s Diplomas or PhD) and pathways aimed at updating and improving their knowledge in a self-directed way.

The learning skills are developed, in the context of every single teaching module, by giving value to the methodological aspects and promoting the individual in-depth study on specialized texts, standardization documents and scientific literature: these aspects are curated during the project activities and the preparation of the Master’s degree thesis, through which students develop the ability to acquire new competencies through research and self-directed studies.

The acquisition of learning skills is assessed during the intermediate examinations and the final exam.

The Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering is aimed at training professional figures with solid competencies in Information Engineering and a specific education in one of the sectors, into which the ample disciplinary sector of Telecommunications is divided. Starting from a solid preparation in mathematics-physics and engineering disciplines, necessary for the admission to the Course, this Master’s program intends to deepen the theoretical-scientific aspects related to the distinctive disciplinary sectors and give the necessary knowledge and competencies to develop advanced project management skills, referring to high complexity systems that require innovative solutions, for what concerns products and/or services.

As a continuation of the evolution of the recent years and taking into account the reference professional areas, the course offers a privileged didactic pathway for the characterization, design and management of ICT infrastructures (“pervasive ICT infrastructures”), which provide support for the most modern network applications (broadband services for users, industrial automation, automotive, advanced building systems like the smart buildings, power grid, etc.). Essentially, the attention is focused on the increasingly pervasive, articulated and heterogeneous network infrastructure, which is the basis of the IoT paradigm (Internet-of-Things) and the world of networked systems and cyber-physical systems.

Assuming that students already have the mastery of the basic matters regarding signals, systems and telecommunications networks, the curriculum offers:

• teaching modules belonging to the distinctive disciplines of Telecommunications Engineering, such as: numerical transmission systems, propagation models and communication systems modelling, wireless communication systems, architectures and protocols for broadband networks and software defined, photonic networks, signal processing and multimedia applications, remote sensing systems, antenna systems and electromagnetic design techniques;
• teaching modules belonging to the related or supplementary engineering sectors, such as: digital electronic systems, software engineering, embedded software architectures, stochastic models for networks and methods for controlling and optimizing network resources, models and methods for the environmental impact of radio systems;
• specific in-depth analysis of basic disciplines, such as combinatorial mathematics, coding theory, cryptographic algorithms, operational research and optimization;
• further possibility for students to choose training activities comprising the improvement of a foreign language, the acquisition of professional contents and the in-depth analysis of business organisation (singularly or jointly matchable with work experiences and internships in Italy or abroad, at companies and universities).

Role in a work environment:

According to the knowledge and competencies acquired during the training path, the professional profile of graduates in Telecommunications Engineering allows them to assume tasks related to basic and applied research, innovation and development of new solutions, advanced design, planning and management of complex systems. A real professional opportunity is given therefore by research and development laboratories, sectors of design, planning and management of telecommunication systems, in the context of different types of businesses, and provides for the access to high levels of technical career. Furthermore, this Master’s degree offers the right motivations to access the Second Level Professional Master Diplomas (among which it is worth mentioning the Master in Networking and Multiservice IP Networks that, organised by the University of L’Aquila in cooperation with important companies like Reiss Romoli srl and with the direct support of CISCO, aims at providing internationally recognised business certifications), as well as PhD programs for a stronger orientation towards research activities and innovation.

Skills associated with the function

Role competencies:

1. Dimensioning, planning and management of telecommunications networks, including security aspects and information protection: in this regard, the skills acquired in the TLC Networks modules and partly related to certifications (e.g. CISCO e Juniper) are particularly spendable;
2. Desing and modelling of radio and digital transmission systems on physical carrier (copper wire and optic fiber);
3. Design and deployment of radio networks in various technologies;
4. Definition of protocol architectures and relative development on embedded platforms;
5. Design, simulation and development of microwave systems and subsystems, with particular reference to radio frequency chain systems and antennas;
6. Evaluation of the compatibility of radio communication systems with the regulations concerning the environmental impact of the EM fields.

Professional status.

Professional opportunities:

The reference business sector consists in companies that design/produce telecommunications systems and devices, network operators that manage complex telecommunication systems, companies and institutions that provide services by means of telecommunication systems. To this extent, it’s important to underline that the training path and the teaching modules have been organized in order to give graduates deep knowledge and adequate design methods in sectors of great interest in the field of modern telecommunications: radio technologies for the access (e.g. mobile radio communications) and the broadband interconnection, optical technologies, remote sensing systems and applied electromagnetism, networking e internetworking technologies. In relation to the latter aspect, a particular attention is given to the integration between telecommunications technologies and the Internet world, which is closely related to the scenario of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and a pervasive use of such technologies in all sectors of production and social life. This organization intends to give graduates wider employment prospects both in Italy and abroad. On the other side, it aimes at satisfying the recruitment needs of important companies set up in Abruzzo as well, in the increasing context of the “Polo di Innovazione Regionale ICT Abruzzo”. In this frame, the above-mentioned business internships aimed at promoting the insertion of the future graduates into the world of labour and can evolve, in some cases regulated by specific conventions with companies (for instance with Telecom Italia for specialization activities concerning the broadband networks, such as NGN-Next Generation Networks e LTE-Long Term Evolution), in higher and degree apprenticeships.