Electronics and Communications Engineering: Where to study, eligibility and job roles

If you’re looking for a career in the communications industry, Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) courses can be the perfect starting point. This stream of engineering will give you a broad understanding of the mathematical and scientific principles underpinning Electronic Engineering and how they influence communications.

What is ECE

This specific discipline combines Communication Engineering and Electrical Engineering — it looks into the design and testing of electronic circuits and communication devices like transmitters, receivers and integrated circuits. ECE also involves a wide range of specialised topics like high-frequency and microwave technology used in mobile communication links, long-haul optical and satellite communication, data transmission and security, internet connectivity and digital broadcasting.

Studying ECE:

• You need to clear your Class XII board exams or an equivalent exam with Physics, Chemistry, Maths as compulsory subjects. You need at least 75% marks for admission to IITs, NITs and GFTIs.
• You need to clear JEE Mains, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), for admission to NITs, CFTIs and other engineering institutes.
• You need to clear JEE Advanced to get into IITs and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. To be eligible for JEE Advanced, you need to be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (across all categories) in the BE/BTech paper of JEE Mains.
• You can get an ECE degree by clearing any of the state joint entrance exams.
• For a master’s degree in ECE, you need to clear GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering).

Some top institutes for ECE:

IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal

Course: BTech in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Advanced.

Course: MTech in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal

Course: BE in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE).

Course: ME in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur

Course: BTech in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: MTech in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

Course: Dual Degree (BTech—M. Tech.)

• Duration: Five years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

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National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, West Bengal

Course: BTech in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: MTech in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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Delhi Technological University, Delhi

Course: BTech in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: MTech in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha

Course: BTech in ECE.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: MTech in ECE.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

Click here to learn more.

Studying abroad:

ECE is one of the most in-demand engineering courses around the world. Here’s a list of foreign institutes that offer such courses:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US
• Stanford University, US
• Harvard University, US
• University of Manchester, UK
• Imperial College London, UK
• University of Toronto, Canada
• University of Queensland, Australia
• National University of Singapore, Singapore

Job roles:

• Electronics device and development engineer: They come up with product ideas and develop actual products. They create devices such as car parts. Such people can find work in a variety of fields.
• Communication engineer: They manage and monitor the team's performance. It’s their responsibility to determine the feasibility of the project budget, timeframes and specifications provided by clients. They also develop test procedures and provide plans for dealing with a disaster in case one occurs.
• Telecommunication network engineer: They examine the security, design and performance of computer networks. They also integrate various telecom services and devices. These professionals play a major role in the installation of critical communication systems.
• Telecom engineer: They manage data from voice, video, phone calls and text messages. They also install and configure telecommunications equipment. It’s their responsibility to ensure that data transmitted via wired or wireless communication is of high quality.
• Field test engineer: They create electrical devices like radar, motors, and power generation equipment. They also create systems such as broadcast systems, portable music and GPS.
• Network planning engineer: Their primary responsibility is to assist critical teams across the organisation in implementing new standards following the communication of project strategies.