Telecommunications Degrees

Overview

Whether you are on phone, watching television, browsing the net, or checking your voice mail, you use telecommunication services. For those interested in telecommunications, there are several options from certificate programs to bachelor and master degree programs. Once you pursue a degree in telecommunications, you can also take up other related careers in the field of computer software engineering, communications, equipment installing, telecommunications system managing, and computer programming. Most telecommunications degrees begin at the associate level. Some colleges offer bachelor's degree in telecommunications.

Benefits

The main benefit of attaining a telecommunications degree is increasing your earning power. A person with a telecommunications degree earns more over the course of his or her career than a person with only a high school diploma.

Graduates with a telecommunication degree can work in business, military, and industry. Jobs may include working for cellular communications, networking, radio surveillance, or other areas related to communication. Although the required courses vary from school to school, students learn basic engineering principles, data networking, digital algorithms, and program languages.

Costs

The costs of getting a telecommunications degree depends on the college and the program you choose. The least expensive option is usually a state vocational school or community college. Most states sharply discount tuition for students who attend an in-state school.

Schools

Telecommunications degrees are offered by technical schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges. Business schools also offer telecommunications degrees. Some of the well known schools that offer degrees in telecommunication include Penn Foster Career School, Colorado Technical University, and Keller Graduate School of Management.

Testing & Preparation

Universities and colleges that offer telecommunications degree programs require students to take the American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and earn a minimum score for admission. This minimum score is set by the school. The ACT or SAT score may be waived for students who are over a certain age or for students who are transferring into a four-year school with an associate degree.

Technical and business schools accept ACT and SAT scores but may have placements tests of their own. Some universities even require students to attain a minimum Grade Average Point (GPA) of 2.0 in their major to graduate.

Financial Aid

For financial aid, you can always avail work-study programs, federal loans and graduate assistantships. The K. Leon Montgomery Assistantship in Telecommunications is an annual assistantship given to a full-time student who is enrolled in the Masters of Telecommunications in the University of Pittsburgh. The Thomas W. Bird Scholarship Fund supports deserving and needy students. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Ashe Scholarships are given to students from the Haywood and Jackson counties and who are in need of help.