Career in Electronics and Communications Engineering

Courses Offered in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Electronics and communication engineering is fast emerging as one of the most popular disciplines in the field of engineering. A number of institutes and colleges across the country offer this course. During the first half of the course, students are taught the basic engineering concepts whereas the second half includes the core study of the communication concepts and various fundamentals of electronics engineering. Students can pursue Electronics and Communication Engineering after completion of their class 12th examination with the subjects of mathematics and science. The academic criterion for the Electronics and Communication Engineering has been divided into three types of courses/programmes, namely-  

• Diploma Courses - This course offers the students a polytechnic diploma in Electronics and Communication Engineering and can be pursued both after class 10th and class 12th. The Duration of the course is of 3 years.
• Undergraduate Courses - This course offers the students an undergraduate degree i.e. B.Tech (Bachelors of Technology) in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Students can pursue this course after successfully completing their class 12th. The duration of the course is of 4 years.
• Postgraduate Courses - This course offers the students a post-graduate degree i.e. M.Tech (Masters of Technology) in Electronics and Communication Engineering. An undergraduate degree i.e. B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering is essential for students to pursue this course. The duration of the course is of 2 years.

What is Electronics and Communication Engineering all about?

Electronics and Communication Engineering is one of the most popular courses in the engineering field. As the name suggests, the course complies the concepts from both the communication and the electronic engineering courses. Students studying this course will work with electronic devices, circuits, communication equipment like transmitter, receiver, integrated circuits etc. The field also deals with basic electronics, analog and digital transmissions and reception of data, microprocessors, satellite communication, microwave engineering, antennae and wave progression. The study of electronics and communication engineering deepens the knowledge and skill sets of the students on the basic concepts and theories required to work in the field of electronics and communication.

How to get admission in Electronics and Communication Engineering courses?

Admission in electronics and communication engineering courses is through the entrance exams that are organised at national, state and university levels. Some institutes also take into consideration the merit list, that is drawn on the basis of marks scored in the qualifying examinations. Also, for taking admission into undergraduate level engineering courses, JEE Mains is one of the most popular and widely accepted national level examinations. And for admissions into postgraduate level courses, you can appear for GATE examinations. 

Eligibility Criteria for Electronics and Communication Engineering Courses  

• Diploma Courses - The candidate should shave passed class 10th examination from a recognised education board.
• Undergraduate Courses - The candidate should have passed 10+2 examination from a recognised examination board with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as core subjects. The candidates should also fulfill minimum qualifying marks in aggregate of the subjects.
• Post Graduate Courses - The candidate should have a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Entrance Exams for Electronics and Communication Engineering Courses

Like any other engineering course admission into Electronics and Communication Engineering courses also is through entrance exams. Students may appear for the different exam based on their priorities. Some of the most popular entrance exams are as follows -

• JEE Mains
• JEE Advanced
• GATE  (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering)
• BCECE  (Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination)
• JCECE  (Jharkhand Common Entrance Competitive Exam)
• UPSEE  (Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination)

Most Popular Sub-Disciplines in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Students pursuing a course in electronics and communication engineering can specialise in various sub-domains of this field. Some of which are mentioned below-  

• Signal Processing- Signal processing concerns the analysis, synthesis, and modification of signals.
• Telecommunications Engineering- This field seeks to support and enhance telecommunication systems. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. 
• Control Engineering- - This field deals with the designing of controllers that control the behaviour of a machine using micro-controllers, programmable logic controllers, digital signal processors and electrical circuits.
•  Instrumentation Engineering - This field deals with designing of measuring devices for pressure, flow and temperature. This field requires a deep understanding of physics in the students.
• Computer Engineering - Computer engineering is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer hardware and software.
• VLSI design Engineering - Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining billions of transistors into a single chip.

Popular Subjects Covered in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Some of the popular subjects covered in the Electronics and Communication Engineering are as follows:

• Digital Communication Techniques         
• Adaptive Signal Processing
• Antenna System Design               
• Wireless Networks         
• Statistical Signal Processing
• Radar & Navigational Systems
• Optical Communication and Networks
• VLSI Signal Processing

Popular Electronics and Communication Engineering Institutes in India

With the growing popularity and demand for Electronics and communication Engineering courses, more and more institutes have started offering this course. Of these, we have mentioned below the top Electronics and Communication Engineering Institutions that are UGC recognised and have been ranked the top category in the NIRF ranking for the year 2018 -

• Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati,  Guwahati
• Anna University, Chennai
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata
• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad

Career Prospects For Electronics and Communication Engineer

There is no dearth of good opportunities for an Electronics and Communication Engineer as they can avail job opportunities in a multitude of industries upon successful completion of their degrees. Indian Telephone Industries, Civil Aviation, Development Centers in various States, Defense, A.I.R, Railways, Bharat Electronics Limited, D.R.D.O, Telecommunication, Software Engineering/IT, Power sector, Hardware Manufacturing, Home Appliance and VLSI design, Television Industry and Research & Development etc are some of the popular sectors where the services of an Electronics and Communication engineer are required. 

Popular Job Profiles for Electronics and Communication Engineers

Broadcasting, consulting, data communication, entertainment, research and development, system support etc, students can work in many such manufacturing and service sector organisations. Some popular job profiles for an electronics and communication engineer are -

• Electronics Engineer
• Field Test Engineer
• Network Planning Engineer
• Electronics and Communications Consultant
• Customer Support Engineer
• Electronics Technician
• Associate Firstline Technician
• Research and Development Software Engineer
• Service Engineer
• Senior Sales Manager
• Technical Director

Popular Recruiters for Electronics and Communication Engineer

Some popular recruiters that offer good work opportunities to electronics and communication engineer are as follows -

Government Sector Companies

• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)
• Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Private Sector Companies

• Accenture Solutions Private Limited
• Cognizant Technology Solutions
• HCL Technologies
• Hewlett Packard
• Honeywell Automation India Ltd
• Infosys Technologies Ltd
• LG Electronics Inc.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
• Wipro Limited
• Siemens
• Tech Mahindra
• nVIDIA

Salary prospects after Electronics and Communication Engineering

An electronics engineer has good career opportunities both in India and abroad. Salary packages offered to electronics and communication engineers vary upon various factors such as working skills, qualifications, working area, recruiters and many other factors. However, as a fresher electronics and communication engineer you can earn about Rs. 3-5 lakhs per annum.