Communication in various forms has always been the backbone of human society and culture. Computer networks and telecommunications are modern incarnations of that communications back- bone. Both have been hugely influential in commerce, industry and business in our modern society. The BSc (Hons) Network Engineering and Telecommunication Systems degree is aimed at enabling students to develop the knowledge and skills needed for network and telecommunications system design and management. This course is designed by St Patrick's. Course content The knowledge and skills developed in this programme will help students understand the technologies that underpin computer and telecommunication networks, as well as the ways in which these networks are designed and managed. Students will investigate 21st century networks and the integration of circuit switching and packet switching technologies to produce cost effective services for industry. There is an increasing dependence by modern businesses on diverse network technologies. This demands efficient design and management skills from network communication systems engineers. The course has been designed to give a strong grounding in those skills which a modern network developer, engineer or manager should possess. Effective network design and management is crucial for these systems as they ensure that the people using them benefit from their full potential. Students who wish to leave the programme after successfully completing Year 1 will be able to achieve a HE Certificate in Network Engineering and Telecommunication Systems award. Students who wish to exit the programme after successfully completing Year 2 will be eligible for an HE Diploma in Network Engineering and Telecommunication Systems award. Students who successfully complete 300 credits over the 3 year period may be eligible to exit with a BSc award.

This is a relatively new and fast-growing field that offers excellent and interesting career prospects. There are very good career and entrepreneurial opportunities for people interested in network administration for medium to large enterprise networks, engineering positions for local and wide area networks, design, management and optimisation and/or other managerial posts in the telecommunication industry. Alternatively, students successfully completing this course can proceed directly to a postgraduate degree.