What are some of the specializations within this degree program?

• Office and Administration: These individuals work in the company headquarters office primarily as telephone operators or customer service representatives helping customers over the phone to address problems or misunderstandings regarding telecommunication products and services.
• Sales: These individuals work primarily by selling new and upgraded telecom/wireless devices and products to customers. They may work in stores and malls or offices.
• Installation, Maintenance, and Repair: These individuals use their expertise with networks and devices to install new systems or troubleshoot issues that customers have called to complain about.

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What degree levels are available?

• Associate Degree in Information Technology, Communications, or Related Industry: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's in Information Technology, Communications, or Related Industry: 4 years to complete

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What are the educational and certification requirements?

Most jobs within the telecom/wireless industry only require a high school diploma in order to start training. Since this is one of the most quickly evolving industries, some of the positions in the field are starting to require a bachelor's degree, which will take students about four years to complete. These positions are either technical/engineering or business administration careers. Some of the skills that students should study while they are in school include voice and telephone technology, wireless technology, data compression, and fiber optic technology. The background required will depend on the position you choose to pursue, but a solid understanding of the infrastructure should be a priority.

It is also very important that individuals attain as much experience and training as they can within their position at a telecom company. Every technical or business skill you can acquire will enhance your career potential. After students have completed the necessary training for their job in this industry, they can move forward and obtain a job in their field. There are no additional certification requirements in the telecom/wireless industry.

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What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?

• Start-ups, Entrepreneurship, and Business: This will be one of the first classes you take as a telecom major, exposing yourself to the crucial fundamentals of business. Service and manufacturing technique, establishing a business model based on profits, and venture start-up operatons are the topics you'll discover in this offering. 
• Cybersecurity and Systems Security: Advanced telecom students will find their way to this course toward the end of their degree experience. The protocol stack is the highlight of the class, while other concepts you may encounter include VLAN hopping, firewalls, trojan horses, rootkits, and intrusion detection. 
• Telecommunications and Public Policy: One of the most important classes you can take, this class can be considered as a mandatory offering. Learn about the ins and outs of the FCC, telecom law, deregulation, and network neutrality. 
• Networks and Protocols: Traffic routing, congestion control, Open Shortest Path First, TCP / IP, and Local Area Network Protocol are all covered here, often in a series of subsequent classes. 
• Contemporary Themes in Telecommunications: Every telecommunications education program puts an emphasis on providing dynamic learning experiences for its students. These experiences often come in the form of special projects, themed on such concepts as cloud computing, network immunity, and OFDM technology.

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If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?

Most telecom programs offered online do not require students to engange in an on-site training component in order to receive their diploma. 

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What are some other degrees that are related to this program?

• Engineering: This degree provides students with the skills to bring together their math and science skills to create products that solve technical issues for people. Many engineers work to develop new products, but always keep time and cost in mind during their testing, maintenance, and production.
• Human Resources: Human resources professionals are the link between the customers and the company or product. Whenever customer are experiencing negative issues with their product or service, the customer service representative must be there to answer questions and help resolve the issues at hand. Most work through communication by telephone, while others work through email, online chats, or in stores.
• Electrician Studies: Electricians work specifically with radio and telecommunications equipment to assist in transmitting communication signals. They must set up and maintain this equipment, which can be difficult due to its very sophisticated nature. They also must keep up with technological advances, and in some cases may take advantage of continuing education opportunities.
• Computer Programming: A degree in computer programming will teach students to write new computer programs and software. They will use coding languages to command computers to perform certain algorithms, often in a way that automates processes which would otherwise require hours of human labor. They must also update and maintain already existing programs.

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