Objectives y Competencies

Objectives

The Masters' Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering fills a gap in the current organization of graduate studies by taking a systematic and overall approach as opposed to the traditional one, more oriented to components or circuits, without giving up this equally important approach to since it is also important in Electronics Engineering. Being a horizontal technology, and a support of many other branches of engineering, this Masters' Degree opens up a broad range to those potentially interested in both the industrial field, such as development and innovation, and the research field, allowing the specialization to be carried out both in technological or detailed aspects (processes, components, circuits, etc.) such as systematic and application.

The aim of the program is to prepare future graduates to either conceive and design components, circuits or electronic systems as well as their potential applications, based on a multifunctional and interdisciplinary education, or prepare them for their PhD research stage. In both cases, this approach aims to provide the participants with a comprehensive education, not only the purely technical, based on enhancing their ability to promote innovation, market understanding, communications, teamwork, developing their creative abilities and long-term learning through the use of project-based training methods. This will compel them to seek further knowledge to apply it in solving a particular problem.

The Masters'Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering is the career path for an Electronics Engineer that should help modernize and improve the productivity of almost every industry. It also provides an ideal way to develop a future research activity that is growing, laying the foundations for a lifelong process of learning ('learning to learn'). 

A quality preparation is therefore offered to train engineers with high capacity and competence in their areas of R&D in topics related to international electronics, and therfore achieve the successful integration of our University into the European Higher Education Area. 

The following is pursued in greater detail:

• Provide students with an overview of the state-of-the-art technologies that are relevant in the field of electronics.
• Provide a specific and methodological basis for research and development work in the area of systems.

The integration of professors and collaborators from other national and European institutes, together with the Department's experience in teaching PhD and graduate programs, as well as its intense research activity, is the guarantees that support the achievement of the objectives. 

On the one hand, the training objective of this Masters' Degree is the preparation of qualified technicians to address the tasks of analysis, conception and design or development of new technologies, components, circuits and electronic systems or those that use electronics as an enabling technology basis. On the other hand, the training of those professionals who want to enhance their research skills, preparing to take on a subsequent PhD in scientific fields related to these technologies.

This Master's Degree is considered a stage of specialization and depth in some of the scientific and technical fields of electronics, making it possible, as previously mentioned, to acquire a more technical or scientific, research or development profile focused on technology (processes or circuits) or systems (making use of all levels to design a system that allows mixed analog-dygital, hardware-software, with all relevant aspects to build such a system).

Electronics, as a technology that provides support for many other engineering and industrial sectors, can be considered a horizontal technology. Therefore, the approach of the Masters'Degree is aimed at offering a wide range of technologies in which the students may specialize, depending on their interests. In all cases a joint bid is made; as a core curriculum, including all main aspects of today's Electronic Engineering such as analog and digital circuits, microelectronics and basic tools for the design of complex systems. From there, the student will be able to choose between an academic or research profile and a personal specialization, based on choices. The supply of the program includes four major areas of intensification: optoelectronic systems and microsystems, circuits and systems, intelligent systems and applications or technology management, while the choice of a personal curriculum will allow the student to make a wider selection of specialization: bioengineering , home automation, instrumentation, automotive, etc. 

All of the above represents a broad range of competence profiles, but its aim is to prepare an electronics engineer capable of:

• Selecting, designing and integrating hardware and software to create electronic systems (telecommunications or any other sector) with suitable technical and economic criteria and/or
• Planing and managing complex interdisciplinary projects and/or
• Designing and developing new processes or circuits and/or
• Designing microprocessor-based systems, new architectures and/or
• Developing software for the control and operation of equipment based on embedded systems.
• Applying their knowledge and skills in solving problems in new or unfamiliar interdisciplinary contexts (innovation).
• Integrate knowledge, face the complexity and formulate judgments with incomplete or limited information but including reflections concerning the application of their knowledge and judgments.
• Being able to communicate their conclusions, knowledge and conceptual framework on which they are based, to both expert and non-expert audiences, clearly and unambiguously.
• Learning to learn independently, as a basis for their future professional activity for innovation and research.

Training will include a significant part of experimental content, ensuring that students will have no problem in their immediate incorporation into companies, where they will apply the acquired knowledge with a high level of innovative capacity. In short, it aims to produce graduates that can be incorporated into innovative companies and institutions, that based on the use of electronic technologies, create complex systems and services and increase profits in any industry. At all times, it will seek to adapt the profile of the teaching to the needs of industry and the local productive sector, both at a national and European level. There will be also contents and practical lessons, close to specific and innovative applications of the industry and services sector through the participation of professors from industry, and encouraging students to take up internships in companies and external institutions with which specific agreements are signed. The are two generic itineraries:

• Professional: Vocational labor market oriented systems approach (hardware, software, communications, integration,etc.) and services, with interest in the TIC sector and other fields of industrial application.
• Researcher: Basic training to carry out a research project aimed at undertaking a PhD thesis in the area of electronic systems and its applications.

Table of general objectives of the Master's Degree

External references to the University to support the adequacy of the national level Masters' Degree criteria or international qualifications with similar academic characteristics

When designing skills specifically related to the topics addressed in the Masters' Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering, the following frameworks have been taken into account:

1. The principles contained in Article 3.5 of RD 1393/2007.
2. “A Framework for Qualifications in the European Higher Education Area” of the Bologna Working Group on Qualifications Frameworks, February 2005 (in particular Appendix 6 “From 1st cycle (eg Bachelors' Degree) to 2nd cycle (eg Masters' Degree) to PhD: the Differences/'step changes' between the respective Dublin descriptors”), which creates a common frame of reference between different systems and levels of qualification. At the level of Masters' Degree says: “Qualifications that signify the completion of the second cycle are awarded to students who:
   • have demonstrated knowledge and understanding that is founded upon and extends and/or enhances that typically associated with Bachelor’s Degree level, and that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research context;
   • can apply their knowledge and understanding, and problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study;
   • have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate judgements with incomplete or limited information,but including its reflection on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements;
   • can communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rational underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously;
   • have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous.
3. The requirements listed in paragraph 3.3 of Annex I of RD 1393/2007:
   • Students should be able to apply their aquired knowledge and have the ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader contexts (or multidisciplinary) related to their field of study;
   • Students should be able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of formulating judgments based on information that, while being incomplete or limited, includes its reflection on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments;
   • Students should be able to know how to communicate their conclusions, - and the knowledge and ultimate reasons that sustain them - to specialists and non-specialists in a clear and unambiguous manner;
   • Students should possess the learning skills that will enable them to continue studying in a way that will largely be self-directed or autonomous.
4. The thematic analysis has also been taken into account of:
   • The aforementioned “White Paper on the Degree in Telecommunications Engineering” by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation as a basis for the establishment of more advanced studies.
   • “ICT - INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES Work Programme 2009-10”. by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, especially, Challenge 2: Cognitive Systems and Robotics (Objective 2.2 – Language-based interaction); Challenge 3 Components, systems, engineering (objetivos ICT-2009.3.1: Nanoelectronics Technology; ICT-2009.3.2: Design of Semiconductor Components and Electronic Based Miniaturised Systems; ICT-2009.3.4 Embedded Systems Design; ICT-2009.3.9: Microsystems and Smart Miniaturised Systems.); Challenge 4 Digital Libraries and Content. (objective ICT-2009.4.3: Intelligent Information Management.); Challenge 5: Towards sustainable and personalised healthcare; Challenge 7: ICT for Independent Living, Inclusion and Governance. (objectives ICT-2009.7.1: ICT & Ageing; ICT-2009.7.2 Accessible and Assistive ICT.); and the Future and Emerging Technologies section. ( ivos ICT-2009.8.4 Human-Computer Confluence; ICT-2009.8.8 Brain-Inspired ICT.);
   • The “The National Plan for R+D+I 2008-2011” that includes among its strategic actions: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, new materials and new industrial processes, Telecommunications and Information Society (especially electronics and devices, e-inclusion programs for people with specific needs; Information Technology Architectures for high performance computer systems, advanced multimodal Interfaces, embedded and distributed Systems, Software engineering and Information management, intelligent systems, free software and open source technologies and human language processing technology), and Health.

Competencies to be acquired

The general skills to be acquired by the students are shown in the following table: table of general skills of the Masters' Degree

In addition to a common set of specific skills, each graduate student will have acquired skills in the chosen itinerary or specialization:

• Specialization in Electronic Systems Engineering, focusing on the efficient integration of technology solutions in systems or services of interest.
• Specialization in optoelectronic systems and Microsystems, oriented to processes, devices and their characterization.
• Specialization in Circuits and Electronic Systems, orientated toward the design of electronic circuits, microelectronics, design based on microprocessors, embedded systems.
• Specialization in Intelligent Systems and Applications, oriented to the integration of HW/SW systems and its various fields of application, including multidisciplinary systems: biomedical, digital home, etc.

Table of the specific skills of the Master