Communication is fundamental to human society. From our earliest times, language and drawing, then writing allowed cultures to evolve, handing down their knowledge and values from generation to generation.

Since the dawning of the computer age, the quantity of information available to all of us has never been so vast, and it keeps growing at a dizzying rate. It's in the form of data, images, sound, films. Computer networks allow it to circulate around the globe, instantaneously. Information is omnipresent, accessible all the time, everywhere. Even though these opportunities for communication are designed to be easy to use, the technical underpinnings of these information networks are highly complex.

Computer network architecture

As a communications systems engineer, you are working to optimize this flow of information: by developing new communication protocols, data compression algorithms, designing network architectures that are effective and sound, and that transmit information efficiently.

For companies, computer communications is a major strategic issue, whether for services offered to their world-wide clientele or for internal communications. 

Security specialists...

In addition to network architecture, the security of data is an extremely important subjet. You can specialize in this area at the Master's level with courses in cryptography and advanced algebra.

...wireless communications...

Wireless communications has also been developing rapidly: like the constantly diversifying area of mobile communications, the miniaturiuation of components permits tiny sensors to be embedded in many objects: brought together by a network, they can communcate and initiate actions. Applications already exist in climate monitoring, product tracing or building security.  In this area, also, you can contribute to developing protocols and the evolution of embedded technology.

... multimedia

In addition, many sectors, such as the domains of multimedia (sound and image processing) or Internet applications continue to evolve, presenting interesting possibilities for young engineers.

Among the companies that recruit you'll find service providers, hardware manufacturing, big user companies and of course consulting firms who offer their expertise in the area.

Study program

Communications systems are at the frontier between computer scinece, telecommunications and ... math! Signal processing, data compression, and even cryptography all demand a high level of math. It's important that you like it! In the first year, computer science and communications systems students follow a common curriculum. The courses offered willl allow you to evaluate the differences between the two programs and make a firm decision for the second year.