The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree prepares students for the broad foundation needed for this highly specialized engineering field. Most schools such as New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) offer network engineering as a concentration within the larger field of information technology. Foundational courses and areas of study at NEIT include local and wide area networks, network design and implementation, UNIX/Linux concepts, Linux system administration, writing security policies, network security and database management.
Many employers prefer a master's degree and many even require it as a precondition for employment. Master's degrees might include a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree, such as the one offered by the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey; the Master of Science (MS) degree in network engineering, such as the one offered at the University of California-Santa Clara; or the Master of Network Engineering (MNE) offered by the Illinois Institute of Technology. Curricula are similar through various programs. Courses include UNIX networking, computer performance evaluation, multimedia systems, wireless and mobile networks, sensor networks and modeling of communication protocols. These programs sometimes offer specializations within the master's degree program. For instance, the Stevens Institute of technology offers offers specializations in secure network systems design, data communications networks, network systems technologies, information networks, network information systems (business practices) and multimedia information systems and technologies.
Similar to degrees offered at the master's degree level, the doctoral degree (Ph.D.) is generally offered as a degree in computer engineering. Network engineering, as a specialty within the larger field of computer engineering, can be studied at the doctoral level, but is generally done so for the purpose of preparing for an academic career in the computer engineering field. The Ph.D. is a research-oriented degree that indicates expert knowledge in one's given field of study. Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate research prowess by engaging in a project or dissertation that contributes new knowledge to the field of computer engineering. Students still take a number of advanced courses at the graduate level. For example, at the University of Central Florida, which offers a concentration in computer networks and computer security, students take courses in advanced computer networks, wireless security and forensics, network optimization, malware and software vulnerability analysis and computer communication network software.