What is RF and Microwave Engineering?: Course Fees 2025, Subjects, Top Colleges, Admissions

RF and Microwave Engineering courses deal with wireless communications, radars and navigation, medical imaging, and radio science. RF and Microwave Engineering falls under the umbrella of Electrical Engineering, with a strong focus on the analytical study and usage of electromagnetic waves and frequencies used to operate various devices, machinery, and systems. In India, RF and Microwave Engineering is mostly offered as a specialization at the postgraduate level after completing a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering and Electrical Engineering, or another relevant field. Only 4 colleges in India offer the course at the undergraduate level. 

The RF and Microwave Engineering eligibility criteria for undergraduate level courses is the completion of Class 12 with Physics, Chemisry, and Mathematics subjects, and securing at least 50 percent marks in the board examination. For postgraduate courses, students need to secure at least 55 to 60 percent marks in their bachelor's degree and appear for entrance exams held every year. Some of the prominent entrance exams for admission to courses in RF and Microwave Engineering include GATE, CUET PG, JEE Main, JEE Advanced, and other state level or university-specific exams. 

Some of the popular RF & Microwave Engineering colleges in India include Delhi Technological University, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati, NIT Rourkela, Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra), R.V College of Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological University, etc. The average RF & Microwave Engineering course fees is between INR 50,000 and INR 5 lakh.

RF Microwave engineers use very high frequency circuits and electromagnetic waves of energy to transfer messages. RF and Microwave Engineering graduates are in demand across various industries such as aerospace, defense, medical devices, telecommunications, electronics manufacturing, and consumer electronics. Those who are inclined towards research can further their studies with a PhD in the field. Students with a strong hold on programming languages like Python or MATLAB have an edge over others in the business world. Further, an active participation in relevant projects and internships is crucial for practical experience in order to excel further. The average RF & Microwave Engineering salary is between INR 4 LPA and INR 4.5 LPA.

RF and Microwave Engineering Course Details: Highlights

Students can check some of the important highlights RF & Microwave Engineering from the table given below which consists of information such as course structure, course duration, top colleges, top recruiters and top job profiles. Candidates can refer to highlights for a quick reference:

Note- This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Relevant Links for RF & Microwave Engineering Courses:

GATE 2025 Chemistry Exam Syllabus

JEE Main vs JEE Advanced Preparation

JEE Advanced Previous Year Question Papers: Download PDF with Solutions Here

JEE Main Exam Previous Year Question Papers

Engineering_Outlook_Report_2025

What is RF and Microwave Engineering Course?

RF & Microwave Engineering is a specialized field within Electrical Engineering that focuses on the design, development, and application of devices and systems operating at radio frequencies (RF) and microwaves.

These frequencies range from approximately 3 kHz to 300 GHz.  

Key Concepts and Applications:

• Electromagnetic Wave Propagation: Understanding how radio waves propagate through different mediums.  
• Antenna Design: Designing antennas for efficient transmission and reception of radio signals.
• Microwave Circuits: Designing and analyzing circuits that operate at microwave frequencies.
• RF Components: Understanding and using various RF components like amplifiers, oscillators, mixers, and filters.
• Wireless Communication: Designing and developing wireless communication systems, including cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
• Radar Systems: Building radar systems for various applications like air traffic control, weather forecasting, and military surveillance. 
• Satellite Communication: Designing and operating satellite communication systems.  
  

Why Pursue RF & Microwave Engineering?

Studying RF and Microwave Engineering can prove to be extremely beneficial for students in the digitalized world that we are living in today, where everything around us is operated electronically with the help of electromagnetic waves and signals. Some of the benefits of pusuing RF and Microwave Engineering are mentioned below:

Diverse Career Options: RF Microwave engineers are in demand across various industries such as aerospace, defense, medical devices, telecommunications, and consumer electronics. RF and microwave engineers can be found figuring out the best way to securely encode a signal for transmission and implementing the circuitry to do so. For example, a radio station takes the audio signal of some song, modulate it by encoding it as a high frequency which is ready to travel through the air. It is then received by the radio in our bedroom for us to hear it clearly and enjoy.

Skill Enhancement: RF Microwave engineers can also be found assisting the medical field, for instance, with MRI machines. MRI machines use radio frequency pulses and magnetic fields to generate detailed images of the internal structures of the body, giving medical professionals invaluable insights on their patients. All of this leads to an excellent growth in terms of skills and technical expertise in such an intricate domain.

Earning Potential: The earning opportunities for RF Microwave engineers are quite decent because of the complex tasks that they accomplish and their demand across industries. Recruiters often pay them well. For people interested in electromagnetic waves zooming through space or enhancing the lives of medical patients, RF and microwave engineering could be the profession for them.

Useful Links for RF & Microwave Engineering:

JEE Main 2025 Chapter wise Weightage: Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics

JEE Main 2025 Important Chapters & Topics for Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry

For admission into the RF & Microwave Engineering course, the students will have to meet certain eligibility criteria. However, the eligibility criteria may be different for every college.

Useful Links for RF & Microwave Engineering:

Engineering College Predictor 2025

JEE Main College Predictor

College Predictor 2025

BTech Rank and College Predictors

The RF and Microwave Engineering admission process requires students to fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria, appear for and clear entrance exams and then apply for their preferred courses at different universities and colleges across India. The selection procedure includes academic performance in Class 12, and valid scores and ranks in entrance tests.

Interested students may go through a general overview of the admission process for RF and Microwave Engineering courses at Indian colleges below:

• Entrance Examination: Appear for national/state-level entrance exams like GATE, CUET PG, JEE Main, JEE Advanced, Karnataka PGCET, etc. Some popular universities even conduct their own entrance exams such as IPUCET.
• Application Process: Submit application forms to colleges with RF & Microwave Engineering courses along with the required documents before the deadline.
• Counselling: Participate in counselling process based on entrance exam scores or merit after the declaration of exam results.
• Secure Admission: Complete the admission process by paying the course fees and verifying documents at the college. Start attending RF and Microwave Engineering classes after that, as per the academic calendar.

Note: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Useful Links for RF & Microwave Engineering Admission 2025:

The Evolution of GATE Over the Years: Then Vs Now

GATE 2025 Exam Pattern (OUT) : Check Subject-wise Paper Pattern, Paper-wise Marking Scheme

GATE 2025 Exam Countdown: Proven Tips for Final Lap

For admissions to undergraduate courses, JEE Main and JEE Advanced are conducted. GATE is conducted for admissions to M. Tech courses in RF (Radio Frequency) & Microwave Engineering. Other state-level and university-level entrance exams include CUET PG, CCMT, Karnataka PGCET, AP PGECET, etc.

Note- This information is sourced from the official website of the institute/exam.

Relevant Links for RF & Microwave Engineering Exams 2025:

CUET PG 2025 Exam Pattern (OUT): Negative Marking, Time Duration (Updated), Shift Timings & Total Marks

CUET PG Syllabus 2025 (OUT): Download Course- Wise Syllabus PDF Here

How to Prepare for GATE 2025 Exam? - Check Preparation Tips, Strategy & Guide

Here are the topics that students study in an RF & Microwave Engineering program:

Besides the above, students will also be given an option to choose three of the following electives across the 2^nd and the 3^rd semester.

Note: The above topics will vary from college to college.

Useful Link for RF & Microwave Engineering Syllabus:

Detailed RF and Microwave Engineering Syllabus

Many institutes conduct their own entrance exams for postgraduate programs (MTech) in RF & Microwave Engineering. These exams might test your knowledge of core electrical engineering concepts, aptitude for problem-solving, and sometimes include a specific section on RF & Microwave theory. For most of the institutes, national-level entrance exams like GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) scores might be considered for admission.

Best Government RF and Microwave Engineering Colleges in India

In India, top IITs like IIT Kharagpur and NITs like NIT Rourkela provide RF & Microwave Engineering courses. Refer to the table below for more information on RF & Microwave Engineering government colleges:

Note- This information is sourced from the official website/ counselling body and may vary.

Best Private RF & Microwave Engineering Colleges

Some of the private colleges providing RF & Microwave Engineering courses are given below:

Helpful Link for RF & Microwave Engineering Colleges:

Top Colleges for RF & Microwave Engineering

After completing a BTech/MTech in RF & Microwave Engineering, here are the types of job roles/profiles one can expect to get into:

Note- The above salary has been taken from external sources, and hence may vary.

Useful Link for RF & Microwave Engineering Career:

Career after Engineering

Top Recruiters for RF and Microwave Engineering 

Take a look at some of the top companies recruiting RF & Microwave Engineering professionals:

Helpful Links for RF & Microwave Engineering Careers:

Electronics and Communication Engineering Careers

Electrical Engineering Career Scope

Take a look at the FAQs for RF and Microwave Engineering courses: