A topic on simulation in telecommunications engineering

Topics on network simulation are often offered as elective topics or short seminars of programs on computer sciences and telecommunications engineering. In other programs simulation is offered as part of a general core topic (e.g. probability and statistics, network performance, etc.). It is not frequent to find simulation as a core topic. At the Faculty of Telecommunications in Barcelona it was decided to include network simulation as a core topic in the former integrated master (5 academic years) on telecommunication engineering. This paper deals with the reasons after that decision. The goal of the paper is to present and discuss how the topic evolved through the years and how it has been migrated to the new careers with separated degree and master after the Bologna process.