University Catalog 2005-2006

University Catalog > School of Information Technology and Engineering

School of Information Technology and Engineering

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Phone: 703-993-1505
Web: ite.gmu.edu

Administrative Units

The School of Information Technology and Engineering (IT&E) is concerned primarily with study areas that involve integrating the information basis for modern engineering with the more conventional physical and materials science approach. The careful integration of these areas results in a unique academic experience for highly motivated students.

IT&E offers several degree programs that concentrate on important contemporary technological issues and needs. Seven bachelor's degree programs are offered: applied computer science, civil and infrastructure engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, information technology, and systems engineering. Minors in information technology, computer science, and data analysis are also available.

Thirteen master's degree programs are available: civil and infrastructure engineering, computer engineering, computer science, e-commerce, electrical engineering, information security and assurance, information systems, operations research, software engineering, statistical science, systems engineering, systems engineering management, and telecommunications. Three doctoral programs are offered: a cross-disciplinary program in information technology, and more focused programs in computer science and electrical and computer engineering. In addition, the engineer degree in information technology provides post-master's training in an application area.

Undergraduate certificates are offered in applied statistics, computer science, information technology, post bachelor computer science, and operations research and engineering. For graduate students, certificate programs are offered in advanced network protocols for telecommunications; architecture-based systems engineering; biometrics; electronic commerce; command, control, communications, and intelligence; intelligent agents; communications and networking; computational modeling; systems engineering for computer, information, and software-intensive systems; federal statistics; information engineering; information systems security; military operations research; signal processing; software engineering; telecommunications forensics and security, VSLI design and manufacturing; discovery, design and innovation; computer networking; network technologies and applications; wireless communications; telecommunications systems modeling; data mining; database management; and web-based software engineering.

The undergraduate degree programs prepare students to enter directly into professional employment or continue studies at the graduate level. The requirements for the bachelor's degrees include required and elective courses in mathematics, humanities, and general education; and specialty courses in applied computer science, civil and infrastructure engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, information technology, and systems and industrial engineering. Each program strongly emphasizes English composition and communication.

Students also have opportunities to develop interest areas in other fields within IT&E that offer undergraduate courses but do not have undergraduate majors. The bachelor of individualized study (BIS) degree program may appeal to adult students who have completed a substantial portion of their studies at other institutions.

Administration

  • Lloyd Griffiths, Dean
  • Stephen G. Nash, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research
  • E. Bernard White, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
  • Stephanie Galloway, Director, Graduate Admissions
  • Jonathan Goldman, Director, Computing Resources
  • Kathleen Johnson, Director, Finance
  • Jennifer Lamb, Director of Development

Bachelor of Science

Degree Requirements

IT&E offers seven programs in its academic units. Policies regarding admission and degree requirements are provided in the department sections that follow.

BS Degree Department
Applied Computer Science Computer Science
Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering
Computer Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computer Science Computer Science
Electrical Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering
Information Technology Information Technology
Systems Engineering Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Undergraduate Mission, Goals

The undergraduate mission of IT&E is to provide a quality education to support the needs of Virginia and the nation. The goal is to graduate students who are technically competent and prepared for ethical professional practice, who communicate effectively and can work as members or leaders of technical teams, who are prepared for a lifetime of learning, and understand the global nature and impact of information technology and engineering.

Degree Requirements

The following general requirements must be completed by all undergraduate students in IT&E:

  • At least 120 credits of academic work
  • At least 6 credits of English composition, 3 credits of literature, and 3 credits of oral communication university general education electives
  • At least 3 credits of U.S. history, 3 credits of Western civilization, 3 credits of social and behavioral science, and 3 credits of global understanding issues university general education electives
  • All requirements listed in the following sections for specific IT&E majors, which include university requirements for mathematics, IT competency and ethics, and synthesis.

Freshmen who are undecided about their specific majors may select IT&E undeclared as their major. Sample schedules that fulfill degree requirements for individual programs within IT&E are available from the departments. With approval of departmental advisors, some courses may be taken out of the indicated sequences, particularly English, literature, and social science courses.

Students should consult the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements section in the "Academic Policies" chapter in this catalog for detailed information concerning requirements for graduation, residence, and academic quality for graduation. That chapter also details additional university requirements for minor programs. The requirements for the BIS degree can be found in the "College of Arts and Sciences" chapter. The requirements for the civil and infrastructure engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and systems engineering undergraduate degree programs are provided in the academic departments' sections of this chapter. The requirements for the BS degree in information technology are provided in the interdisciplinary section of this chapter.

Academic Progression and Course Repeat

Students majoring in IT&E programs are expected to have an acceptable plan of study formulated with assistance from the departmental advisor on file. They are expected to make reasonable progress toward their degree during each semester they are enrolled. Students may be required to obtain permission from the IT&E Student Services Office to repeat some courses required for the major in which they have previously received a grade of D or F. Individual IT&E programs may disallow students from retaking certain high-demand courses in which they have already earned a grade of C or better if they want to retake the course to improve their GPA.

Restricted Courses

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the many excellent courses available to broaden their educational experience or strengthen their background. However, some credits earned may not satisfy any degree requirements. Degree requirements for IT&E undergraduate programs may not include credits earned in activity courses in any department. Examples are many of the courses listed under the catalog designations of art, dance, music, or theater; individual sports, physical education, or team sports; and recreational activities. Exceptions in these categories are courses that meet the university general education requirements for the major, including global understanding or fine arts. Whenever there is uncertainty, students must consult with an academic advisor for specifics. Generally, degree requirements for computer science and engineering majors may not be met by 100- to 400-level courses designated "IT" (and any associated cross-listed courses) in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog. The respective computer science or engineering student's department might approve requests for IT 350, IT 362, IT 462, and IT 466 to satisfy degree requirements; however, the department must forward to the IT&E Student Services Office for approval any other recommendation for exception to the policy on restricted courses. For more information, contact the department, or the IT&E Student Services Office at 703-993-1511.

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all undergraduate students to successfully complete a course, or combination of courses, designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. To determine the writing-intensive course requirements for specific degrees, refer to the major program descriptions in the following department sections.

BS/Accelerated MS Programs

Many of the BS degree programs offered within IT&E may be packaged with some of the MS degree programs in ways that reduce the total number of credits required. Details may be found in the following department sections.

Master of Science

Degree Requirements

IT&E offers 13 master of science programs in its academic units. Policies regarding admission and degree requirements are provided in the department sections that follow.

MS Degree Department
Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering
Computer Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computer Science Computer Science
E-Commerce Interdisciplinary Programs
Electrical Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering
Information Security and Assurance Information and Software Engineering
Information Systems Information and Software Engineering
Operations Research Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Software Engineering Information and Software Engineering
Statistical Science Applied and Engineering Statistics
Systems Engineering Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Systems Engineering Management Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Telecommunications Interdisciplinary Programs

Doctor of Philosophy

IT&E offers a PhD in computer science, a PhD in electrical and computer engineering, and a PhD in information technology. The PhD in computer science is described in the Computer Science section of this chapter, and the PhD in electrical and computer Engineering is described in the Electrical and Computer Engineering section. The PhD in information technology is a program that builds on a fundamental core and emphasizes cross-disciplinary efforts among the 13 master's programs in IT&E, as well as with related units at Mason. Specific entrance and degree requirements for this doctoral program are found in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs section of this -chapter.

Engineer Degree in Information Technology

This degree allows students to combine the advanced course work of the PhD degree in information technology with an applied project. It is suitable for students seeking specialized training, but who do not wish to complete an extended research project. For complete details, see the section on Interdisciplinary Programs in this chapter.

Nondegree Graduate Program

Admission to graduate study in nondegree status is available for those individuals who do not wish to pursue a degree but are interested in taking graduate courses. To be admitted, students must meet the following requirements: For routine admission, students should have a 3.00 GPA or higher and a BS degree, preferably in a discipline in the potential degree area of interest, and must have met course prerequisites as listed in the various departments. Admission criteria for students with a GPA below 3.00 or a nonengineering background are varied; applications are reviewed within departments on an individual basis.

Students who later choose to seek admission to one of the IT&E graduate degree programs must reapply for admission to a degree program and supply the additional required materials with the new application. If admitted, students may request that up to 12 credits taken in nondegree status be approved for transfer for a degree. Admission to nondegree status does not automatically guarantee admission to the degree program at a later date. Applicants may obtain more information by contacting the IT&E Student Services Office, Room 160, Science and Technology II, 703-993-1505, or by contacting the individual departments.

University Computing Capability

Academic computing capability is provided by laboratories offering a large number of individual student computers, as well as by campuswide networked facilities. All laboratories are networked and include access to local and remote servers as well as the Internet. IT&E provides multiple labs equipped with Microsoft, Sun, and Network Computing Device workstations, among others. The IT&E central system computers are clustered into UNIX and Windows servers that support student labs as well as faculty and departmental machines. Software includes compilers for a variety of programming languages and software tools supporting engineering design, graphics, neural networks, and high-performance and parallel computing. Specialized facilities are available for artificial intelligence, civil engineering, software engineering, image processing and computer vision, virtual reality, and parallel and distributed computing research.

Virginia Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program

Graduate programs in engineering and information technology are offered under the auspices of a commonwealth network in Virginia. This network includes Mason, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University (ODU), University of Virginia (U.Va.), and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). It employs a mix of direct classroom instruction from Mason and live, interactive televised lectures from other universities. Afternoon and evening instruction is provided at Mason's Fairfax Campus, and U.Va. and Tech's Northern Virginia Center.

Master's degree programs are offered by U.Va., Tech, ODU, and Mason. The degree programs from U.Va. include the master of materials engineering, master of engineering in chemical engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering (manufacturing systems engineering), electrical engineering, systems engineering, and civil engineering (structural focus). Tech offers the master of engineering administration; master of science or master of engineering in electrical engineering, civil engineering (environmental), and systems engineering; and a master in mechanical engineering. ODU offers the master of engineering management. Mason offers the master of science programs described in this chapter. Also offered by Mason are the PhD in computer science, PhD in electrical and computer engineering, and PhD in information technology, as well as a variety of certificate programs. For more information, go to ite.gmu.edu/degree/commonwealth_main.htm.