University Catalog 2005-2006

University Catalog > IT&E > Interdisciplinary Programs

Interdisciplinary Programs

(Skip Outline)

E-commerce, MS

Phone: 703-993-1530
Web: ite.gmu.edu/msecomm/

This program is managed by IT&E and is a joint degree with the School of Management, School of Public Policy, School of Law, College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Nursing and Health Science. The program prepares graduates with the depth and breadth they need to take advantage of electronic commerce opportunities in commercial and enterprise management in the new economy. They will be able to understand management, public policy, and information technology aspects, and effectively integrate these in developing electronic commerce solutions in a wide variety of specialized applications from electronic government to electronic banking and telehealth. More importantly, they will respond to the demand for professionals to work in a wide variety of capacities in digital age organizations in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. This program is composed of a few new courses, with the designation EC in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog, as well as existing courses as indicated in the "Degree Requirements" section that follows.

Format

Completion of the degree program requires 36 credits. All students complete an e-commerce core, the breadth requirement, comprising six courses from four interdisciplinary foundation disciplines totaling 18 credits. Following completion of these core courses, students take specialized application courses, for a total of 15 credits, in one of four chosen fields of concentration: information technology, business and economics, public policy and law, and health care and services industry. Students from all concentrations deepen their theoretical and practical knowledge through courses in the concentration, the depth requirement, building upon a common core of knowledge.

One of the unique features of the degree program is an electronic commerce capstone project course (3 credits), taken by all students at the completion of all course work. The capstone project is an interdisciplinary course that reinforces and integrates material covered in core and concentration courses. It allows students to pursue a mixed-team based, practical project related to e-commerce in an identified area of opportunity. This capstone project gives students an integrative experience in response to digital age challenges and opportunities. It also allows them to work with other students from a diverse set of backgrounds.

Admission Requirements

Applications must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office of the School of Information Technology and Engineering. Applicants must fulfill all admission requirements for graduate study at Mason; hold a baccalaureate degree with a satisfactory GPA from an accredited college or university; and demonstrate -programming experience in at least one block-structured programming language such as Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, or Pascal, or in a scripting language such as Javascript, used in web design. This experience can be obtained either through courses or work experience. Course descriptions and syllabi, as well as copies of transcripts and grades obtained, must be provided. If only work experience is available, a statement describing the work experience in programming must be submitted. This statement should include the name of organization, type of programs the applicant was responsible for developing, years of experience in each job, and programming languages used.

Applicants must submit transcripts of all postsecondary education; a self-assessment form (usually included in the application package or available online); a one- to two-page statement of educational and work experience; three letters of recommendation; and official reports of the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT. TOEFL scores are required from non-native English speakers who did not use English as the official language in their college education

Degree Requirements

In addition to meeting the general requirements that apply to all master's degrees at the university, completion of this program requires the following:

The following core courses (3 credits each; total of 18 credits):

15 credits in one of the four concentrations: information technology, business and economics, public policy and law, and health care and services industry. The courses that can be used to fulfill these requirements are described below.

3 credits in EC 600 Group Project in Electronic Commerce.

Information Technology Concentration

Students who select this concentration must take 15 credits, which must include the following three courses (3 credits each):

Also, students must take at least one course from List A that follows, and at most one course from Lists B, C, or D, to complete the five courses required for this concentration.

Business and Economics Concentration

Students must take MBA 623 Marketing Management and select four additional courses from the following:

Public Policy and Law Concentration

Students must take 15 credits by choosing, in consultation with their advisor, a coherent set of courses from List C -below.

Health Care and Services Industry Concentration

Students must take 15 credits: 12 required and 3 elective credits. The elective course is selected, in consultation with the advisor, from List D below. The required courses are as follows:

Note: If HSCI 722 was taken to satisfy the core requirement, another course must be selected from List D in consultation with the advisor,

HSCI 678 Introduction to the U.S. Health System (3 credits) is required, in addition to the 15-credit application courses, if students do not have recent relevant working experience in the U.S. health system. Determination is made at the time of program admission.

List of Courses in Concentrations

A description of these courses can be found in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog. Students must satisfy the prerequisites for these courses, or obtain permission from the instructor.

List A (Information Technology): CS 571, 671, 672, 673, 707, 750/INFT 750, CS 755; ECE 646, 741; INFS 601, 623, 740, 755, 760, 765, 766, 767; CS 809/IT 809; OR 635; SWE 619/CS 619, SWE 620/CS 620, SWE 621/CS 621, SWE 632/CS 632, SWE 642; SYST 781/INFS 781/STAT 781. CS 571 and INFS 601 are mutually exclusive. Only one of them can be used for the MS in E-commerce program. CS 650 and INFS 614 are mutually exclusive. Only one of them can be used for the MS in E-commerce program.

List B (Business and Economics): MBA 623, 712, 725, 731, 732, 733, 734, 735, 736

List C (Public Policy and Law): ITRN 604, 712, 730, 742, 756, 759, 768, 772, 773; LRNG 762, PUBP 736, 737, 760, 771, 773, PUBP 775/SYST 695, PUBP 777/SYST 697; PUAD 781

List D (Health Care and Services Industry): HSCI 678, 703, 704, 705, 706, 708, 712, 714, 715

Engineer Degree in Information Technology

The engineer degree in information technology 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 who do not wish to complete an extended research project.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the Engineer degree are the same as for the PhD in information technology.

Plan of Study

The program is made up of specialized course work followed by completion of an applied project summarized in a project report. Under the guidance of the supervisory committee, students prepare a tentative plan of study. The plan lists the intended courses and their expected timing. The plan should also contain a tentative subject for the applied project.

Specialized Course Work

Students must include in the plan of study a well-defined advanced concentration area. Successful completion of this requirement should enable students to conduct applied research in a significant contemporary area in information -technology.

The supervisory committee and the IT&E associate dean for graduate studies and research must approve a plan of study. These approvals must occur before a student completes the courses in the area of concentration. There is no guarantee that a course taken before this approval will be accepted. Students must take 30 credits of graduate-level course work. A GPA of 3.50 is required in these credits.

Students may waive up to 6 credits of course work by passing two of the qualifying exams (3 credits for each exam) from any of the PhD programs offered by IT&E. The plan of study may include at most 3 credits of directed reading course work. At least 12 of the credits must be in courses numbered 700 or higher, and these 12 credits cannot include directed-reading, project, or thesis courses.

Courses that cannot be included in any plan of study are any INFS 500-level courses; IT 500 and 599; OR 540; STAT 510, 512, and 530; and SYST 500. The associate dean must approve exceptions to any of these rules in advance.

Supervisory Committee

Upon admission to the program, students are assigned a temporary advisor. Students are responsible for working with the temporary advisor until they select a project director and a supervisory committee. It is recommended that a student form a supervisory committee as soon as feasible.

The supervisory committee includes the project director plus at least two additional members. The committee must contain at least two graduate faculty members from IT&E. It is strongly recommended that the committee include at least one person from outside the university who is knowledgeable in the subject area of the project. The supervisory committee supervises the project proposal presentation and the project defense.

Project Proposal Presentation

Near the end of the course work, each student prepares a written project proposal, which is presented to the supervisory committee. Students may enroll in IT 996 Engineer Project Proposal to complete this effort. During the term students expect to present the project proposal to the committee, they should enroll in IT 991 Engineer Project Presentations. After successfully completing this requirement, students are formally admitted as a candidate for the engineer degree. The appli-cation for candidacy is submitted to the Office of the Dean on a standard form.

Project and Final Defense

With concurrence of the supervisory committee, students proceed with the project research, during which time they must continuously enroll in IT 997 Engineer Project. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credits from among IT 991, 996, and 997, with a minimum of 6 credits of IT 997. When the central portions of the project work have been completed to the point that students are able to describe the contributions of the project effort, they submit the written project report to the supervisory committee. Once the committee believes the student is ready, a final public oral defense may be scheduled; the application for the defense must be submitted to the associate dean at least one month in advance of the defense so that the announcement is posted for at least two weeks.

Following a satisfactory evaluation of the oral defense of the project by the supervisory committee, the student must submit, with supervision from the project director, a final project that represents a definitive contribution to applied knowledge in information technology. This document must meet format guidelines specified by the Guide for Preparing Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Projects. If the candidate successfully defends the project, the supervisory committee recommends that the final form of the project be completed, and that the faculty of IT&E and the graduate faculty of Mason accept the candidate for the engineer degree.

Transfer to the PhD Program

Students who are awarded an engineer degree will be able, at a later date, to work toward a PhD in information technology. Some restrictions and limitations apply. Such students will be able to apply for a reduction of up to 12 credits in course requirements. The request must satisfy the rules for transfer credit at Mason, and the courses must be relevant to the student's planned dissertation research. In addition, the qualifying exams for the doctoral program will be waived for such students. All other requirements for the doctoral program must be satisfied.

Information Technology, PhD

The general doctoral requirements of Mason apply to this program.

When the term information technology (IT) and engineering is used at Mason to describe the school and its activities, it is intended to mean information technology and the branches of engineering most closely associated with information use and management. These aspects of technology are emphasized in this geographic region, and the relevance of the IT doctoral program has grown with the increasing dependence of the nation's commerce on the effective use of information. Our focus on the science and technology of information processing complements and enhances the more traditional approaches to engineering that are more strongly based on the physical and material sciences.

Course work

The information technology doctoral program offers courses designated IT in the "Course Descriptions" section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

Students are selected on the basis of scholarship and potential from among applicants with appropriate degrees from institutions of high standing. Generally, a master's degree in an information technology-related area such as engineering, computer science, operations research, statistics, mathematics, physical sciences, economics, and psychology is required for admission to the program.

In addition, well-qualified students without an appropriate master's degree may apply directly to the PhD program. Such students will have to complete the equivalent of an appropriate Mason master's degree as part of their program of study. In some cases, it may be possible to obtain transfer credit for graduate course work taken elsewhere, subject to meeting requirements for transfer credit imposed by the university. (The description here assumes that a student has already received an appropriate master's degree.)

An undergraduate GPA of B (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) and a graduate GPA of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale are basic requirements for applicants. The admission process involves submitting the following materials: application for admission, undergraduate and graduate transcripts from previous colleges and universities attended, GRE test results when available, three letters of reference, a resume and a short statement of career goals and aspirations, and a self-assessment of past background. Translations of international credentials must be provided if they are not in English; in some cases, applicants will be required to have documents evaluated by an external agency. All of an applicant's background is examined before an admission decision is made.

To ensure a common ground of fundamentals, students should have a background in topics such as calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, discrete structures, probability, and statistics. In addition, students entering the doctoral program in information technology must have a sound working knowledge in computing as demonstrated by examples of programs or applications developed and tested in at least one high-level programming language environment. Because much of the course work within this program requires computational proficiency, experience with a variety of languages and computer hardware is useful, as is an understanding of computer architecture. Highly qualified students who do not present evidence of appropriate course work may be admitted and then required to take appropriate articulation courses.

Plan of Study

The program is made up of a breadth requirement (assessed via the qualifying exams) and specialized course work (assessed via the comprehensive exam), followed by preparation of a dissertation. Generally, students have already obtained a master's degree in a field appropriate to information technology, which prepares them for the qualifying exams.

Under the guidance of the doctoral supervisory committee, students prepare a tentative plan of study. The plan lists the intended courses and expected timing. The plan should also contain the intended dates of the qualifying and comprehensive exams, and a tentative subject of the dissertation research.

Qualifying Exams

To satisfy the breadth requirement of the PhD degree, students must pass a set of qualifying exams designed to test fundamental knowledge. These exams correspond to the individual master's programs in IT&E. For each program, at least two written exams will be offered. Each exam is based on a reading list that corresponds roughly to one 3-credit course (students need not take the corresponding course). These exams are offered twice a year in specified locations on campus, typically near the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Each exam is allocated 2 hours and 45 minutes. The exams are graded on a pass or fail basis.

Each student must take a set of four exams from three different degree programs within two years of enrolling in the program, unless fewer than 24 credits of course work have been completed in that time. Otherwise, the exams must be taken no later than the first opportunity following the completion of 24 credits. If a student enters the program without a master's degree, these time limits are measured from the date when the student completes the equivalent of an appropriate Mason master's degree. Students who pass all four exams in the first attempt pass the qualifying exam. Students who pass three of the four exams in the first attempt must either retake and pass the failed exam within one year, or pass an exam in a new subject within one year. Students who pass fewer than three exams in the first attempt must retake and pass an entire set of four exams within one year. After two unsuccessful attempts, a student is dismissed from the PhD program. Such students may re-apply after either receipt of the engineer degree in information technology or a period of three years, whichever is shorter.

Advanced Emphasis Requirement

Students must include in the plan of study a well-defined advanced concentration area. Successful completion of this requirement should enable the student to do basic or applied research in a significant contemporary area in information technology.

The doctoral supervisory committee and the IT&E associate dean for graduate studies and research must approve the plan of study. These approvals must occur before a student completes the courses in the area of concentration. There is no guarantee that courses taken before this approval will be accepted.

Students must take a set of 24 credits of graduate-level course work independent of the qualifying exams they take. (That is, if a student takes a qualifying exam related to OR 541, then OR 541 cannot be counted as 3 credits of specialty course work.) A GPA of 3.50 is required in these 24 credits. The plan of study may include at most 3 credits of directed reading course work. At least 12 of the 24 credits must be in courses numbered 700 or higher, and these 12 credits cannot include directed-reading, project, or thesis courses. The courses listed below cannot be included in the plan of study.

Courses that cannot be included in any plan of study are any INFS 500-level courses; IT 500 and 599; OR 540; STAT 510, 512, and 530; and SYST 500. Exceptions to any of these rules must be approved in advance by the associate dean.

Each PhD student is allowed to designate an emphasis from among the titles of the MS degree programs offered by IT&E. For more information, see departmental sections.

Concentrations

Within the information technology PhD program, seven concentrations are offered:

Statistical science, civil and infrastructure engineering, operations research, systems engineering, information systems, information security, and software engineering.

Students who complete requirements for a concentration have the concentration noted in the degree conferred upon graduation.

Choosing a concentration narrows the program flexibility, so it is not necessary to choose a concentration. In particular, a concentration may be inappropriate for students doing interdisciplinary research. For more information on the concentrations, please see the corresponding departmental sections of the catalog.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee

Upon admission to the program, students are assigned a temporary advisor. Students are responsible for working with the temporary advisor until selecting a dissertation director and an advisory committee. Students should make this selection as soon after admission as possible. This is especially important for students who have completed a considerable amount of graduate work elsewhere.

The doctoral supervisory committee includes the dissertation director plus a faculty member from the student's intended major who is selected by the student to become chair of the doctoral supervisory committee. The chair of the committee need not be the dissertation director, but should be selected from a list of approved chairs established by the associate dean. The dissertation director must be a member of the Mason graduate faculty. Other committee members are selected to form a committee of at least four people from the Mason graduate faculty. At least three of these faculty members must be from IT&E, and at least two of the departments of IT&E must be represented on this committee. In addition, industrial representatives and faculty members from departments outside of the school are highly desirable, but not required, on the committee. The doctoral supervisory committee administers the comprehensive exam, dissertation proposal presentation, and the dissertation predefense and defense. Permission for the comprehensive exam and dissertation defense are requested from the IT&E associate dean on the basis of a written request and plan that has been approved by the supervisory committee.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam is taken after students have satisfactorily completed all the course work requirements in their approved plan of study. To initiate the exam process, the student meets with the supervisory committee to prepare a memorandum to be forwarded to the associate dean requesting the comprehensive exam and the appointment of an exam committee. The exam committee consists of the doctoral supervisory committee plus any outside examiners considered appropriate. The requesting memorandum lists all courses taken by the student that form the plan of study for the PhD. The memorandum should also propose dates for the comprehensive exam. This exam is based on all the course work taken by the student, and consists of an oral exam and a written exam of up to eight hours in length, to be taken at a designated place on campus.

The exam committee determines the specific details of the exam.

The objective of the comprehensive exam is to allow the exam committee to assess the student's readiness to complete doctoral research in an area of concentration. The result of the comprehensive exam is a grade of pass or fail with recommendations for removing any deficiencies.

Students who fail the comprehensive exam may request a re-exam within 60 days of receiving notice of the exam result. The request should be made in writing to the associate dean. The student may request a new exam in a different format, but the request must comply with the rules specified above. The exam committee will decide on the format of the new exam, but the decision may be appealed in writing to the associate dean. If the student fails again, or does not request a re-exam within 60 days, the student will be dismissed from the PhD -program.

Dissertation Proposal Presentation

Near the end of the course work, doctoral students prepare a written dissertation proposal, which is presented to the doctoral supervisory committee. Students may enroll in IT 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal to complete this effort. During the term the student expects to present the dissertation proposal to the committee, the student should enroll in IT 990 Dissertation Topic Presentations. After successfully completing this requirement, the student is formally admitted as a candidate for the PhD degree. The application for candidacy is submitted to the associate dean on a standard form.

Dissertation and Final Defense

With concurrence of the advisory committee, students proceed with the doctoral research, during which time they must be continuously enrolled in IT 999 Doctoral Dissertation. Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits from among IT 990, 998, and 999, with a minimum of 12 credits of IT 999. When the central portions of the research have been completed to the point that students are able to describe the original contributions of the dissertation effort, they submit the written dissertation to the supervisory committee and schedule an oral predefense to the committee. The predefense is to be held no sooner than one month after the members of the committee have copies of the dissertation. Once the committee believes the student is ready, a final public oral defense may be scheduled no sooner than one month after the conclusion of the predefense so that the announcement is posted for at least two weeks. The entire dissertation committee must be present at the defense, unless an exception is approved by the associate dean in advance of the defense.

Following a satisfactory evaluation of the oral defense of the dissertation by the supervisory committee, the student must prepare, with supervision from the dissertation director, a final publishable dissertation that represents a definitive contribution to knowledge in information technology. This document must meet format guidelines specified by the Guide for Preparing Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Projects. If the candidate successfully defends the dissertation, the dissertation defense committee recommends that the final form of the dissertation be completed, and that the faculty of IT&E and the graduate faculty of Mason accept the candidate for the PhD degree.

If the student fails to successfully defend the dissertation, the student may request a second defense, following the same procedures as for the initial defense. There is no time limit for this request, other than the general time limits for the doctoral degree. An additional predefense is not required, but the student is strongly advised to consult with the committee before scheduling a second defense. If the student fails on the second attempt to defend the dissertation, the student will be dismissed from the PhD program.

Telecommunications, MS

The MS in telecommunications degree is an innovative, interdisciplinary program that provides a blend of cutting-edge, engineering-oriented courses in wireless and fiber communications systems, networks, computers, and Internet protocols, combined with courses on telecommunications policy, law, business, international aspects, and other fields. The interdisciplinary program is designed for students who wish to enter the field of telecommunications, or who are working in the field and want to advance their knowledge of telecommunications. It concentrates on the practical applications of telecommunications rather than on the theoretical approach, and focuses on the engineering and information technology aspects of telecommunications in combination with the interdisciplinary knowledge offered by some of the courses in the MA in telecommunications program. More than 30 new engineering and information technology courses have been designed specially for this program.

A novelty of the program is its structure, five specialty modules corresponding to areas of concentration. The program offers a mix of 3-credit, full-semester courses together with 1.5-credit, half-semester courses. This structure allows students to identify more clearly various specialties within telecommunications technology. Students enjoy considerable flexibility because they are able to design their master's programs to fit their technical preferences.

A majority of the course material comes from the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department and the Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR) Department. Courses offered by ECE focus on network technologies such as fiber optics, ATM, and Internet protocols; network applications such as networked multicomputer systems, client-server architectures, and network management; and wireless communications such as digital communications, satellite communications, mobile communications, PCS, and GPS. In addition to the many new telecommunications courses developed for this program, ECE already offers a number of other graduate courses in communications as part of the graduate electrical and computer engineering program. Those courses may also be taken for credit under the MS in telecommunications program, provided the student has the prerequisite background. Courses related to systems engineering, project management, capacity modeling, and business of telecommunications (including the design and optimization of large, complex communication networks) will be offered by SEOR. Both SEOR fields, systems engineering and operations research, play significant roles in all aspects of the design, operation, and business of telecommunications, and this knowledge is important for students of telecommunications.

The blend of in-depth knowledge of specific elements of telecommunications technology, combined with knowledge of broader issues in telecommunications, is increasingly necessary for people who intend to work in a management or decision-making position within the telecommunications industry, telecommunications-related businesses, or government institutions dealing with telecommunications. The MS in telecommunications provides that blend.

Course Work

The program offers courses designated TCOM in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog and some of the other disciplines' courses listed below.

Format

The program consists of 9 credits of mandatory engineering and technology core courses (TCOM 500, 501, 502, and 521); 6 credits of electives drawn from an interdisciplinary group of core courses common with the MA in telecommunications (PUBP 726, LAW 181, and TELE 750 or TCOM 750) and a basic switching lecture/laboratory course (TCOM 514); and five specialty modules (areas of concentration).

Students must complete 30 credits of course work through a combination of core courses and specialty modules. The core consists of 15 credits, with the remaining 15 credits earned in the specialty modules. The specialty modules are subareas of telecommunications that provide the necessary depth in the selected areas of concentration. Students are usually expected to take courses from at least two specialty modules. Up to 6 credits from the core program may be carried forward into the specialty modules, thus permitting up to 6 credits of electives to be taken either inside or outside of the prime specialty module chosen by the student. TCOM 501/502 may be carried forward into specialty module 1, 2, or 3; TCOM 521 may be carried forward into specialty module 4 or 5. Double counting is not permitted, but the courses carried forward into a given module may permit that module's credit requirement to be satisfied, thus allowing elective courses to be taken outside of that module. Usually, a minimum of 6 credits is needed to satisfy one specialty module. Credit for each specialty module can be obtained by taking an appropriate combination of full-semester courses (3 credits) and half-semester courses (1.5 credits). In many cases, a pair of coordinated, half- semester courses (for example, TCOM 503/513) on fiber optic communications and networks permit students to take either a half-semester course to get an introduction to the field, or a full-semester course for a more complete knowledge of that topic.

Admission Requirements

Courses are open to students who hold a BS and BA degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, math, science, computer science, business (with a quantitative background), economics, or other analytical disciplines, and to students who have equivalent work experience indicating analytical aptitude. Depending on their background, some applicants may be required to complete 3 to 6 credits of preliminary course work before they are allowed to enroll in any of the core courses or specialty courses in the program. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is usually required.

Students may be admitted to the MS program, or they may be admitted for nondegree study within the program, which allows them to take individual courses. Students in the nondegree program have the option of transferring into the regular program, provided their GPA within the MS in telecommunications program is 3.00 or above. Up to 12 credits earned in nondegree study may be transferred into the regular program.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits, with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. Students must earn a B (3.00) or above in core courses TCOM 500, 501, 502, and 521. Up to 6 credits of a combination of C, C+, or B- grades may be carried within the program from the remaining core courses or from the specialty module courses, provided the overall GPA is 3.00 or higher.

The plan of study includes the following:

15 credits from the following 21 credits of core courses:

Mandatory courses:

TCOM 521 Systems Engineering for Telecommunications Management (3 credits)

Elective courses (6 credits selected from the following):

Minimum of 15 credits of courses listed below under specialty modules. Students usually take 15 credits from at least two of the five specialty modules, or they may elect to take all 15 credits from the systems engineering of telecommunications module (module 5). Students electing to carry forward a core course (TCOM 501/502 or TCOM 521) into an appropriate specialty module have the option of taking an elective course either within that module or in another module to bring the total number of credits in the specialty modules to 15.

A specialty module (group of courses in an area of concentration) can be completed by a combination of full-semester courses and half-semester courses listed under the module, or considered applicable to that module, for a total of at least 6 credits in that module. Some specialty module courses are in more than one module; for example, TCOM 509 Internet Protocols is in both module 1, network technologies, and module 2, network applications. Half-semester, 1.5-credit hour courses may only be counted in one module, even if they apply to more than one. Full-semester, 3-credit courses may be counted in one module, or split between two modules. For example, TCOM 551 Digital Communication Systems, which is in both module 1 and 3, may be counted as 3 credits in either module, or 1.5 credits in each module. Basic courses in each module have been specially designed for the telecommunications program. These courses do not require completion of prerequisites from other MS programs in IT&E. Other courses, which are marked with asterisks, are from other MS programs in IT&E and represent viable options for students who have appropriate prerequisites in some technical areas. Although these courses assume certain prerequisites from their specific MS programs, advanced students who already know the prerequisite material can seek instructor permission to enroll in those courses.

Some alternatives to completion of each specialty module by using appropriate combinations of courses not listed under a given module may be admissible subject to prior approval by the program director. In addition, independent study courses, reading and research courses may be taken within all five modules. These courses permit students to make use of their work experiences to undertake nonclassroom courses for credit within the program.

Mason has negotiated an articulation agreement with the University of Virginia (U.Va.) that allows up to 12 credits of the informational systems management certificate program from U.Va. to be transferred into modules 4 and 5 of the TCOM program. In addition, graduate students from the National Defense University (NDU) may transfer up to 9 credits from the information security certificate program of NDU.

A capstone project course, TCOM 699, is required under the systems engineering of telecommunications module (module 5) should the student elect to take all 15 credits in this specialty module. Students taking only 7.5 credits in modules 4 or 5 have the option of taking TCOM 699, but the course is not required unless the student takes all 15 credits in module 5.

Specialty Modules

Courses marked with asterisks are courses from other graduate programs in IT&E that can be taken for credit in this program if the student has the appropriate prerequisites. Other courses from other programs may be taken for credit, with prior approval.

Module 1—Network Technologies

TCOM 503, 504, 505, 509, 510, 513, 515, 519, 548, 551, 556, 562, 609, 610, 660, and 661; ECE 513*, 542*, 565*, 642*, and 643*; CS 571*, 656*, and 756*

Module 2—Network Applications

TCOM 505, 509, 510, 513, 515, 519, 540, 541, 548, 555, 556, 562, 603, 609, 610, 611, 660, and 662; ECE 646*; CS 656*, and 756*; INFS 612*, 640*, 762*

Module 3—Wireless Communications

TCOM 506, 516, 517, 518, 526, 551, 552, 562, 607, 660, and 707; ECE 739*, 763*, 732*, 741*

Module 4—Modeling of Telecommunications Systems

TCOM 540, 541, 542, 545, 546, 547, 548, 562, 699; OR 641*, 642*, 644*

Module 5—Systems Engineering of Telecommunications

This module can be taken as one of two specialty modules, or as one 15-credit module. No more than two SYST courses can be taken within this module.

TCOM 520, 546, 548, and 699; SYST 510*, 513*, 520*, 542*, and 562; INFS 612*, 614*, and 640*; ITRN 772*

BS/Accelerated MS in Telecommunications Programs

This degree program may be taken as part of an accelerated MS in telecommunications program with four undergraduate degree programs: BS in systems engineering; BS in computer science; BS in information technology; and BS in integrative studies. The four accelerated MS/BS programs are described below.

BS in Systems Engineering/Accelerated MS in Telecommunications

Students in the BS in systems engineering program may elect to enter an accelerated MS in telecommunications program while they are undergraduate students. The program is designed for qualified undergraduate students in the systems engineering program who would like to proceed directly into the MS in telecommunications program, completing the two degrees with 144 credits. Students must satisfy requirements for the BS (total of 120 credits) and the MS (total of 30 credits), with 6 credits of overlap permitted. The MS is on an accelerated track, with 6 credits taken as an undergraduate and 24 credits completed as a graduate student. The 6 undergraduate credits must be selected from those given in the table that follows.

Applicants must be Mason undergraduate students who preferably have chosen to take the systems engineering of telecommunications elective sequence. Other students will be considered on their individual merit. Students may apply for the accelerated program during a semester after which they will have completed 90 or more credits applicable toward the BS in systems engineering as an undergraduate. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25 to apply for the program. Students who have not yet finished 90 credits may be accepted provisionally subject to satisfactory completion of 90 credits. Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission into the MS in telecommunications program, with the exception that students do not need to have completed an undergraduate degree prior to admission into the accelerated program.

Accepted students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in the undergraduate segment of the accelerated program, and a 3.00 GPA in the graduate segment. That is, students who have been accepted into the program must maintain a 3.25 average until they have satisfied all requirements for the BS in systems engineering. They must then maintain a minimum 3.00 average in the graduate segment. Should their GPA fall below 3.00 while a graduate student, they will be dropped from the accelerated program to the regular program. Those graduate telecommunications courses taken and applied to the BS program will no longer be admissible for the MS in telecommunications degree. If students are dropped from the accelerated program and have taken and applied telecommunications core courses toward the BS degree, then they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in telecommunications program if they earned a grade B or above in those courses. However, they will need to take elective courses in their place to satisfy the 30-credit requirement for the regular MS in telecommunications degree.

Similarly, if students are dropped from the accelerated program and have taken and applied noncore telecommunications courses toward their BS degree, then they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in telecommunications program if they earned a C grade or above for those courses. Elective courses will be required to replace telecommunications courses already taken and dropped from the program. Note: up to 6 credits of a combination of C, C+, or B- grades may be carried in portions of the regular telecommunications program. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate with an MS in telecommunications degree.

Students must complete all requirements for the BS in systems engineering degree. Students in the accelerated program may apply to have the BS degree conferred during the semester in which they expect to complete those requirements. The MS in telecommunications degree is granted upon completion of all requirements for the accelerated degree.

Telecommunications courses that may be taken as a systems engineering undergraduate student as part of the accelerated program are TCOM 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 509, 510, 513, 521, and 60

BS in Computer Science/Accelerated MS in Telecommunications Program

Students seeking a BS in computer science may elect to enter an accelerated MS in telecommunications program while they are undergraduate students. The accelerated program is designed for qualified undergraduate students in the computer science program who would like to proceed directly into the MS in telecommunications program, completing the two degrees with 144 credits. Accelerated students must satisfy both the requirements for the BS in computer science undergraduate degree (total of 120 credits) and the MS in telecommunications graduate degree (total of 30 credits), with 6 credits of overlap permitted. The MS degree is on an accelerated track, with 6 credits taken as an undergraduate and 24 credits as a graduate student. The 6 undergraduate credits must be selected from those given in the table that follows.

Applicants must be Mason undergraduate students in the computer science program. Students may apply for the accelerated program during a semester after which they will have completed 90 or more credits applicable toward the BS degree. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25 to apply for the program. Students who have not yet finished 90 credits may be accepted provisionally subject to satisfactory completion of 90 credits. Criteria for admission into the accelerated program are identical to criteria for admission into the MS in telecommunications program, with the exception that students do not need to have completed an undergraduate degree prior to admissi

Accepted students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in the undergraduate segment of the accelerated program and a 3.00 GPA in the graduate segment of the accelerated program. That is, they must maintain a 3.25 average until they have satisfied all of the requirements for the BS in computer science. They must then maintain a minimum 3.00 average in the graduate segment of the accelerated program. Should their GPA fall below 3.00 while a graduate student, they will be dropped from the accelerated program to the regular program, and those graduate telecommunications courses taken and applied to their BS in computer science program will no longer be admissible for the MS in telecommunications degree. If students are dropped from the accelerated program and they have taken and applied telecommunications core courses toward the BS degree, they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in telecommunications program if they obtained a grade of B or above in those courses. However, they will need to take elective courses in their place to satisfy the 30-credit requirement for the regular MS in telecommunications degree.

Similarly, if students are dropped from the accelerated program and they have taken and applied noncore telecommunications courses toward the BS in computer science, they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in telecommunications program if they obtained a C or higher for those courses. Elective courses will be required to replace telecommunications courses already taken and dropped from the program. Note: up to two C grades may be carried in the regular telecommunications program in noncore courses. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate with an MS in telecommunications degree.

Students must complete all requirements for the BS in computer science degree. Students in the accelerated program may apply to have the BS in computer science degree conferred during the semester in which they expect to complete those requirements. The MS in telecommunications degree is granted upon completion of all requirements for the accelerated program.

Telecommunications courses that computer science undergraduate students may take as part of the accelerated program are noted below. All of the prerequisite courses indicated below must be passed with a grade of B or higher.

Telecommunications courses

Note: Students in the accelerated BS in computer science/MS in telecommunications program who have passed CS 455 with a grade of B will not be required to take TCOM 501 in the MS in telecommunications core, and may take an elective 1.5 credit-hour course instead.

BS in Information Technology/Accelerated MS in TCOM Program

Students in the bachelor of science in information technology (BSIT) program may elect to enter the accelerated master of science in telecommunications (MS in TCOM) program while they are undergraduate students. The accelerated program is designed for qualified undergraduate students in the information technology program who would like to proceed directly into the MS in TCOM program, completing the two degrees with 144 credits. Students must satisfy requirements for the BSIT undergraduate degree (total of 120 credits) as well as the MS degree (total of 30 credits), with 6 credits of overlap permitted. The MS in TCOM is on an accelerated track, with 6 credits taken as an undergraduate and 24 credits as a graduate student. The 6 undergraduate credits must be selected from those given in the table that follows, and will be substituted for BSIT concentration electives, subject to prior approval by a BSIT advisor. Note that students in the accelerated program must take ECE 301 as one of their BSIT concentration electives.

Applicants must be Mason undergraduate students in the BSIT program. Students may apply for the accelerated program during the semester after which they will have completed 90 or more credits applicable toward the BSIT. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25 to apply for the program. Students who have not yet finished 90 credits may be accepted provisionally subject to satisfactory completion of 90 credits. Criteria for admission into the accelerated program are identical to criteria for admission into the MS in TCOM program, with the exception that students do not need to have completed an undergraduate degree prior to admission.

Accepted students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in the undergraduate segment of the accelerated program, and a 3.00 GPA in the graduate segment. That is, after students have been accepted into the accelerated program, they must maintain a 3.25 average until they have satisfied all of the requirements for the BSIT undergraduate degree. They must then maintain a minimum 3.00 average in the graduate segment of the accelerated program. Should their GPA fall below 3.00 while a graduate student, they will be dropped from the accelerated program to the regular program, and those graduate TCOM courses taken and applied to the BSIT program will no longer be admissible for their MS in TCOM degree. If students are dropped from the accelerated program and have taken and applied TCOM core courses toward the BSIT degree, then they need not repeat those courses for the regular MS in TCOM program if they obtained a grade B or above in those courses. However, they will need to take elective courses in their place to satisfy the 30-credit requirement for the regular MS in TCOM degree.

Similarly, if students are dropped from the accelerated program and they have taken and applied noncore TCOM courses toward the BSIT degree, then they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in TCOM program if they obtained a C grade or above for those courses. Elective courses will be required to replace TCOM courses already taken and dropped from the program. Note: up to two C grades may be carried in the regular TCOM program in nonmandatory core courses. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate with an MS in TCOM degre

Students must complete all requirements for the BSIT degree. Students in the accelerated program may apply to have the BSIT degree conferred during the semester in which they expect to complete those requirements. The MS in TCOM degree is granted upon completion of all requirements for the accelerated degree.

TCOM courses that may be taken as a BSIT undergraduate student as part of the accelerated BSIT/MS in TCOM program are noted in the table below. Note: All of the prerequisite courses indicated below must be passed with a grade B, or higher.

Telecommunications courses

Note: Students in the accelerated program who have passed IT 341 with a grade of B or better will not be required to take TCOM 501 in the MS in TCOM core, and may take an elective 1.5-credit course instead.

BIS/Accelerated MS in TCOM Program

Students who are in the bachelor of individualized study (BIS) program may elect to enter an accelerated master of science in telecommunications (MS in TCOM) program while they are undergraduate students. The accelerated program is designed for qualified undergraduate students in the BIS program who would like to proceed directly into the MS in TCOM program, completing the two degrees with 144 credits. Accelerated students must satisfy requirements for both the BIS (including a total of 120 credits) and the MS (total of 30 credits), with 6 credits of overlap permitted. The MS in TCOM degree is on an accelerated track, with 6 credits taken as an undergraduate and 24 credits as a graduate student. The 6 undergraduate credits must be selected from those given in the table that follows, and will be substituted for BIS concentration courses, subject to prior approval by a BIS advisor. Note that accelerated students must take ECE 301 or ECE 303 as one of their BIS concentration courses.

Applicants must be Mason undergraduate students in the BIS program. Students may apply for the accelerated program during the semester after which they will have completed 90 or more credits, and 15 Mason resident credits applicable toward the BIS as an undergraduate. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25 to apply for the program. Students who have not yet finished 90 credits may be accepted provisionally subject to satisfactory completion of 90 credits. Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission into the MS in TCOM program, with the exception that students do not need to have completed an undergraduate degree prior to admission into the accelerated program.

Students who have been accepted into the accelerated program must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in the undergraduate segment of the accelerated program, and a 3.00 GPA in the graduate segment. That is, after students have been accepted into the accelerated program, they must maintain a 3.25 average until they have satisfied all requirements for the BIS undergraduate degree. They must then maintain a minimum 3.00 average in the graduate segment of the accelerated program. Should their GPA fall below 3.00 while a graduate student, they will be dropped from the accelerated program to the regular program, and those graduate TCOM courses taken and applied to their BIS program will no longer be admissible for their MS in TCOM degree. If students are dropped from the accelerated program, and they have taken and applied TCOM core courses toward their BIS degree, then they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in TCOM program if they obtained a grade of B or above in those courses. However, they need to take elective courses in their place to satisfy the 30-credit requirement for the regular MS in TCOM degree.

Similarly, if students are dropped from the accelerated program, and they have taken and applied noncore TCOM courses toward their BIS degree, then they do not need to repeat those courses for the regular MS in TCOM program if they obtained a C grade or above for those courses. Elective courses will be required to replace TCOM courses already taken and applied to the BIS program. Note: up to two C grades may be carried in the regular TCOM program in nonmandatory core courses. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required to graduate with an MS in TCOM degree.

Students must complete all requirements for the BIS degree. Students in the accelerated program may apply to have the BIS degree conferred during the semester in which they expect to complete BIS requirements. The MS in TCOM degree is granted upon completion of all requirements for the accelerated degree.

TCOM courses that may be taken as a BIS undergraduate student as part of the accelerated program are given in the table below. Note: All of the prerequisite courses indicated below must be passed with a grade B or higher.

Telecommunications courses

Note: Accelerated students who have passed IT 341 with a grade of B or higher will not be required to take TCOM 501 in the MS in TCOM core. They may take a 1.5-credit elective instead. Other TCOM courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Credits
BIS Concentration 34–46
BIS 300/390/490/491 10
ECE 301 Digital Electronics
or ECE 303		 3
IT 341 Network/Operating 3
IT 212 How Computers Work 3
TCOM 500 Modern Telecommunications 3
Additional 500-level TCOM course 3

Plus an additional 9–21 credits to reach required number.

Telecommunications Certificates

Five, 15-credit certificates may be taken within the MS in telecommunications program. Students may take these certificates as stand-alone items, or as part of their degree program. For the former, they are required to enroll in a certificate program; for the latter, since they are already enrolled in a degree program, they need only apply for the appropriate certificate after they have satisfied requirements. The courses within the certificates are drawn directly from the MS in telecommunications program. If a student initially signs up for only a certificate program, it is possible to transfer into the degree program later, with up to 12 credits transferring into the degree program. Students must therefore ensure they have transferred into the degree program prior to starting course work beyond 12 credits in the certificate program to ensure that all credits from the certificate program may transfer into the degree program. Students who transfer from a certificate program into the degree program may earn both certificate and degree on satisfactory completion of the respective requirements. Applicable courses may count for both the certificate and the degree program.

Students may transfer in one, 3-credit course from another program or institution toward their TCOM certificate, provided the course in question was passed with a B grade or higher. Students are permitted to carry one C grade within their certificate program, provided the overall GPA is 3.00 or above.

Certificate in Network Technologies and Applications

The certificate provides a broad understanding of the technologies used in telecommunications networks and the various applications of telecommunications networks. To obtain the certificate, the student must complete the following, for a total of 15 credits:

Core Courses (choose 9 credits from the following):

Elective Courses (6 credits):

Student may elect to take any additional 6 credits from specialty modules 1, 2, and 3, including those in the mandatory course list that are not part of their 9 credits of core courses for the certificate.

Certificate in Wireless Communications

This certificate provides a broad understanding of the technologies, applications, and systems used in all forms of wireless communications. Students must complete the following, for a total of 15 credits:

Core Courses (choose 9 credits from the following):

Elective Courses (6 credits):

Students may take any additional 6 credits of courses from specialty modules 1, 2, and 3, including those in the mandatory course list that are not part of their 9 credits of core courses for the certificate.

Certificate in Telecommunications Systems Modeling

This certificate provides a broad understanding of the end-to-end systems engineering approach to telecommunications projects. Students must complete the following, for a total of 15 credits:

Core Courses (choose 9 credits from the following):

Elective Courses (6 credits):

Students may take any additional 6 credits of courses from specialty modules 4 and 5, including those in the mandatory course list that are not part of the 9 credits of core courses for the certificate.

Certificate in Telecommunications Forensics and Security (TFAS)

The objective of this certificate is to provide an in-depth understanding of security and forensics as they apply both to networks and to digital storage media. Students must complete the following, for a total of 15 credits:

Core Courses (9 credits from the following):

Elective Courses (6 credits from the following):

Note: TCOM 660 and 661 cannot be taken twice for credit. If either course is taken in the core element, it cannot be taken again in the elective element.

Certificate in Advanced Networking Protocols for Telecommunications (ANTP)

This certificate provides an in-depth understanding of advanced protocols used in a variety of telecommunications networks. To obtain the certificate, students must complete the following, for a total of 15 credits:

Core Courses ( 9 credits from the following):

Elective Courses (6 credits from following):

Note: TCOM 509/519 and TCOM 515 cannot be taken twice for credit. If any of these courses are taken in the core element, they cannot be taken again in the elective element.