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CONTACT PERSON FOR THE FOLLOWING COURSE INFORMATION:
Dee Holisky, College of Arts & Sciences, 3-8721, dholisky@gmu.edu

Modified Courses for Approval

CHEM 790.Graduate Seminar (1:1:0)
Modify to make course repeatable up to 99 hours.

PSYC 998. Doctoral Dissertation Proposal
Change prerequisites to "None."

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CONTACT PERSON FOR THE FOLLOWING COURSE INFORMATION:
Stephen Nash, School of Information Technology & Engineering, 3-1678, snash@gmu.edu

New Course for Approval

TCOM 548 Security and Privacy Issues in Telecommunications (1.5:1.5:0)
Prerequisites: TCOM 500
Introduction to system and network security. Topics include risk analysis, security models, user authentication, access and information flow control, auditing and intrusion detection, damage control and assessment. Reviews network security, including basics of cryptography, security services, firewalls, database security, prevention and control of viruses and other malicious code. reviews threats and vulnerabilities in distributed systems based on reports and case studies in the literature.

Modified Course for Approval

TCOM 503. Fiber Optic Networks (1.5:1.5:0)
Change course title to: Introduction to Optical Communication.

Modified Degree Programs for Approval

MS in Telecommunication

Reduce degree requirements from 33 hours to 30 hours.

INTRODUCTION
The Master of Science in Telecommunications (MS in TCOM) is currently a 33-credit hour program run within the School of Information Technology and Engineering. The program was based upon the successful Master of Arts in Telecommunications (MA in TELE) program that is run within the College of Arts and Science. Both programs consist of core and elective elements, and share three of the core courses (9 credit hours). However, the MA in TELE has a 15 credit hour core and 18 credit hour elective tracks while the MS in TCOM has an 18 credit hour core and 15 credit hour specialty module elective courses. In an effort to align the two programs; make them more attractive through developing interlinked certificate programs; and responding to both a workforce and student need to be both flexible and competitive, it was found that both programs require the overall degree requirement to be reduced from 33 to 30 credit hours. This proposal sets out the background and justification for this action, and seeks approval for a reduction in the degree requirement for both programs from 33 to 30 credit hours.

BACKGROUND
The Master of Arts degree in Telecommunications (MA in TELE) within the College of Arts and Science was designed for telecommunications professionals, individuals who wish to make career changes, and others whose interests, talents, scholarly research, or professions bring them into contact with the world of telecommunications. Because telecommunications combines both a technological and humanistic endeavor, the program includes courses of study in educational technology, electrical engineering, information systems, international telecommunications, management, and visual technologies. The program stresses the human factors elements in telecommunications through some of its specialization areas or concentrations (e.g. Educational Technology; Management, Organization and Policy; Production Theories and Practice; together with the impact telecommunications has on society). The Master of Science degree in Telecommunications (MS in TCOM) within the School of Information Technology and Engineering was established to fill a requirement to provide a strong technical program for working professionals who had not obtained undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering but who wanted to gain an in depth knowledge of various facets of telecommunication's technology. To enable the MS in TCOM program to be given Fast Track status within the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), it was designed around a core program from the MA in Telecommunications. The MS in Telecommunications was approved by SCHEV in the summer of 2000, and classes began in fall 2000. In May 2001, approximately 75 graduate students were enrolled in the MS in TCOM program and about 200 in the MA in TELE program.

A comprehensive system of program review for the MS in TCOM was put in place, starting with the first classes in the fall of 2000. This review included questionnaires filled out by students every semester and interviews with a number of students and some companies that employed them. Much of the data obtained concerned course offerings, scheduling, and the format of the courses (i.e. 1.5 credit-hour courses as well as 3 credit hour courses) to help in the development of a course progression that would permit flexibility of choice in course selection for both part-time and full-time students. Input was also obtained from students in both the MS in TCOM and MA in TELE programs on what additions or changes would bring more flexibility to their plans of study and career selections. A number of common trends was found, in particular:

• The need to allow a "middle ground" between the MA in TELE and MS in TCOM students so that a student in either program could select groups of courses from the other program that would reflect their interests and career requirements.
• The need to reduce overlap in the core course selection so that the breadth element of the programs provided by the core courses did not detract from the ability to obtain an in-depth elective track in the TELE and TCOM programs.

In order to achieve the first item above, an investigation was conducted on the concentrations or tracks in the MA in TELE program on the one hand and the Specialty Modules in the MS in TCOM program on the other. To develop an understanding of how to proceed with the second item above, interviews were conducted with students who had taken the majority of the core courses to see what their views were on the specific courses they had taken. The goals of the two programs were also reviewed to see if there was any significant overlap in both the intent and the content of the core courses.

Core Programs
The MA in TELE requires students to take 12 credit hours from a group of five 3-credit hour courses in the core element. However, every student is also required to take a coordinating seminar (TELE 750) to graduate, which leads to a matriculation requirement of 15 credit hours in the core element selected from 18 credit hours of core courses. The 15 credit hour MA in TELE core program is therefore made up of the following courses:

Mandatory Core Course (3 credit hours)

• TELE 750 Coordinating Seminar

Elective Core Courses: Four of the following Five Courses (12 credit hours)

• COMM 555 Theories of Visual Communications in Telecommunications
• TCOM 500 Modern Telecommunications
• LAW 181 Communications Law
• ITRN 701 Telecommunications Policy
• TELE 730 Telecommunications Management

The MS in TCOM requires students to take 18 credit hours from a group of five 3 credit hour courses and two 1.5 credit hour courses in the core element. That is, all of the core courses are mandatory with no latitude for flexibility, other than taking equivalent courses from other programs, schools, or universities. Feedback from students who had taken all, or most, of the core MS in TCOM courses revealed that there was significant overlap between at least two of the courses: LAW 181 and ITRN 701. Both of these courses dealt with policy issues in telecommunications. While one dealt more closely with domestic issues and the other more with international issues, they both overlapped significantly in their approach to policy matters. As a result, the MS in TCOM core program was changed from a mandatory requirement of 18 credit hours from 18 credit hours to a mandatory 15 credit hour requirement from 18 credit hours. The new MS in TCOM core requirement is shown below.

Mandatory Core Courses (9 credit hours)

• TCOM 500 Modern Telecommunications
• TCOM 501/502 LAN/WAN and Internet
• TCOM 521 A Systems Engineering Approach to Telecom Management

Elective Core Courses: Two of the following Three Courses (6 credit hours)

• ITRN 701 Telecommunications Policy
• LAW 181 Communications Law
• TELE 750 Coordinating Seminar

Elective Programs
The MA in TELE requires students to select a Specialization. There are six Specializations or tracks:

Elective Courses: 18 credit hours from any one of the six Specializations

• Educational Technology
• Information Systems
• International telecommunications
• Management, Organization, and Policy
• Production Theories and Practices
• Telecommunications Systems

The MS in TCOM has five Specialty Modules. Students who want to specialize in Systems Engineering may take all of their courses in module 5, otherwise students must select a minimum of two modules and take a minimum of six credit hours in each of these two modules. The balance of the credit hours may be taken in any other module. In the original formulation of the MS in TCOM program, 18 credit hours worth of course were taken in the core and 15 in the Specialty Modules. As noted above, the core mandatory requirement has been reduced to 15 credit hours. In the absence of a reduction in the degree requirement to 30 credit hours, students are required at present to take 18 credit hours in the Specialty Modules. The MS in TCOM Specialty Modules are given below:

Elective Courses: 18 credit hours from the five Specialty Modules

• Network Technologies
• Network Applications
• Wireless Communications
• Modeling of Telecommunications Systems
• Systems Engineering of Telecommunications

Certificate Programs
This initiative grew out of two significant requirements: (i) the need for some students to have a focused elective program that would provide them with documentation once that area was successfully mastered; and (ii) the need to interlink the MA in TELE and MS in TCOM programs much more closely so that there was common ground between the two programs for students to pursue. A number of students had expressed a desire to take courses from "the other" program, but there was no reasonable way that this could be done and credit given for those courses.

An examination of requirement (i) showed that the most effective way to develop a focused, and documented program, was to design specific certificate programs that drew directly from courses offered within the two degree programs. Almost all certificate programs, both at George Mason University and at other universities, are designed around either 12 credit hours or 15 credit hours of focused area courses. Clearly, the Specialization areas in the MA in TELE program and the Specialty Modules within the MS in TCOM program could be used as a foundation for certificate programs. The decision was made to have the certificate programs based upon a 15 credit hour selection of courses: 12 credit hours was not considered to be sufficient to allow both depth and flexibility in course selection; 18 credit hours did not give a focused set of courses without leading to both an unwelcome overlap between certificates and a significant reduction in the core course requirement. A relatively broad core course requirement is one of the key elements in the interdisciplinary nature of both masters programs. A total of six certificate programs were designed, with three from each of the masters programs. These 15-credit hour certificate programs are given below.

MA in TELE Certificate Programs

• Certificate in International Telecommunications
• Certificate in Telecommunications Production Theory and Practice
• Certificate in Telecommunications Management, Organization, and Policy

MS in TCOM Certificate Programs

• Certificate in Network Technologies and Applications
• Certificate in Wireless Communications
• Certificate in Telecommunications Systems Modeling

Summary of Progress and Interim Actions and Conclusions
Based upon an analysis of the two masters programs and the need to provide a closer linkage between them as well as more flexible and focused options, the following interim actions have been taken:

• The credit hour core of the MS in TCOM program has been aligned with that of the MA in TELE program (both are now 15 credit hours selected from 18 credit hours worth of courses)
• Six, 15 credit hour certificate programs have been developed from both masters programs and are in advanced stages of approval.
• With the core programs of both masters programs now aligned at 15 credit hours and with the 15 credit hour certificate programs in an advanced stage of the approval cycle, there is a need to bring the total degree requirement from 33 credit hours to 30 credit hours.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER PROGRAMS

Examples in CA&S

• MA in Literature 30 credit hours (6 core/24 elective)
• MA in Teaching Writ. & Lit 30 credit hours (selected areas) (*)
• MA in Prof. Writ & Edit. 30 credit hours (selected areas)
• MA in French 30 credit hours (selected areas) (*)
• MA in Spanish 30 credit hours (selected areas) (*)
• MA in Economics 30 credit hours (9 core/21 elective)
• MA in History 30 credit hours (selected areas) (**)
• MPA 36 credit hours (24 core/12 elective)
• MA in Psychology 32 credit hours (selected areas)
• MA in Sociology 30 credit hours (selected areas)
• MS in Biology 30 credit hours (selected areas)
• MS in Biology/Env. Science 36 credit hours (selected areas) (***)
• MS in Biology/BCB Conc. 35 credit hours (selected areas) (#)
• MS in Chemistry 30 credit hours (12 core/18 elective)
• MS in Geo. & Cart. Sc. 30 credit hours (12 core/18 elective)
• MS in Mathematics 30 credit hours (6 core/24 elective)
• MAIS 36 credit hours (selected areas)

(*)MFA and double language concentrations require between 36 and 48 credit hours.
(**) Depends on track and perceived undergraduate deficiencies (may require up to 39 credit hours).
(***) Includes Public policy courses in addition to the science courses.
(#) Includes Bioinformatics and Computational Biology courses.

From the above, it is clear that the majority of the master's level degree programs require 30 credit hours. Where there is a deviation from this, it is generally because either the degree is a terminal degree (e.g. the MFA) or the degree combines more than one in-depth track (e.g. both Spanish and French; Biology and Environmental studies, which require knowledge of legal issues)

Examples in IT&E

• MS in Statistical Science 33 credit hours (12 core/21 elective)
• MS in CS 30 credit hours (12 core/18 elective)
• MS in EE 30 credit hours (6 core/24 elective)
• MS in CpE 30 credit hours (6 core/24 elective)
• MS in IS 30 credit hours (15 core/15 elective)
• MS in SWE 30 credit hours (18 core/12 elective)
• MS in SE 30 credit hours (9 core/21 elective)
• MS in OR 30 credit hours (12 core/18 electives)

From the above, it can be seen that the overwhelming choice for a masters program is 30 credit hours within the two schools. Where there is a significant departure from this number, that particular degree requires either additional foundation courses or additional areas to be studied that are not in the basic masters degree. Examples of these are the double masters concentration in French and Spanish, the MS in Biology with a concentration in environmental sciences (which requires public policy courses in addition to the basic biology master's degree), and the MFA program, which is a terminal degree.

Comparison With Other State and Local Universities

• University of Pennsylvania MS in EE 30 credit hours
• University of Pennsylvania MS in TCOM 30 credit hours
• George Washington U. MA in Ed. Tech. Lead. 30 credit hours
• George Washington U. MS in EE 30 credit hours
• George Washington U. MS in CpE 30 credit hours
• George Washington U. MS in TCOM 30 credit hours
• University of Virginia ME 30 credit hours
• James Madison University MS ISAT 30 credit hours
• Virginia Tech MS in EE 30 credit hours
• Virginia Tech MS in CpE 30 credit hours

Again, all comparable university masters level degrees show a requirement for 30 credit hours.

CONCLUSIONS
Based upon a detailed review of both the MA and MS in Telecommunications core and elective elements; the need to establish close links between the two programs; the need to develop more flexible and competitive programs; and the need to reduce unnecessary overlap in some core course offerings, it was concluded that the two programs should be structured as follows:

• Core elements: 15 credit hours from 18 credit hours worth of courses
• Elective Elements: 15 credit hours from approved concentrations or specialty modules
• Certificates: 15 credit hour certificate programs that would satisfy both the MA concentration requirement and the MS specialty module requirement
• Degree Requirement: 30 credit hours made up of 15 credit hours drawn from the core courses and 15 credit hours from the concentration area or specialty modules

Structuring the two master's degree programs as above will bring them into close alignment in both the core and elective elements, and permit students to take certificate programs in "the other" program should they wish to do so, either as part of their degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. The changes to the programs will also give more focused concentrations in topical areas that will be particularly attractive to students who would like to document the skill areas they have mastered through a certificate. The approval of the certificates is the subject of a separate proposal. The respective graduate committees and department faculty from whose areas the certificates were drawn have approved the certificates. They will be submitted to the respective school/college graduate committees in August 2001.

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that approval be given to reduce the overall degree requirement for the MA in Telecommunications and MS in Telecommunications degrees from 33 credit hours to 30 credit hours. Concomitant with this approval would be approval for the MA in Telecommunications to require 15 credit hours for the concentration areas and for the MS in Telecommunciations to require 15 credit hours in the core element.

New Certificates for Approval

INTRODUCTION
This document sets out a proposal to offer 15-credit certificate programs within the MA and MS in Telecommunications Programs. Six Certificate programs are set out, three in the MS in Telecommunications Program and three in the MA in Telecommunications Program. Students will be allowed to take these certificates as a stand-alone item or as part of their degree program. For the former, they will be 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 its requirements. The courses within the certificates are drawn directly from the MS and MA Programs and so it will be possible to transfer from a certificate program into the appropriate degree program, with up to 12 credits transferring into the degree program.

JUSTIFICATION
The MA and MS in Telecommunications programs cater to a large, diverse group of students. The objectives of the two programs, while distinctly different, provide a variety of courses that are attractive to students in both programs. Indeed, many of the core courses are common. This has led a number of students to inquire whether they could register for a "double masters" in both MA and MS categories. Unfortunately, courses taken in one masters degree program may not be double-counted towards a second master's degree. To obtain a double masters degree, therefore, (i.e. both an MA and an MS in Telecommunications) would require 66 graduate credits. This has not proved to be an attractive option for students! However, most students who have graduated, or are about to graduate, in one of the telecommunications programs, are mostly interested in the Specialty Modules of the MS program on the one hand or the Specializations or Concentrations of the MA program on the other. They would be very interested in taking a group of courses in the Specialty Modules or in the Concentrations which would give them a good understanding of that area and which would also give them a formal qualification. The proposed solution is to offer 15-credit certificate programs, three in the MA program and three in the MS program. Students would therefore be able to obtain a certificate in an area of specialization of immediate relevance to their career goals either as part of their master's degree program or as a separate qualification.

PROPOSED CERTIFICATES
Six 15-credit certificate programs are proposed, three in the MA and three in the MS in Telecommunications master's programs. The proposed certificates are given below.
NOTE: Students must earn a B grade, or above, in each course to allow that course to count for credit towards the certificate.

MS in TELECOMMUNICATIONS CERTIFICATES

Certificate in Network Technologies and Applications
Objective:To provide a broad understanding of the technologies used in telecommunications networks and the various applications of telecommunications networks.

Certificate Course Content Mandatory
Core Courses (9 credits)

• TCOM 501 (1.5 credits) Data Communications and Local Area Networks
• TCOM 502 (1.5 credits) Wide Area Networks and Internet
• TCOM 504 (1.5 credits) Asynchronous Transfer Mode Networks
• TCOM 509 (1.5 credits) Internet Protocols
• TCOM 505 (1.5 credits) Networked Multicomputer Systems
• TCOM 510 (1.5 credits) Client-Server Architectures and Applications

Elective Courses (6 credits)

• Student may elect to take any additional six credits worth of courses from Specialty Modules 1 and 2.

Certificate in Wireless Communications
Objective: To provide a broad understanding of the technologies, applications, and systems used in all forms of wireless communications.

Certificate Course Content
Mandatory Core Courses (9 credits)

• TCOM 507 (1.5 credits) Introduction to Satellite Communications
• TCOM 508 (1.5 credits) Advanced Satellite Communications
• TCOM 551 (3.0 credits) Digital Communications Systems
• TCOM 552 (3.0 credits) Introduction to Mobile Communications

Elective Courses (6 credits)

• Student may elect to take any additional six credits worth of courses from Specialty Modules 1, 2, and 3.

Certificate in Telecommunications Systems Modeling
Objective: To provide a broad understanding of the end-to-end systems engineering approach to telecommunications projects.

Certificate Course Content
Mandatory Core Courses (9 credits from 12 credits shown below)

• TCOM 521 (3.0 credits) Systems Engg. Approach to Telecommunications Management
• TCOM 540 (1.5 credits) Network Optimization, Flow Mgmt., and Capacity Modeling
• TCOM 541 (1.5 credits) Network Design and Pricing
• TCOM 545 (3.0 credits) Reliability and Maintainability of Networks
• TCOM 546 (3.0 credits) Financial Models of Telecommunications

Elective Courses (6 credits)

• Student may elect to take any additional six credits worth of courses from Specialty Modules 4 and 5.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The certificate programs in International Telecommunications; Production Theory and Practice; Management, Organization, and Policy; Network Technologies and Applications; Wireless Communications; and Telecommunications Systems Modeling are open to all students who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and meet the admissions requirements for the MA or MS in Telecommunications, respectively.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
New Students New students who are interested in the certificate programs should apply for admission in either degree or non-degree status. A box on the admission forms permits the certificate option to be selected.

Students already enrolled in the MA or MS in Telecommunications Programs Students who are currently enrolled in the MA or MS in Telecommunications program and who wish to take advantage of a certificate within their own program while pursuing their master's degree may complete an application for a certificate once the appropriate fifteen credit hours have been satisfied. Students who have taken advantage of the accelerated BSSE/MS in TCOM program may count graduate level courses taken towards their master's degree while in undergraduate status towards their certificate, provided those courses meet with the grade B minimum noted earlier.

Transfer Students
Students may not transfer any courses earned at another university into any of these certificate programs.

Students who have been admitted as certificate-seeking students may apply to transfer to a regular masters degree in the MA or MS in Telecommunications program at any time. If they are admitted into the regular masters program, a maximum of 12 credits may be carried into that regular masters program from their certificate program. Such students, like all students in the regular MA and MS in Telecommunications programs, may apply for the appropriate certificate at any time they have satisfied the fifteen-credit requirement of that certificate.

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