HELP 2011-2012 University Catalog Systems Engineering, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS Print-Friendly Page

School:  Volgenau School of Engineering 

Department:  Systems Engineering and Operations Research 

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 program, completing the two degrees with 144 credits. Students must satisfy requirements for the BS (120 credits) and the MS (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 graduate credits that will count toward both degrees must be selected from those given in the listing 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 to the accelerated program during a semester after which they will have completed 90 or more credits applicable toward the BS in systems engineering. 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 to the MS in Telecommunications Program, except 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 GPA in the graduate segment.

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