2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

Telecommunications, MS


Banner Code: VS-MS-TCOM

School: Volgenau School of Engineering 

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering 


The innovative, interdisciplinary MS in Telecommunications Program 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 are working in the field and want to advance their knowledge of telecommunications. It concentrates on practical applications of telecommunications rather than on the theoretical approach. It focuses on the engineering and IT aspects of telecommunications, in combination with the interdisciplinary knowledge offered by selected courses in telecommunications law and policy. More than 30 new engineering and IT courses have been designed specially for this program, including five certificate programs that may be incorporated into, and taken concurrently with, the MS in telecommunications. Two of the certificates are at an advanced level: the telecommunications forensics and security certificate and the advanced networking protocols for telecommunications certificate.

A novelty of the program is its structure, which consists of five emphasis areas. 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 the various specialties in telecommunications technology. Students enjoy considerable flexibility because they are able to design their master’s programs to fit their technical preferences, including the option of taking courses in other programs at Mason.

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.

Unique courses in the telecommunications program, such as Border Gateway Protocols, Interior Gateway Protocols, MPLS, GPS, and Advanced Link Design, complement courses given in ECE programs. 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 engineering and computer engineering programs. Those courses may also be taken for credit under the MS in Telecommunications Program, provided students have 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) are 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.

Program 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 former MA in telecommunications (PUBP 726, LAW 181, and TELE 750 or TCOM 750), and a basic switching lecture and laboratory course (TCOM 514) or an Internet protocol routing lecture and laboratory course (TCOM 515); and five areas of emphasis. Students who enter the program with an undergraduate degree that shows evidence of successfully completing LAN and WAN technologies may substitute TCOM 509 and TCOM 529 for TCOM 501 and TCOM 502 in their mandatory core program, respectively.

Students must complete 30 credits of course work through a combination of core and emphasis courses. The core consists of 15 credits, with the remaining 15 credits earned in areas of emphasis. The emphases are subareas of telecommunications that provide necessary depth.

Students are usually expected to take courses from at least two emphasis areas. Up to 6 credits from the core program may be carried forward into the emphases, thus permitting up to 6 credits of electives to be taken inside or outside the prime emphasis area chosen by the student. TCOM 501/502 may be carried forward into emphasis area 1, 2, or 3; TCOM 521 may be carried forward into emphasis area 4 or 5. Double counting is not permitted, but the courses carried forward into a given emphasis may permit that area’s credit requirement to be satisfied, thus allowing elective courses to be taken outside that area. Usually, a minimum of 6 credits is needed to satisfy one emphasis area. Credit for each emphasis 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) permits students to take a half-semester course to get an introduction to the field or the equivalent of a full-semester course for a more complete knowledge of that topic.

Admission Requirements

Courses are open to students who hold a BS or 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 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 emphasis courses in the program. Applicants who have not studied mathematics beyond the equivalent of algebra II/trigonometry at high school or introductory calculus classes (such as those offered in business or database management programs) will be required to take TCOM 575, the foundation course that prepares students for TCOM 500, prior to being allowed to take TCOM 500. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is usually required.

Students may be admitted to the MS program as degree seeking students, or they may be admitted for nondegree study within the program, which allows them to take individual courses. Students in the nondegree program may apply to the degree 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 degree program, provided each of the courses to be transferred in was passed with a grade of B or above.

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 or B- grades may be carried within the program from the remaining core courses or from the emphasis courses, provided the overall GPA is 3.00 or higher.

The plan of study includes the following:

15 credits of core courses, subject to the following constraints:


Mandatory core courses (9 credits):

Note:


*Students must receive prior permission to substitute TCOM 509 for TCOM 501 or TCOM 529 for TCOM 502.

Elective core courses (6 credits selected from the following):


Note:

 *Both TCOM 514 and TCOM 515 may be taken for credit, but only one may be used to satisfy a core elective requirement.

Students must take a minimum of 15 credits of courses listed under the following areas of emphasis:


Students usually take 15 credits from at least two of the five emphasis areas, or they may elect to take all 15 credits from the systems engineering of telecommunications area (emphasis 5). Students electing to carry forward a core course (TCOM 501/502 or TCOM 521) into an appropriate emphasis area have the option of taking an elective course in that area or an alternate area to bring the total number of credits in the emphasis area to 15.

An area of emphasis can be completed by a combination of full-semester courses and half-semester courses listed under the emphasis or considered applicable to that area for a total of at least 6 credits. Some emphasis courses are in more than one area; for example, TCOM 509 Internet Protocols is in emphasis 1, network technologies, and emphasis 2, network applications. Half-semester 1.5-credit courses may only be counted in one emphasis area, even if they apply to more than one. Full-semester 3-credit courses may be counted in one emphasis area or split between two. For example, TCOM 551 Digital Communication Systems, which is in emphases 1 and 3, may be counted as 3 credits in either area, or 1.5 credits in each area.

Basic courses in each emphasis have been specially designed for the telecommunications program. These courses do not require completion of prerequisites from other MS programs in the Volgenau School. Other courses, which are marked with asterisks, are from other MS programs in the Volgenau School 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.

Alternatives to completing each emphasis area 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, reading, and research courses may be taken in all five areas. These courses permit students to make use of their work experiences to undertake non-classroom courses for credit within the program.

Mason has negotiated an articulation agreement with the University of Virginia that allows up to 12 credits of the Informational Systems Management Certificate Program from the University of Virginia to be transferred into emphasis areas 4 and 5 of the TCOM Program. In addition, graduate students from the National Defense University (NDU) may transfer up to 9 credits from NDU’s Information Security Certificate Program.

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

Areas of Emphasis

Courses listed below from other graduate programs in the Volgenau School listed 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.

Emphasis 2, Network Applications


Total: 30 credits


Applicable BS/Accelerated MS in Telecommunications Programs


These degree programs may be taken as part of an accelerated MS in Telecommunications Program with three undergraduate degree programs: BS in systems engineering, information technology, and individualized studies. See respective undergraduate degree information for details.

Systems Engineering, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS 
Information Technology, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS 
Individualized Study, BIS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS 

Telecommunications Certificates


Five 15-credit certificates are offered by the MS in TCOM Program. Students may pursue these certificates as stand-alone programs or as part of their degree program. For the former, they are required to submit a graduate program application indicating their desire to enroll in the appropriate graduate certificate program.  For the latter, because they are already enrolled in a degree program, they need only add the appropriate graduate certificate to their graduate program status at least one semester prior to the award of the certificate. The courses within the certificates are drawn directly from the MS in TCOM Program. If a student initially signs up for only a certificate program, it is possible to transfer into the degree program later, transferring up to 12 credits 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 the certificate and the degree on satisfactory completion of the respective requirements. Applicable courses may count for the certificate and the degree programs.

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.

Advanced Networking Protocols for Telecommunications Graduate Certificate 
Network Technologies and Applications Graduate Certificate 
Telecommunications Forensics and Security Graduate Certificate 
Telecommunications Systems Modeling Graduate Certificate 
Wireless Communications Graduate Certificate