Program Overview

Overview

The Master of Science in Telecommunications offers a blend of cutting-edge practice-oriented courses in network engineering, cloud computing, wireless communications (e.g., 5G), and cyber security. This industry-oriented program is designed for students who wish to enter the field of network engineering or are working in the field and want to advance their knowledge. The program concentrates on practical applications of network engineering, rather than on a theoretical approach, while providing a thorough education in the necessary engineering principles. Hands-on laboratory courses provide students with practical skills and knowledge needed to hit the ground running after graduation. This program also offers two certificate programs that may be incorporated into, and taken concurrently with, the MS in Telecommunications.

Admissions

Requirements

• Specific application deadlines and requirements are available through the Office of Graduate Admissions.
• The program is 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 coursework before they are allowed to enroll in any of the core courses or elective courses in the program.
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is usually required.

Policies

GPA Requirements

• A maximum of 6 credits of courses with grades of C or B- may be applied toward the degree.
• The student must present a GPA of at least 3.00 for all courses submitted for the degree.

Plan of Study

• Before completing 9 credit hours of coursework, each student must submit to the TCOM office a plan of study that has been approved by the academic advisor.
• This plan should be kept up to date by regular consultation with the academic advisor.
• A final, signed version of the plan must be turned in when the student submits a graduation application.

Telecommunications Certificate

• One 15-credit Telecommunications certificate is offered by the department.
• Students may pursue this certificate as a stand-alone program through the normal admissions process or as a secondary certificate to their MS degree.
• Certificate courses are drawn directly from the MS in TCOM curriculum.
• If a student has successfully completed and conferred this certificate prior to acceptance to the MS, it is possible to transfer up to 12 credits (B or better) into the MS.

Degree Requirements

• Total credits: 30
• Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree.
• The plan of study includes a 21-credit required core component and a 9-credit elective component.
• Electives should be chosen by either selecting 9 credits from the Electives course list or completing one of the 9-credit concentrations.

Core Courses

Electives

Concentration in Network Technologies (NTEC)

Concentration in Network Forensics and Security (NFSC)

Concentration in Space Communication Systems (SCS)

Electrical Engineering, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Telecommunications in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 142 credits.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

• Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
• Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits with an overall GPA of 3.0.

Accelerated Master’s Admission Requirements

• Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MS program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form:
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • Successfully meeting Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation)
  • Completing the application for graduation

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

• To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
  • Advanced standing courses: Students may take up to 9 credits of graduate-level courses that will count as advanced standing (i.e., overlap between the BS/MS program) from the list below. At least one class (3 credits) needs to be an ECE course. These 9 credits of graduate-level courses may be selected to substitute in place of the 9 credits of technical electives required for the undergraduate degree:
    • TCOM 514
    • TCOM 515
    • TCOM 535
    • ECE 542
    • ECE 531
  • Reserve credit courses: Additional courses (up to 6 credits) may be selected from the list below as credits to be put on reserve to be later applied to the graduate program. Students can take these courses while undergraduates but these reserve courses will only count for the graduate degree program:
    • TCOM 500
    • TCOM 514
    • TCOM 515
    • TCOM 535
    • TCOM 552
    • TCOM 570
    • TCOM 590

Individualized Study, BIS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Individualized Study, BIS have the option of obtaining an accelerated Telecommunications, MS.

Admission Requirements

• Students in the Individualized Study, BIS program may apply for this option if they have earned 75 undergraduate credits (including 15 Mason resident credits) with an overall GPA of at least 3.00.
• Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Telecommunications, MS program.

Accelerated Option Requirements

• Students must complete all requirements for the BIS and MS programs, with 6 credits overlap.
• Students select TCOM courses from the list below to meet the requirements of the accelerated program. Six credits of TCOM courses will be applied to meet the requirements of both the BIS and MS TCOM programs. An additional three credits of TCOM courses is required for the BIS Individualized Concentration (IND) with emphasis on telecommunication. Note that accelerated students can only take the courses in the list below if they passed the listed prerequisite course with a B or higher:
  • TCOM 500
  • TCOM 535
  • TCOM 608
  • TCOM 631

Information Technology, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Information Technology, BS have the option of obtaining an accelerated Telecommunications, MS.

Admission Requirements

• Students in the Information Technology, BS program may apply for this option if they have earned 60 undergraduate credits and take graduate level courses after completion of 75 credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.00.
• Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Telecommunications, MS program.

Accelerated Option Requirements

• Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for the BS and MS programs, with a minimum of 3 credits (maximum 9 credits) overlapping from the following courses:
  • TCOM 500
  • TCOM 515
  • TCOM 631

Systems and Industrial Engineering, BS/Telecommunications, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a Systems and Industrial Engineering, BS and a Telecommunications, MS in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 141 credits.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

• Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
• Students in the Systems and Industrial Engineering, BS program who preferably have chosen to take the systems engineering of telecommunications elective sequence will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.0, and completed all MATH and PHYS requirements.

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

• The criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Telecommunications, MS program.
• Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the Telecommunications, MS program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form:
  • An overall GPA of at least 3.0
  • Successfully meeting Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation)
  • Completing the application for graduation

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

• To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
  • Advanced Standing course: Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for both the BS and MS programs. Up to four courses (12 credits) of approved master’s level courses taken as part of the undergraduate degree may be applied to the graduate degree.
  • These courses may be chosen from the list of graduate courses in the following table. For Systems and Industrial Engineering, BS students, these graduate courses replace the corresponding undergraduate courses listed in the BS program under the computer network systems technical emphasis. The undergraduate version of these courses, if any, may be applied toward the Telecommunications, MS:
    • TCOM 500
    • TCOM 535
    • TCOM 570
    • ECE 542
    • OR 541
    • SYST 521
    • or OR 643

Degree Conferral

• Students must apply the semester before they expect to complete the BS requirements to have the BS degree conferred.
• In addition, at the beginning of the student's final undergraduate semester, students must complete a Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form.
• At the completion of MS requirements, a master's degree is conferred.