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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 some of the courses in the former MA in Telecommunications Program, now incorporated in the School of Public Policy’s new master’s in telecommunications 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 specialty modules corresponding to areas of emphasis. 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.