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Ph D. in Information Technology

Graduates of the MS in Telecommunications program may qualify for entry into the Ph.D. program in Information Technology. This Ph.D. Program has a wide range of disciplines within it and those interested should visit the web site of this program http://ite.gmu.edu/PhDprogr/main.html. There is an informal guide available to the Ph.D. and Engineer Programs. This guide provides a number of additional links that will help potential Ph.D. students develop an understanding of both the Ph.D. and Engineer degree programs.

There are a number of helpful points that MS in Telecommunications students should bear in mind, and these are summarized below.

1. The Ph.D. in Information Technology requires students to pass a set of four exams in three programs. Two of these exams are in the TCOM program (TCOM 521 and TCOM 551). The other two must be selected from the list provided on the above website. Many of the courses from which the Ph.D. exams are set may be taken as part of the MS in Telecommunications program for credit (e.g. INFS 612, INFS 614, SYST 520). Once a student has completed their master's degree and applied for entry into the Ph.D. program, any course taken from which a Ph. D. qualifying exam is set will NOT count for credit in the Ph.D. program.
2. Students may apply for the Ph.D. program at any time, even at the same time as they apply for their MS in Telecommunications program. They are just not admitted to the Ph.D. program until they have completed their master's degree.
3. Students who plan to apply for the Ph.D. program should do so before they complete their master's program as this avoids a gap in their registration. Once a student has graduated from their master's program, they are no longer an admitted student and so cannot take any courses until they have been admitted to another program (in this instance, the Ph.D. in Information technology).