Master of Science in Telecommunications and Networking

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Telecommunications (MST) program offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers core telecommunications concepts, focus area specialization, and elective options. Students can choose from various focus areas, including business, communications, software, security, and wireless and sensor networks. The program also provides a thesis option for students interested in pursuing research.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Required Courses (15 credits):
• TCN 6430 Networks Management and Control Standards
• TCN 6275 Mobile Computing
• TCN 5080 Secure Telecommunications Transactions (or CIS 5372)
• TCN 5640 Telecommunications Enterprise Planning and Strategy
• Focus Area Courses or Thesis (6 credits):
• Students must choose a focus area and complete 6 credits in that area, or complete 6 thesis credits.
• Focus Area Options:
• Business Focus:
• TCN 5010 Telecommunications Technology Applications
• TCN 6880 Telecommunications Public Policy Development and Standards
• TCN 6820 Telecommunications Industry Development
• Communications Focus:
• EEL 5500 Digital Communication Systems
• IEEL 5501 Digital Communication Systems II
• Software Focus:
• TCN 5440 Software Development for Telecommunications Networks
• COP 5725 Principles of Database Management Systems
• TCN 5445 Telecommunication Network Programming
• Security Focus:
• CIS 5373 Systems Security
• CIS 5374 Information Security and Privacy
• TCN 5455 Information Theory
• TCN 5155 Wireless Communications with Multimedia Applications
• Elective Courses (9 credits):
• Students can choose elective courses from SCIS's graduate course offerings, excluding courses marked as not applicable to SCIS degrees.
• A maximum of 6 credits can be chosen from courses outside the pre-approved list found in Section 7.2 of the Graduate Program Booklet.
• Of these 6 credits, a maximum of 3 credits can be taken as either a 3-credit Independent Study or a 3-credit co-op course, but not both.
• Students interested in relevant courses outside of SCIS that are not on the pre-approved list should submit a request to the Graduate Program Advisor with course details and a strong justification.
The Graduate Program Director has final discretion over the inclusion of courses in a program of study.
• Thesis Option:
• Requires the completion of a master's thesis (6 credits) in addition to the 8 graduate courses (15 credits of required courses and 9 credits of elective courses).
• Thesis credits taken prior to the approval of the M-2 form will not count toward the 6 credits of master's thesis.
• Thesis Committee:
• Must consist of three members with Graduate Faculty Status, at least two of which hold appointments in SCIS.
Typically, all three committee members hold appointments in SCIS.
• The Thesis Advisor is the Chairperson of the Thesis Committee.
• Thesis Proposal:
• Should be submitted after the Thesis Committee has been approved.
• The proposal will be reviewed by the Thesis Committee.
• Based on recommendations, the Thesis Committee will make a final decision.
• Upon acceptance, the M-2 Form will be completed to indicate approval.
• Before submitting the M-2 form, the candidate must complete an online "Responsible Conduct of Research Certification" training course.
• The proposal should explain the basic idea of the thesis topic, argue why it is important, state expected results, demonstrate that these results are sufficient for a master's thesis and obtainable within the timeframe, and demonstrate the student's qualifications for the work.
• Continuous Enrollment:
• Once the M-2 Form is approved, the student is subject to Continuous Enrollment requirements and must enroll in at least one thesis credit every term (including Summer) until graduation.
• Exceptions to this rule can only be made by the University Graduate School via the approval of a formal leave of absence.
• Thesis Defense:
• The master's thesis must be a written account of a critical and scholarly study in an area in computer science.
• The Thesis Committee will review it critically for both content and form.
• The thesis may consist of independent research work, a critical study and analysis of known results, or a significant contribution to computer applications.
• Once the Thesis Committee has approved the student for a final defense, the student should submit the M-3 Form at least 3 weeks prior to the expected defense date.
• The student and the Thesis Advisor need to coordinate with the Program Specialist to schedule an oral presentation of the thesis in the form of a public lecture.
• The Thesis Committee makes the final pass or fail decision.

The estimated cost of a full-time spring or fall semester (9 credits) is $4,295.15 for Florida residents and $9,209.60 for non-Florida residents. The M.S. in Computer Science consists of 30 credits. These estimates do not include online course fees. Tuition and fees are paid on a semester basis. Tuition, fees, and the above estimates are subject to change.