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University of Pittsburgh    
2019-2020 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog 
    
 
  Mar 28, 2024
 
2019-2020 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Telecommunications, MST


Admissions Requirements


The Department of Informatics and Networked Systems offers a Master of Science in Telecommunications degree that incorporates the rapid changes in technology that are influencing the Telecommunications industry. MST students will master both theory and applications of data analytics, machine learning, information processing, and how networks can serve humans.

The Department of Informatics and Networked Systems seeks students with diverse interests and abilities. The admission requirements for the Master of Science in Telecommunications degree (MST) reflect the interdisciplinary nature of our program and roughly correspond to an undergraduate degree in a technical discipline (e.g., math, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, information science, etc.) 

  • Must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better 
  • A 3-credit course on structured programming using Java, C#, or C++ is required
  • A 3-credit college level course in probability 
  • A 3-credit college level course in calculus 

Note, other courses, such as an introduction to telecommunications class may be a pre-requisite for many courses in the program. It is not a requirement for admission but the equivalent Pitt course (TELCOM 2000) will not count toward the MST degree.

The application for admission will require that the following be submitted:

  • two letters of recommendation
  • official transcripts
  • a recent score (within five years) on the Graduate Record Examination
  • Resume or CV
  • Statement of Intent, consisting of no more than 500 words and outlining your career goals.

International applicants must submit either the TOEFL or the IELTS results from within two years.

Degree Requirements


Completion of the Master of Science in Telecommunications degree requires a minimum of 37 credits. Three credits may be in a practicum (a structured supervised employment situation) or a thesis. Students should know that a thesis is not a requirement of the MST degree but for research-oriented students, the faculty strongly recommends a three-credit thesis instead of course work. 

The 37-credit minimum of course work should include the following: 

  • Six credits of coursework related to Human Information behavior Cognitive courses. 

Specific course requirements for the degree are outlined on the student’s Academic Advisement Report (AAR).

Course substitutions and requirement exceptions must be obtained BEFORE enrollment in the course in question, must have the approval of an advisor, and must be documented through the Records Office. Substitutions and exceptions will be noted on the student’s AAR. Information regarding documenting exceptions is available on the School’s Current Students Web site

Students may choose to take more than the 37 credits required for the MST degree. However, the School is not able to extend any financial aid beyond the required number of courses; any visa issues pursuant to extended study would have to be resolved by the student.  

Grading Policy


Each student must maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) for all credits of graduate level coursework for either degree or the certificate. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA in any term will result in the student being placed on academic probation immediately. If the student does not raise the GPA to a 3.0 after the next nine credits, the student will be dismissed from the program in which he or she is enrolled.

Grades for Individual Courses


All students in the Information Science/Telecommunications degree programs must earn satisfactory grades in each course taken. A grade of C-, D+, D, D-, F, and Unsatisfactory are unacceptable for graduation credit. A course for which such an unsatisfactory grade is earned must be repeated if it is a course that is a degree requirement (e.g., TELCOM 2810). Courses may be repeated only once. Elective courses need not be repeated; another course may be taken to replace it. However, the original course remains on the transcript and a higher grade must be earned to maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Statute of Limitations


Course work must be completed within a period of four calendar years from the student’s initial registration in the program.



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