Telecommunications

• Faculty
• Home Page - http://www.gmu.edu/departments/telecomm/
  Undergraduate Program
  • Minor in Telecommunications
• Graduate Program
  • Telecommunications, M.A.

Faculty

Akwule, Dede, Drury, Finn, Jabbari, Kelley, Lont (director), Ruth, Smith, Wang

Undergraduate Program

Minor in Telecommunications

In its broadest sense, telecommunications includes technology (software and hardware), policy issues (national and international), mass media, and management. No longer can computer technologists sit alone working on code; they must be able to manage technical and nontechnical people, understand policy issues, and present technical material to others in the corporate setting. The required and elective courses in this minor provide a solid introduction to the work world of telecommunications.

To receive a minor in telecommunications, students must take 18 credits distributed as follows. A grade of C or better is required in courses applied to the minor. See the program director for a current list of electives and for further information.

Required Courses

CAS 101 Presenting and Processing Information Using Technology
COMM 202 Mass Media and Communications Technology
TELE 350 Telecommunications Systems
TELE 450 Telecommunications Senior Seminar

Elective Courses

CS 103 Introduction to Computing
CS 105 Computer Ethics and Society
COMM 450 Internship (telecommunications-related organization)
COMM 554 Telecommunications Policy and Regulation
COMM 556 Global Telecommunications
ENGL 410 Technical and Report Writing
ENGL 513 The Virtual Organization
GOVT 359 Computers in Public Management
MGMT 302 Organizational Behavior and Administration
MGMT 312 Principles of Management
MIS 301 Introduction to Computer Management

Graduate Program

Telecommunications, M.A.

Since telecommunications is both a technological and a humanistic endeavor, the Master of Arts in Telecommunications is an interdisciplinary program that includes courses in engineering, law, management, education, and communication. The program is designed for telecommunications professionals, persons who wish to change careers into a telecommunications-related field, and others whose interests, talents, or curiosity bring them into contact with the world of telecommunications.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should present the following minimum requirements:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
2. A GPA of 3.000 or better in the last 60 credits
3. The appropriate application form with three letters of recommendation from persons directly knowledgeable of the applicant's professional and academic competence (one from an academic source)
4. A 500-word essay addressing an important, substantive issue in telecommunications

Advising
With guidance from a faculty advisor, students choose from a wide variety of courses available at the university to tailor course work to their particular interests and needs. Choice of an area of emphasis also depends on the student's undergraduate preparation. A student advising form, which outlines the student's degree plan and serves as a guide, should be completed and submitted by the student soon after admission to the program. For more information about the program, contact the Telecommunications Programs Office at (703) 993-1314.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 33 credits (11 courses) of approved graduate course work, including 15 credits of core courses and 18 credits in an emphasis. Students may choose one of six emphases: educational technology; information systems; international telecommunications; management, organization, and policy; production theory and practice; and telecommunications systems engineering.

Core Courses
Students must complete four of the following courses:

COMM 555 Theories of Visual Communication
ECE 540 Modern Telecommunications
LAW 181 Telecommunications Law and Regulations
ITRN 701 Telecommunications Policy
MGMT 791 Seminar in Current Management Problems: Telecommunications

All students must complete TELE 750 Coordinating Seminar.

Emphases
Students must complete 18 credits in an emphasis. Following are the required and elective courses for each emphasis:

Educational Technology

Required course (three credits): EDIT 611 Distance Learning via Networks and Telecommunications
Recommended electives: EDCI 705; EDIT 530, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 593, 704, 730, 732, 750, 752, 771, 772

Information Systems

Required courses (nine credits): INFS 501 Discrete and Logical Structures for Information Systems; INFS 515 Computer Organization; INFS 590 Program Design and Data Structures
Recommended electives: ECE 542; INFS 601, 612, 614, 680; SWSE 619, 632

International Telecommunications

Required course (three credits): COMM 556 Global Communication
Recommended electives: COMM 505, 506, 554; ITRN 500, 603, 604, 605, 612, 701, 710, 711, 713, 715, 716, 750, 754, 757, 768, 769, 772, 730, 733, 735, 737, 773; MKTG 775, 777; PUAD 504, 634, 635, 636, 701, 731, 732, 733, 739

Management, Organization, and Policy

Required course (three credits): LRNG 601 Organizational Learning
Recommended electives: ACCT 600; BULE 700; COMM 501, 506, 535; ECON 600, 602; FNAN 601; LRNG 583, 610, 612, 672, 681, 720, 731, 792, 868; MGMT 721, 722, 750, 751, 791; MIS 720, 740, 792; MKTG 775, 777; PUAD 505, 610, 620, 621, 634, 636, 672, 732, 739; PSYC 532, 635, 636, 640

Production Theory and Practice

Required course (three credits): COMM 556 Global Communication
Recommended electives: COMM 502, 535, 536, 554, 590 (Multimedia), 590 (Scriptwriting), 596, 597, 694; EDCI 705; EDIT 563, 564, 611, 704, 750; ENGL 505, 670; VIT 616, 676

Telecommunications Systems Engineering

Required course (three credits): ECE 542 Computer Network Architectures and Protocols
Recommended electives: CS 571; ECE 513, 528, 535, 630, 631, 632, 633, 636, 639, 642, 643, 667