Graduation Requirements

Students are awarded the degree after the successful completion of core, specialization, cognate, and culminating experience courses (10 courses total, 50 credit hours).

Core courses ensure the student is well versed in both the technology and policy aspects of communication network and information systems, from the perspective of both telecommunication carrier and enterprise voice and data networks. Specialization courses are geared toward establishing either communication technology or policy as the student's principal area of emphasis. Cognate courses are intended to enrich and focus further the student's interests and expertise by either pursuing related coursework outside the School of Information and Telecommunication Systems or by taking additional courses within the School, either additional policy courses for those emphasizing technology or additional technical courses for those emphasizing policy. Possible cognate areas outside the School for those electing a policy emphasis include finance, management, marketing, economics, interpersonal communication, or political science. Possible cognate courses outside the School for those students electing a technical emphasis include electrical engineering and computer science, and technology courses in other schools.

The culminating experience involves the completion of a thesis or professional project or comprehensive examination.  Students writing a thesis are expected to identify a significant technical or policy problem or question (depending upon the student's emphasis), and to apply a relevant theory (or theories to the problem); thesis students conduct a thorough literature review of material relevant to the topic, formulate an appropriate research approach to the problem, collect and analyze data, draw pertinent and defensible conclusions, and produce a well written, coherent thesis.

While a thesis is theoretical in nature, a professional project is an applied approach to a specific issue. Students selecting a professional project apply the expertise and knowledge they develop from their coursework to evaluating an issue or solving a specific problem.  Rather than a thesis, the end result of a professional project is a practical “deliverable” such as a handbook or a report.  Students electing to take a comprehensive examination are expected to complete a set of readings and to successfully answer questions that are based upon subject matter covered in the MCTP courses and in the specified reading list. Comprehensive examinations are given twice a year, in February and in July.