Master of Science in Telecommunications Engineering

Curriculum

The MS in Telecommunications Engineering program prepares students for leadership roles in research, development, and design positions that require the use of skillful and imaginative solutions to engineering problems. Students who have earned a BS degree may apply to the MS in Telecommunications Engineering program. The Telecommunications Engineering curriculum calls for a balanced knowledge of software and hardware of telecommunications, network theory, and technology.

Courses and research are offered in a variety of subfields of telecommunications engineering, including: fault-tolerant computing, digital signal processing, digital communications, modulation and coding, electromagnetic-wave propagation, fiber, and integrated optics, lasers, wireless communications, mobile IP, wireless multimedia, DWDM networks, QoS assurance protocols, network design and optimization, telecommunications software, the performance of systems, ad-hoc and PCS wireless networks, network security, and high-speed protocols.

The university maintains a large network of computer facilities, including PCs, Unix workstations, and specialized computers for research within the program and faculty laboratories. The Jonsson School has developed a state-of-the-art information infrastructure consisting of a wireless network in all buildings and an extensive fiber-optic Ethernet.

Career Options

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: Telecommunications Software Engineer; Software Test Engineer and Telecommunications Network Engineer for public and private sectors. TE graduates find employment in local, national, and international enterprises.

Application Requirements

• Degree requirements: An undergraduate preparation equivalent to a baccalaureate in electrical engineering from an accredited engineering program.
• GPA: A grade point average (GPA) in upper-division quantitative coursework of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 point scale.
• Test score required: Yes
• GRE revised scores of 154, 156, and 4 for the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.
• Letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals who are able to judge the candidate's probability of success in pursuing a program of study leading to the master's degree.
  • GRE revised scores of 154, 156, and 4 for the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.
  • Letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals who are able to judge the candidate's probability of success in pursuing a program of study leading to the master's degree.
• Admissions essay required: Yes
• Applicants must submit an essay outlining the candidate's background, education, and professional goals.
  • Applicants must submit an essay outlining the candidate's background, education, and professional goals.

Application Deadlines

UT Dallas encourages applicants to submit their application and supporting documents as early as possible to be considered for admission to a graduate program. Applicants must submit their application and supporting documents by the deadlines below.

Degree Requirements

The MS Telecommunications Engineering degree requires a minimum of 33 semester credit hours.

All students must have an academic advisor and an approved degree plan. Courses taken without advisor approval will not count toward the 33 semester credit hour requirement. Successful completion of the approved course of studies leads to the MS Telecommunications Engineering degree.

The MS Telecommunications Engineering program has both a thesis and a non-thesis option. All part-time MS Telecommunications Engineering students will be assigned initially to the non-thesis option. Those wishing to elect the thesis option may do so by obtaining the approval of a faculty thesis supervisor. With the prior approval of an academic advisor, non-thesis students may count no more than 3 semester credit hours of research or individual instruction courses towards the 33 semester credit hour degree requirement.

All full-time, supported students are required to participate in the thesis option. The thesis option requires nine semester credit hours of research (of which three must be thesis semester credit hours), a written thesis submitted to the graduate school, and a formal public defense of the thesis. The supervising committee administers this defense and is chosen in consultation with the student's thesis advisor prior to enrolling for thesis credit. Research and thesis semester credit hours cannot be counted in an MS Telecommunications Engineering degree plan unless a thesis is written and successfully defended.

Course Requirements

Each student must complete a total of 33 hours from three categories:

I. Required Concentration Core Courses: 15 semester credit hours

Each student must complete the following five (5) Concentration Core courses making a B- or better in each course and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the Concentration Core courses:

• TE 6385 Algorithmic Aspects of Telecommunication Networks
• EESC 6349 Probability, Random Variables, and Statistics
• EESC 6352 Digital Communication Systems
• CS 6352 Performance of Computer Systems and Networks
• CS 6390 Advanced Computer Networks

II. Recommended Elective Courses: 12 semester credit hours

Each student must complete four (4) recommended elective courses; two (2) from each of the following groups:

Recommended Electrical Engineering Electives

• Choose two courses from the following:
• EEGR 6316 Fields and Waves
• EEOP 6310 Optical Communication Systems
• EEOP 7340 Optical Network Architectures and Protocols
• EERF 6311 RF and Microwave Circuits
• EERF 6394 Antenna Engineering and Wave Propagation
• EERF 6395 RF and Microwave Systems Engineering
• EESC 6340 Introduction to Telecommunications Networks
• EESC 6341 Information Theory
• EESC 6343 Detection and Estimation Theory
• EESC 6344 Coding Theory
• EESC 6360 Digital Signal Processing I
• EESC 6361 Digital Signal Processing II
• EESC 6362 Introduction to Speech Processing
• EESC 6365 Adaptive Signal Processing
• EESC 6390 Introduction to Wireless Communication Systems
• EESC 6391 Signaling and Coding for Wireless Communication Systems
• EESC 6392 Propagation and Devices for Wireless Communications

Recommended Computer Science Electives

• Choose two courses from the following:
• CS 6349 Network Security
• CS 6360 Database Design
• CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms
• CS 6368 Telecommunication Network Management
• CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems
• CS 6381 Combinatorics and Graph Algorithms
• CS 6386 Telecommunication Software Design
• CS 6392 Mobile Computing Systems
• CS 6396 Real-Time Systems
• SE 6354 Advanced Software Engineering
• One pre-approved TE independent study allowed in this group.
• Must be 6000 or above level courses.
• Thesis Option: Up to six (6) semester credit hours of research may be allowed in this group. Pre-approval by MS Thesis advisor is required.
  • One pre-approved TE independent study allowed in this group.
  • Must be 6000 or above level courses.
  • Thesis Option: Up to six (6) semester credit hours of research may be allowed in this group. Pre-approval by MS Thesis advisor is required.

III. ECS Free Electives: 6 semester credit hours

Each student must complete two (2) ECS Free Electives courses that satisfy the following:

• Must be a course at ECS School.
• Only one 5000 level course is allowed if: (a) is a pre-requisite to a course in the list above, and (b) it precedes the 6000 level course.