Telecommunications and Distributed Systems Specialization

In the Telecommunications and Distributed Systems (TDS) specialization, you will focus on one of the fastest growing Information Technology fields. Distributed computing involves the study of information systems in which the data and computational processing is spread over more than one computer—usually in a network. Networking is critical to efficient communication among widely distributed participants and has become the backbone of industries ranging from Telecommunications firms to healthcare systems to finance. Thanks to the Internet and more powerful computation/communication devices, industry and society are demanding more pervasive networks, more efficient and effective information systems, and more professionals trained to design and manage these complex and vital systems.

As the School of Information Sciences offers degrees in both Information Sciences and Telecommunications, the TDS specialization takes advantage of faculty expertise in networking protocols, client-server systems, distributed database management systems, and Web services. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to face the challenges of deploying, designing, and managing distributed applications across networked systems. Employers are seeking graduates who can design and manage client-server and peer-to-peer systems, manage network-based information systems, and design networks and systems that are secure.

Lead Faculty

Prashant Krishnamurthy

Plan of Study

Students interested in this specialization are expected to have successfully completed significant coursework in programming (at least equivalent to INFSCI 2500) in order to meet the pre-requisites for several courses in the track.

The course of study for the MSIS degree consists of a minimum of 36 credits. The 36 credits are to be distributed as follows. Any changes to the distribution of credits below must be requested, in advance, through petition to the GIST faculty.

Note: Recommended courses have been pre-approved to fulfill the following academic areas. You may choose classes from outside of the list of recommended courses and are encouraged to discuss your options with your academic advisor.

TELCOM 2000 is a pre-requisite for the track.

6 credits in the Mathematical and Formal Foundations area. TELCOM 2120 Network Performance is required unless exempted by advisor.
6 credits in the Cognitive Science area or Cognitive Systems area. INFSCI 2300 Human Information Processing is recommended as the first course in this area, unless the student has had prior coursework in cognitive psychology. INFSCI 2470 Interactive System Design is recommended as the second course in this area.
15 credits in the TDS area. These are described in the following section and satisfy the Systems and Technology requirements of the MSIS program. Recommended courses are INFSCI 1071: Applications of Networks, TELCOM 2010: Computer Networking Lab, TELCOM 2321: Computer Networking, TELCOM 2700: Wireless Networks, INFSCI 2150: Security and Privacy, INFSCI 2550: Client-Server Systems, TELCOM 2821: Network Security, INFSCI 2711: Advanced Databases, and INFSCI 2802 Mobile GIS and location-based services. Note that some of these classes may need pre-requisites courses to be completed.
9 credits as electives. These credits can be met by any course listed in the previous categories or any other remaining course in the Information Science. The electives will be chosen to meet the individual needs of the student. Elective credits can be taken from other programs or departments, e.g., Graduate Program in Telecommunications and Networking, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science with permission of the advisor.

Any changes to the distribution above must be requested, in advance, through petition to the GPIS faculty.

Telecommunications and Distributed Systems Courses

INFSCI 1071 Applications of Networks
TELCOM 2000 Introduction to Telecommunications
TELCOM 2010 Computer Networking Lab
INFSCI 2150 Security and Privacy
TELCOM 2321 Computer Networking
INFSCI 2550 Client-Server Systems
INFSCI 2711 Advanced Topics in Database Management
INFSCI 2560 Web Technologies and Standards
TELCOM 2700 Introduction to Wireless Networks
INFSCI 2730 E-Business
TELCOM 2727 Application Development for Mobile Devices
INFSCI 2802 Mobile GIS and Location-Based Services
TELCOM 2821 Network Security

To view the term in which a class is offered, please see the Projected Course Offerings.

Click here for the current plan of study.