Curriculum for Incoming Students
Incoming MSIT students will spend the first fall and spring in Pittsburgh and the summer and second fall in Silicon Valley. Therefore, the incoming class of Fall 2009 will follow a different course sequence than the returning class (MS20), who will have spent the spring and summer in Silicon Valley.
The curriculum consists of the following main components: the core courses, program courses, electives, master's practicum and an internship.
The core courses establish the necessary background and a common competence level, the program courses allow students to specialize, and the elective units give students flexibility and breadth in their coursework.
Students must also acquire a summer internship in Silicon Valley. Finally, the capstone experience is the project practicum, which requires students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve a real-world problem.
| Core Course Requirements |
60 units
|
| Program Courses (Mobility, Information Security, or Software Management) |
36 units
|
| Electives |
12 units
|
| Master's Practicum (encompasses a practicum and a summer internship) |
36 units
|
|
Total
|
144 units
|
Example of a Course Sequence for Incoming Students
Note: While the core courses are mandatory, the program courses are offered on a rotating basis and not all of them are available every year.
First Fall Semester
48 units - Located in Pittsburgh (P) with a core course taught remotely from Silicon Valley (SV)
Students must take each of the following core course requirements:
| Core | 14-740 Fundamentals of Telecommunication Networks | 12 units | P |
| Core | 14-741 Introduction to Information Security | 12 units | P |
| Core | 14-774 Managerial Economics | 6 units | P |
| Core | 14-775 Business Management | 6 units | P |
| Core | 96-821 Introduction to Software Engineering | 12 units | SV |
Note: Students are required to take all of the above core courses during the first fall semester. These courses lay the foundation necessary for subsequent courses. As there is a 48-unit maximum course load for each semester, no other courses can be taken during this semester.
Spring Semester
Located in Pittsburgh with some program course options taught remotely from Silicon Valley
| Core | 14-702 Seminar | 6 units | P |
| MOB Program | 15-213 Computer Systems (Highly recommended as preparation. This 200-level course cannot count toward graduation requirements.) |
Not for credit |
P |
| MOB Program | 96-822 The Mobile Ecosystem |
12 units | SV |
| MOB Program |
Elective course* | 12 units | P |
| IS Program | 14-761 Applied Information Assurance | 12 units | P |
| IS Program | 18-733 Applied Cryptography | 12 units | P |
| IS Program | 18-731 Network Security | 12 units | P |
| SM Program | 15-213 Computer Systems (Highly recommended as preparation. This 200-level course cannot count toward graduation requirements.) |
Not for credit |
P |
| SM Program | 96-782 Project, Process and Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-781 Metrics for Software Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
* Pittsburgh elective courses: Elective units can be fulfilled by any courses in the Heinz College or the Tepper School or any courses in ECE, EPP or CS that are numbered 300 or above.
SV elective courses: Elective units can be fulfilled by courses offered in the SV and taught via videoconferencing to Pittsburgh.
Summer
18-30 units - Located in Silicon Valley
| Required | 14-799 Internship | 12 units | SV |
| Core | 14-703 Seminar | 6 units | SV |
One elective is possible, but not required. (Subject to the student's decision.)
All programs:
| Elective | 96-818 Innovation and Entrepreneurship (7 or 14 week) | 12 units | SV |
| Elective | 96-796 Human Computer Interaction (HCI) (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| Elective | 96-XXX Open Source Software | 12 units | SV |
Second Fall Semester
Located in Silicon Valley with some program courses taught remotely from Pittsburgh
In the fall, the Master's Project Practicum with on-campus activity is required. In addition, students have five options:
- 2 program courses
- 1 program course and 1 elective course
- 1 program course
- 1 elective course
- No additional course, if all other graduation requirements are fulfilled
| Required | 14-798 Master’s Project Practicum with on-campus activity | 24 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 96-709 Avoiding Software Project Failures | 12 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 96-781 Metrics for Software Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 96-823 Designing the Mobile User Experience I | 12 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 96-825 Mobile Hardware for Software Engineer | 12 units | SV |
| IS Program | (TBD) |
12 units | SV |
| IS Program | 96-709 Avoiding Software Project Failures | 12 units | SV |
| IS Program | 96-781 Metrics for Software Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program |
96-709 Avoiding Software Project Failures |
12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-781 Metrics for Software Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-783 Managing Software Professionals (7 week) | 12 units | SV |