Curriculum for MS20 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.
For the master's project, students complete a project practicum that allows them to focus on an area of study related to their chosen program. The students also must acquire a summer internship in Silicon Valley.
| 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 Second-Year 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
36-48 units - Located in Silicon Valley with some program courses taught remotely from Pittsburgh
In the spring, the Master's Project Practicum with on-campus activity is required. In addition, students have four options:
- 2 program courses
- 1 program course and 1 elective course
- 1 program course
- 1 elective course
If students choose the first two options, the total course load is 48 units; for the last two options, it is 36 units.
| Required | 14-798 Master’s Project Practicum with on-campus activity | 24 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 96-822 The Mobile Ecosystem | 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 | 14-731 Network Security | 12 units | P/SV |
| IS Program | 14-732 Secure Software Systems | 12 units | P/SV |
| IS Program | 96-719 Requirements Engineering | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-782 Project, Process and Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-783 Managing Software Professionals (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-719 Requirements Engineering | 12 units | SV |
Summer
18-30 units - Located in Silicon Valley
| Required | 14-799 Internship | 12 units | SV |
| Core | 14-702 Seminar | 6 units | SV |
One elective is possible, but not required. (Subject to the student's decision.)
All programs:
| Elective | 96-824 Designing the Mobile User Experience II * | 12 units | SV |
| 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 |
Note:
* Designing the Mobile User Experience II is restricted to students who have taken Designing the Mobile User Experience I in the spring semester.
** The HCI course is restricted to students who have not taken the Designing the Mobile User Experience I in the spring semester. Students who have taken the Designing the Mobile User Experience I course can take the part II course.
Second Fall Semester
Located in Pittsburgh with some program course options taught remotely from Silicon Valley
| Core | 14-703 Seminar | 6 units | P |
| IS Program | 19-608 Privacy, Policy, Law and Technology | 12 units | P |
| IS Program | 14-761 Applied Information Assurance | 12 units | P |
| SM Program | 96-709 Avoiding Software Project Failures | 12 units | SV |
| SM Program | 96-781 Metrics for Software Management (7 week) | 12 units | SV |
| MOB Program | 18-342 Embedded Systems | 12 units | P |
| MOB Program | Other offering (in HCI, etc.) | 12 units | P |
| Elective | Elective courses * | 12 units | P |
* 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.