Telecommunications systems are networks of leading-edge technologies such as fiber optic systems, satellites, wireless, telephony, and cable that are connected to computers that allow organizations and individuals throughout business and industry to communicate instantaneously around the world.  Since these systems provide the architectural structure for such activities as electronic commerce, electronic banking, video teleconferencing, distance learning, telemedicine, data interchange, on-demand video, and a host of other traditional and new uses for business and industry, persons who are qualified to manage such systems are in very high demand.  The market need exceeds the number of graduates in the field.

The Masters program provides students a core of fundamental courses and the option of choosing a specialization within the curriculum.  Although students in the Masters program will have the insight and ability to manage all aspects of telecommunications systems, the program option choice will support the aspect of management which interests them most - the physical system and its components or the business structure and operations that depend on the system.

For admission consideration, all candidates must take either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). There are no exceptions to this rule. Ask ETS to send scores directly to Murray State University using our institution code: 1494.

Unconditional Admission
If you take the GMAT, then you must satisfy the GMAT admission formula, which is:   (200 x GPA) + GMAT > 1,000 Points.   If you take the GRE, on the other hand, you must satisfy the GRE formula, which is: (200 x GPA) + GRE > 1,400 Points. This GRE formula uses the combined score from the Quantitative and Verbal sections only.

In addition, candidates must take and score at least 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL if English is not their native language or they have not graduated from an accredited English speaking university.

Conditional Admission
TSM applicants may be admitted conditionally, under the following 3 conditions:
(a) Their overall GPA is 2.75 or higher, or at least 3.0 for their last 60 hours of undergraduate study;
(b) They take the GMAT or GRE and meet the admission formula within their first semester on the program;
(c) For their first 9 hours of graduate work, students admitted conditionally must take TSM 601, TSM 602, and one course selected from ACC 604, FIN 612, or MGT 651. Such students will be dropped from the TSM graduate program if they do not achieve at least a 3.0 GPA (at least a "B" average) for the first 9 hours of graduate courses.

To graduate from the TSM graduate program, all students must take the following 8 graduate courses (24 hours) and an extra two electives (6 hours) from the list indicated below. It is a 30 credit-hour program.

TSM 680 is the capstone course for the M.S. in TSM. It requires students to use project management techniques involving the technical, financial, and managerial aspects of developing an integrated communications network solution that meets voice, data and video requirements. Major emphasis in the proposed solution is on requirement analysis, solution design, solution implementation, and solution management. Before students can take this course, they must have at least 18 hours of graduate work (6 graduate courses) that include: FIN 612, MGT 651, TSM 602, and TSM 610.