MST Admissions
Online Application Is Available. We offer a Web-based application to make our application process as easy and convenient as possible for you. You can get started right now.
Qualifications
Applicants for graduate study must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. The Telecommunications and Networking Program seeks students with diverse interests and abilities. The admission requirements reflect the interdisciplinary nature of our program and roughly correspond to an undergraduate degree in a technical discipline (e.g., math, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, information science, etc.) with appropriate grade point average and GRE scores.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for admission to the MST program include:
- baccalaureate degree
- computer programming skill in at least one scientific programming language
- probability (a 3-credit course)
- calculus (a 3-credit course)
Students who lack any of the prerequisite courses may be provisionally admitted pending completion of the prerequisites during the first term of study.
Letters of Recommendation
Identify and seek the recommendations of two individuals (e.g., professors, employers, information professionals) who are in a position to evaluate your academic performance or your potential as an information professional. Before you submit your application, ask your references in which form they wish to submit their recommendation, by paper or electronically. For both paper and electronic submission of recommendation letters, please follow the instructions outlined on Apply Yourself.
Transcripts
Only official transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts for undergraduate and graduate work must be sent directly to the Admissions Coordinator by the issuing institution, following the instructions on Apply Yourself. If your transcript is recorded in a former name, please email admissions@sis.pitt.edu with both your current and former names so that the processing of your application is not delayed.
Transcript evaluation for international applicants is described here.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
All Master of Science in Telecommunications applicants are required to submit a recent score (within three years of the date of application) on the Graduate Record Examination as part of their admission credentials. Scores on all three sections (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) of the General Section should be submitted. While submission of the GRE scores are preferred, a recent and strong performance on the GMAT will be accepted in lieu of taking the GRE exam. The institution number for the University of Pittsburgh is 2927 and the department code is 0404.
Applicants please note that you can not add the numerical code 0404 by itself. Please type “Information Sciences” in the required field and the system will auto populate your choices, one of which is Information Sciences/Studies 0404.
Required Documents
Please include the following in your online application:
- resume; and
- statement of intent with no more than 500 words outlining your career goals
Your resume and Statement of Intent should reflect and highlight relevant work experience.
International Applicants
There are different documentation and admission requirements for international students. These are explained here.
Application Fee
The application fee is $50 for all applicants and must be paid when you submit your application. The fee will not be waived, deferred, or refunded. Applications will not be considered until the fee has been received. Receipt of payment will be acknowledged by email from Apply Yourself.
Deadlines*
*Rolling Admissions. However, priority consideration will be given to applications received by these deadlines.
Term of Admission |
Domestic |
International Application Deadline |
| Fall | January 15 | January 15 |
| Spring | September 15 | June 15 |
| Summer | January 15 | December 15 |
Application Processing and Notifications
The School of Information Sciences makes every effort to issue a determination about applications within 4-6 weeks of the application deadline. This is, of course, dependent upon the timely receipt of all required application materials. You will be notified via e-mail when an admissions decision has been posted to your Apply Yourself account.
Please note that, during the December–January timeframe, numerous applications are received. Due to the volume of submissions, there may be a delay in notification of receipt of materials.
You may always check your Apply Yourself account to ascertain if documentation has been received or if an admissions decision has been made. The status of your application, related documents and admission decision cannot be verified until you have submitted the application fee (which is the final step in submitting your application).
