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Curriculum for MS29

For Students Starting the MSIN in Fall 2017 (MS29)

The MSIN curriculum consists of three main components: the core courses, restricted electives, and a curriculum option.

Course Lists

The core courses establish the necessary background and a common competence level, and the restricted elective courses build upon the core. Students can choose from a wide variety of technical and management elective courses according to their interests and career needs.

For the curriculum option, students have unprecedented flexibility to customize the program according to their career goals, whether they want to focus on an industry or specialized area of study.

Core Course Requirements 72 units
Restricted Electives 36 units
Curriculum Option 36 units
Internship 0 units
Total  144 units

Please note: Students that choose the Cyber Forensics and Incident Response Track do not add any additional units. The forensics track consists of 48 units, which will be fulfilled by one security elective (12 units) and the curriculum option (36 units). All INI students are required to complete a summer internship as part of their degree program. 

Disclaimer: The INI cannot guarantee that courses will be offered each semester or in a specific semester as advertised below. Students must refer to the 'Schedule of Classes' to determine course availability. The INI cannot guarantee that a student will be offered a seat in a specific course.  These apply to courses at the INI as well as other departments at Carnegie Mellon. In addition, it is the sole responsibility of the student to read and understand the following information regarding this program and its requirements. Should an individual have any further questions, they are encouraged to contact INI Academic Affairs Office (AAO) at ini-enrollment@andrew.cmu.edu for assistance.

MSIN Curriculum Framework

*Please review the additional course information for all prerequisites. 

72 Units Core Courses

Of these units, 60 are Networking & Systems courses and 12 management courses. 

12 units: Choose from one course below

14-642: Introduction to Embedded Systems (FALL) 
15-605: Operating System Design and Implementation (FALL or SPRING)

12 units: choose from one course below 

14-740: Fundamentals of Telecommunications and Computer Networks (FALL or SPRING)
18-756: Packet Switching and Computer Networks (FALL)
15-641: Computer Networks (FALL)
14-760: Advanced Real-World Data Networks (SPRING) 

24 units

Courses from ECE/CS in the areas of Software Systems & Computer Networking and Signal Processing & Communications. Please refer to the MSIN Core Courses list on the Course List page.

12 units

14-736: Distributed Systems: Techniques, Infrastructure, and Services 

6 units

14-774: Managerial Economics (FALL or SPRING)

6 units

14-775: Business Management (FALL or SPRING)

36 Units Restricted Electives

Students have the opportunity to pursue a wide range of electives in which they have a special interest. Restricted electives may not be taken as pass/no pass/audit. 

12 units: choose one from below

Course must be from the INI (14-XXX), ECE (18-XXX), or CS (15-XXX) that are numbered 300 or above
or
One of the following EPP courses: 19-608, 19-682, 19-712, 19-713, or 19-784. 

24 units

The remaining 24 units are fulfilled by any approved courses in the Heinz College or Tepper School or any courses* in ECE, EPP, ETC, School of Computer Science, INI, or III that are numbered 300 or above. 
Some exceptions apply. 

36 Units Curriculum Option 

choose one of the following: 

Course Option: Set of courses that will equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in industry. 

Development-Based Project: Students increase their knowledge and skills in delivering successful solutions for industry. 

Thesis Research Paper: Allows students to delve deeply into a problem and create a solution for a research-based project, providing the opportunity to gain significant knowledge and skills in a particular area. 

0 Units Internship

All students must complete an INI-approved internship 

The MSIN is 144 units in total. 

*Please review the additional course information for all pre-requisites. 

14-642: Introduction to Embedded Systems (FALL)

15-605: Operating System Design and Implementation (FALL or SPRING) Prerequisite: 15-513 Introduction to Computer Systems (SUMMER, FALL or SPRING) or 18-600 Foundations of Computer Systems. Students must receive at least a 'B' in 15-513 to be eligible to take 15-605, with priority given to those who receive an 'A'

18-756: Packet Switching and Computer Networks (FALL) Prerequisite: either prior networking coursework or 18-345 Introduction to Telecommunication Networks (SPRING); 18-345 is considered overlapping with 14-740.

14-740: Fundamentals of Telecommunications and Computer Networks (FALL or SPRING)

15-641: Computer Networks (FALL) Prerequisite: 15-513 Introduction to Computer Systems (SUMMER, FALL or SPRING) or 18-600 Foundations of Computer Systems.

Academic Advisor

Developing your course plan can be a daunting task due to the flexibility and options within each INI program.

Your advisor can provide advice about developing a plan that best fits your interests, needs and goals.

MS29 MSIN Advisor

Headshot of MS29 MSIN Advisor Greg Kesden

Email Professor Greg Kesden 

Cyber Forensics and Incident Response Track (CyFIR)

The CyFIR Track is made up of the following courses:

  • 14-761 Applied Information Assurance (prerequisite to all other track courses) (FALL or SPRING)
  • 14-822 Host-Based Forensics (SPRING)
  • 14-823 Network Forensics (FALL)
  • 14-832 Cyber Forensics and Incident Response Capstone (SPRING)