Global interconnectivity requires the continuous expansion and evolution of network infrastructure, in response to trends in e-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, mobile data and enterprise operations. To assure the continuous operation of this infrastructure, companies need highly educated and technically proficient individuals with the vision to anticipate and build systems for emerging communication needs. This course-based degree prepares students to join the next generation of leaders in Internet, cloud and intranet networking. Students will learn how to develop, build and maintain network solutions tailored to the diverse needs of your organization within the private or public sectors.
The intended audience for the Network Engineering program is both working professionals trying to develop or update their technical skills and abilities to match the latest requirements of the Internet service and cloud provider landscapes, as well as new entrants to this industry pursuing academic, professional or research success.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program
Students may earn this degree as part of the bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program, which allows currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time.
For more information, see the Accelerated Master's tab for the associated bachelor's degree(s):
Requirements
Admission Requirements
Applicants for graduate study in network engineering must hold at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. We recommend that candidates have at least some experience in network engineering, system administration, or network programming.
A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) is required for admission to the graduate program.
Program Requirements
Degree Plan
As a course-based professional MS program, this is considered a Plan II: Non-Thesis program.
Students must complete a total of 30 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework with a grade of C or better and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
Students will take courses in the following categories: fundamentals (6 credit hours), core (6 credit hours), advanced electives (9 credit hours) and electives (9 credit hours).
Course Requirements
The following requirements are subject to change; for the most current information, visit the department's Professional MS Network Engineering Degree Program Requirements webpage.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals Requirement | ||
| The courses in the fundamentals category are designed to provide students with the background they need to succeed in this degree. Courses in this category cover the fundamental concepts of how the internet operates; how to develop network systems; and how to administer the machines (both physical and virtual) that deploy them. | ||
| Students are required to take two courses (6 credit hours) from the fundamentals category unless they can demonstrate that they have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge via their undergraduate degree. Such students can petition to take up to two extra elective or advanced elective courses instead. Only 6 credit hours from the fundamentals category can count towards the degree. | ||
| Choose two: | 6 | |
| Fundamentals of Data Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Network Programming | ||
| Fundamentals of System Administration and Virtualization | ||
| Core Requirement | ||
| The courses in the core category begin to lay the foundation for exploring network engineering topics in depth. All aspects of network engineering from the management of network systems to the policies that govern traffic on the internet to the wireless systems that deliver information to devices on the edge are all covered. | ||
| Students are required to take two courses (6 credit hours) from the core category to help set the stage for taking courses in the advanced electives category. Students can be guided in their choice of core courses by referring to the suggested focus areas section below to craft a curriculum plan that best meets their academic goals. If a student feels that they need to take more courses from the core category, they can certainly do so by choosing to take additional core classes and applying those credit hours towards meeting the credit hours associated with the electives category. | ||
| Choose two: | 6 | |
| Linux System Administration | ||
| Introduction to Enterprise Networks | ||
| IP Routing Protocols and Policies | ||
| Network Management and Automation | ||
| Introduction to Wireless Systems | ||
| Wireless Local Area Networks | ||
| Wireless Systems Lab | ||
| Advanced Electives Requirement | ||
| The courses in the advanced electives category go in-depth on a variety of network engineering topics. Students are required to take three courses (9 credit hours) of advanced electives to graduate. | ||
| Choose three: | 9 | |
| Voice Over IP: Voice Network Design and Implementation | ||
| Datacenter Networks | ||
| IP Network Design | ||
| Software-Defined Networking | ||
| Internet Service Provider Networks | ||
| Network Virtualization and Orchestration | ||
| Advanced Wireless Lab | ||
| Wireless and Cellular Systems | ||
| Advanced Network Automation | ||
| Current Topics in Computer Science (Special Topics in Cloud Technologies) | ||
| Electives Requirement | ||
| The three courses (9 credit hours) associated with the electives category allow students to customize the MS in Network Engineering degree to meet their academic goals. These credit hours can include any of the following options: any of the remaining core courses, any of the remaining advanced elective courses, any CS 5000-level course, at most three graduate-level courses (9 credit hours) from outside CS approved by petition. For the last two options, students are encouraged to submit petitions to the CS graduate committee before taking the courses they want to apply to the electives category. | ||
| An additional 9 credit hours are required to complete the degree, with restrictions 1, 2 | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Certain courses are not eligible to count to the MSNE degree program. Consult the program website for the most up-to-date information. |
| 2 | No more than 9 credit hours of non-CS graduate coursework can be counted to the degree. |
Suggested Focus Areas
The following sets of courses represent common focus areas that students can take to target a particular area of network engineering in depth.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Area Courses | ||
| Network Design and Configuration | ||
| Introduction to Enterprise Networks | ||
| Datacenter Networks | ||
| Internet Service Provider Networks | ||
| Network Programmability and Automation | ||
| Network Management and Automation | ||
| Software-Defined Networking | ||
| Network Virtualization and Orchestration | ||
| Advanced Network Automation | ||
| Wireless Networking | ||
| Introduction to Wireless Systems | ||
| Wireless Local Area Networks | ||
| Advanced Wireless Lab | ||
| Wireless and Cellular Systems | ||
| Comprehensive Networking Solutions | ||
| Introduction to Enterprise Networks | ||
| IP Routing Protocols and Policies | ||
| Voice Over IP: Voice Network Design and Implementation | ||
| Introduction to Wireless Systems | ||
| IP Network Design | ||
Time Limit
Learning Outcomes
Network engineering education prepares students to become the individuals responsible for the design, construction and operation of data communication systems. Network engineering and automation teaches students how to develop, build and maintain network solutions tailored to the diverse needs of the industry within the private or public sectors.
Global interconnectivity requires the continuous expansion and evolution of its infrastructure, in response to the latest trends in e-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, mobile data and enterprise operations. To assure the continuous operation of this infrastructure the industry needs a constant supply of highly technical individuals with both the knowledge and the vision to anticipate and build for upcoming communication needs. The professional master’s in network engineering (MSNE) would prepare students via technical and management courses to be the next leaders in Internet, Cloud and Intranet networking.
The curriculum will use an applied interdisciplinary approach through lab-based courses in multiple disciplines to give students the skills they will need to:
- Gain expertise in designing, building and deploying scalable network architectures using multi-vendor solutions.
- Develop skills in using programming and automation to manage networks, identify critical issues and resolve problems at scale.
- Create and deploy software-defined solutions to enhance network intelligence, performance and resilience.
- Effectively plan, scope and manage complex network projects while communicating technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
Evaluation Methods
- Complete the required course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0.