All candidates are required to submit an application for admission to the graduate program along with the official transcripts from previous institutions attended. Applicants are required to appear in the aptitude test for admission. However, those who have appeared in the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and GRE-type test (arranged by any recognized Institution) are also acceptable for admission.

Applicants are expected to meet the following requirements:

• A Baccalaureate degree in the Computer/Electronics/Telecom/Electrical Engineering/Sciences or in a related field. (Students who do not have an Engineering/Sciences background may have to take additional courses).

t is expected that prospective students of this program will have an adequate background in the following areas: C programming language, probability and statistics, and calculus. A set of prerequisite courses is available to bridge any gap in the technical background. All prerequisite courses must be taken unless waived by the admission committee with the approval of the Dean.

Course Work

The courses are divided into two major categories: core courses and electives. An MS student will be required to take all the core courses and the remaining courses are elective and can be selected from the elective list

Thesis/Project

Students will conduct research under the supervision of a faculty member in the Computing and Technology Department. It is recommended that during the first year into the graduate program a student must identify a faculty member of the department as advisor, and must choose MS thesis/project topic from a given list of projects. Students are encouraged to select projects of their own interest (but is subject to the availability of relevant equipment and faculty member to supervise the project).

For the oral exam, the student after consulting his/her advisor will suggest two faculty members for the examining committee, for the defense of his/her thesis, to the Dean Iqra University . One member of the committee could be from outside the Department, or from other accredited institution in Pakistan/abroad, or from the industry. In the case of industry, the member must hold at least a Master's degree in the relevant field. Upon successful defense, the student will submit his/her thesis for the award of degree. Minimum GPA requirements for graduation is 3.0.

Semester 1

TLC501 Telecommunication Systems

This course is related to the technical aspects of the transmission of voice, data, and video traffic over long distances. Topics covered include Data Networks (Ethernet and Token Ring Local Area Networks; FDDI and SMDS Metropolitan Networks; Internet, Frame Relay, and ATM Wide Area Networks); The Telephone System (POTs, Network Synchronization and Switching, ISDN, SONET, Cellular Telephone); and Video.

TLC503 Digital Communication

Covers fundamentals of digital communications and coding and the basic structure of a communication system. Topics include coding systems, linear block codes, soft and hard decision decoding, performance of linear block codes, cyclic codes, convolutional codes, Viterbi decoding, error probability bounds, concatenated codes, MAP decoding, Trellis code modulation, communication over band-limited channels, ISI, Nyquist conditions, raised cosine signaling, partial response signaling, equalization techniques and communication over fading channels. Digital modulation schemes and their spectral characterization including PAM, MPSK, QAM, OQPSK, MSK, pi/4-QPSK, CPFSK, CPM, and GMSK; and orthogonal, biortogonal, and simplex signaling. Explores optimal receiver design and probability of error derivation for various systems.

TLC512 Advanced Networking

This course discusses the principles that guided the Internet design, critique them and discuss limitations of the current design. Recent research, both covering new and alternative approaches to classical problems, and early work in new areas will be discussed. This course also presents a critique of the network architecture, and focus on new and emerging trends in Internet design and research. This course is not only intended to prepare a student for research in Networking, Distributed Computing and related areas, but is also intended to be broad enough to expose a student outside the area to state-of-the-art Networking research.

TLC505 Research Methodology

This course discusses the elementary principles of the philosophy and methods of science; research planning, including problem analysis and project planning; preparation, criticism, and oral presentation of study plans; communication of research findings; limitations of research techniques; and structure of research organizations. Emphasis is placed on understanding how choices over methodology shape data collection and results, and the various qualitative and quantitative efforts currently being employed to address complex problems. Participatory action research methodologies and survey methods are discussed in brief; the primary emphasis of the course will be on both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

TLC541 Telecommunications Policy and regulations

Introduces students to the policy and regulations related the field of telecommunications. Provides an understanding of the regulatory environment of the telecommunications industry. Topics include universal service, service quality tariffs, market restrictions and segmentation, the current competitive environment in Pakistan and internationally, interconnection including unbundling, collocation, economic issues, and global trends in market reform.

TLC507 Wireless Communication

This course is about different aspects of wireless communication such as cellular mobile radio, personal communication services (PCS), and wireless LANs (local area networks). Also discussed are topics related to cellular system design, frequency reuse, channel assignment, handoff, power control, cell splitting, sectorization and system capacity. Radio propagation, path-loss models, log-normal shadowing, determination of coverage area, multipath and fading, statistical models for indoor and outdoor channels. Signal design principles and bit error rate and outage probability on fading channels. Multiple access for wireless systems: frequency, time, code and space division multiple access (FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, SDMA). Wireless networking (packet-reservation multiple access, switching, mobility management for PCS). Standards for wireless systems: AMPS, IS-54, IS-95 ( U.S. digital cellular based on CDMA), GSM (Global Systems Mobile) and the WCDMA based systems.

TLC514 Network Design

This course discusses methods and techniques for the design of computer/telecommunication networks. Management and business perspectives on network design, estimation of traffic demand and application requirements, network cost analysis, topological design, capacity assignment,  graph theory and optimization based design algorithms, virtual network design, network design tools, wireless network design issues, availability analysis and survivable network design.

TLC509 Mobile Technologies

This course introduces the students to mobile communication technologies, especially that based on CDMA. Topics discussed includes the theory and application of code division multiple access (CDMA) techniques for digital wireless communications. Emphasis will be on CDMA in mobile cellular communications. Other topics such as OFDMA and MIMO based communication systems will also be discussed in the course.

List of Electives

TLC531 Network Communications and Performance Engineering

Presents principles for the design and analysis of modern communications networks. Uses the concept of a layered network architecture as a framework for understanding the functions and services of reliable end- to-end communications. Analyzes different switching and multiplexing techniques within the context of network session requirements and network traffic characterization. Introduces performance modeling with intermediate-level problems in queuing theory. Discusses routing, emphasizing correctness, stability, and performance of fundamental algorithms. Considers flow and congestion control strategies within the context of end-to-end session requirements and global network performance.

TLC532 Switching Systems

Public switched telephone network, the telephone and the local loop architecture, inter-exchange networks, and signaling. Evolution of switching technology and architectures and a comparison of various systems. Traffic statistics and the theory of space-division and time-division switching networks. A segment of the course is devoted towards the concept of soft switch and its us in the NGNs.

TLC533 Satellite Communication

This course covers advanced topics in satellite communications systems. After a review of basic concepts, the following topics are addressed: the distinctions between digital and nondigital communications systems; reasons for preferring some forms of modulation and coding over others for spacecraft implementation; the relationships between spectrum management, signal propagation characteristics, orbitology, constellation design; protocol design and usage; GPS; digital audio radio satellites; the use of geostationary satellites for mobile telephone systems; satellite television; and VSAT terminals. This course also analyzes issues surrounding the current and future design and use of satellite communications systems.

TLC513 Advanced Network Security

Studies the theory and practice of computer security, focusing on the security aspects of multi-user systems and the internet.  Introduces cryptographic tools such as encryption, key exchange, hashing and digital signatures in terms of their applicability to maintaining network security.  Discusses security protocols for mobile networks.  Topics include:  firewalls, viruses, Trojan horses, password security, biometrics, VPNs, internet protocols such as SSL, IPSec, PGP, SNMP and others. 

TLC534 Signal Processing in Wireless Communication

This course teaches digital signal processing techniques for wireless communications. It consists of two parts. Part 1 covers basic DSP fundamentals, such as DFT, FFT, IIR and FIR filters, and DSP algorithms (ZF, ML, MMSE). Part 2 covers DSP applications in wireless communications. Various physical layer issues in wireless communications are addressed, including channel estimation, adaptive equalization, synchronization, interference cancellation, OFDM, multi-user detection and rake receiver in CDMA, space-time coding, and smart antenna.

TLC521 Advanced Artificial Neural Networks

The goal of the course is to give the students advanced knowledge about neural networks, computational as well as biological aspects, and about the use of different methods based on artificial neural networks (ANN). Advantages and limitations of the ANN-based techniques of today as well as their technical potentials will be discussed in detail. Course will also application of Neural Networks in Communications.

TLC535 IP Telephony

Provides a comprehensive overview of IP telephony architectures and protocols, with emphasis on SIP, the Session Initiation Protocol. Topics include a review of classical circuit-switched telephony, especially signaling; a review of IP networking, especially routing and addressing; peer and master-slave protocols for IP telephony (SIP, H.323, MGCP); speech coding; the transport of real-time traffic over IP (RTP and RTCP); bandwidth control; and issues in network quality of service, such as traffic modeling, dimensioning, and QoS mechanisms.

TLC514 Advanced Network Programming

This course covers the programming aspects of computer networks. This will include an introduction to various network protocols and to programming with sockets. Topics covered include the terminology, OSI and TCP/IP reference Models, layered architecture, data link layer: protocols, ethernet, bridges. Protocols: IP, TCP, UDP, FTP, PPP, ARP, RARP, ICMP, DNS, SNMP, SMTP, NFS. Networking Commands: netstat, ifconfig, ping, traceroute, tcpdump, sock, telnet, rlogin. Sockets: C/C++, Java, NT. Application Layer: security, SNMP, mail, WWW.

TLC515 Mobile Computing

Introduces the fundamental techniques and protocols in first- and second-generation, and emerging third-generation, wireless systems. Examines how mobility affects networks, systems, and applications. Mobility of devices and end-users has behavioral implications at all layers of the Internet protocol stack, from the MAC layer up through the application layer. Handling mobility efficiently requires more information sharing between network layers than is typically considered. Also introduces students to the problems and current research in the provision of quality of service (QoS) in wireless networks. Methodology includes lectures, textbooks, and emphasis on readings from relevant literature.

TLC536 Application Development for Mobile Devices

Focus on information system applications that run on top of wireless infrastructure such as multimedia messaging, mobile inventory control, location aware services including wireless technologies (GSM, CDMA2000, UMTS, 802.11, Bluetooth), mobile information systems and applications (M-Business, location-based services, wireless CRN), wireless information system challenges and architectures (security, reliability, mobility, power conservation, gateways, proxies), mobile application protocols (SMS, EMS, MMS, WAP), thin and thick client mobile application development (WML, VXML, Java, J2ME, J2EE, .NETCF, C#), and business case studies of mobile applications

TLC542 Industry overview and telecommunication management

Overview of telecommunications industry, technology, regulatory environment, and current topics in telephone services (wireless and wireline), business data services, CATV, and Internet services and providers (including JAVA and HTML). Managerial and strategic aspects of telecommunications technologies. Major technological, legal, and regulatory developments (national and international) are studied as they have molded the structure of the current telecommunications industry. The course traces the progression of early legislation, the regulated monopoly, antitrust, divestiture, and recent legislation that has led to the current industry environment of competition and incipient integration of different industry segments. The roles of various national and international institutions in shaping the telecommunications industry are discussed. Guest speakers from the telecommunications industry will be invited.

TLC543 Telecommunication System Analysis, Planning and Design

Involves introduction to the basic system analysis tools and the procedures for conducting a system analysis. Topics include system requirements, the initial analysis, the general feasibility study, structured analysis, detailed analysis, logical design, and the general system proposal. Current system documentation through use of classical and structured tools and techniques for describing flows, data flows, data structures, file designs, input and output designs, and program specifications. The student will gain practical experience through a project.

TLC544 International Telecommunication Management

Issues in international telecommunications; survey of key organizations, e.g., ITU, GATT, INTELSAT, etc.; telecommunications and economic development; international trade in services, competition, and regulation; standards; and trans-border data flow issues

TLC537 Advanced Telecommunication and Mobile Networking Lab

This course gives the student to work on state of the art telecomm systems in the labs. Furthermore, live data collection through drive out tests will be part of the course. A major portion of the time will be spent on analyzing the collected data using different post processing tools.

TLC545 Financial Decision Making and Risk Analysis

Review of accounting and finance with emphasis on the use of financial information in the decision-making process.  Investing, financial accounting, and capital budgeting in the business environment.  Recommended for telecommunications students with little accounting or finance background.