The MS in Applied Information Technology is the very best graduate education in IT for high-potential leaders, especially those working on IT solutions that affect the federal government, industry or non-profit. Its objective is to graduate individuals of competence and character who can lead multidisciplinary teams in the design, justification, development, management, and sustainment of mega-systems from data to decision in the private and federal sectors. The MS in AIT provides a high quality curricula for students seeking to pursue their careers in the leading IT areas including Applied Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Cyber Security, Big Data Analytics, Knowledge Mining, Data Analytics in Social Media, and Cyber-Human Interaction.

The MS AIT program offers the Cyber Security, Data Analytics and Intelligence Methods, and Machine Learning Engineering concentration fully online. For the online program, courses are offered in a condensed 8-week format, with students taking one course at a time. Content of courses, objectives, evaluation methods, and outcomes are identical to those for the on-campus program. Only the delivery format is different. The online program is intended to be completed in about 2.5 years. Request additional information for the online program, learn more, or apply.

At the doctoral level, the department offers a concentration in the INFT PhD program.

Admissions

Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree from one of the Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agencies and earned a GPA of 3.00 or better in their 60 highest-level credits. They must be experienced in the fundamentals of IT and quantitative methods. Application Requirements and Deadlines are available from https://cec.gmu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/application-requirements-and-deadlines.

High achieving Mason Engineering alumni who has shown exemplary work in an undergraduate degree may consider our Fast-Track graduate admission process which requires fewer supplementary admission materials.

Banner Code: EC-MS-AIT

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 30

Completion of the MS program requires a minimum of 30 approved graduate credits (10 courses). To provide a common background in the fundamentals of information sciences and technology, all students are required to complete four core courses. In addition to the core courses, students must choose a concentration within the program by taking six courses from one of the concentration areas listed below.

Students interested in the PhD in IT program must pursue the Applied Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Cyber Security, Data Analytics and Intelligence Methods, Human-Computer Interaction, or Machine Learning Engineering concentrations. They are required to meet with an advisor before applying to the program. In addition, students must take AIT 602 and one of the following courses: AIT 699, AIT 799, or AIT 796, while they are completing their MS AIT degree.

Students in all concentrations may take other CEC graduate-level courses not listed below as part of their MS technical electives subject to prior advisor approval.

Applied Information Technology, MS Requirements

Core Courses

Required Core Courses12
For students in all concentrations except the IT Management concentration:
Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials
AI-Augmented Database Management Systems
Fundamentals of Computing Platforms
Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization
For students in the IT Management concentration:
AI-Augmented Database Management Systems
Fundamentals of Computing Platforms
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization
Total Credits12

Available Concentrations

Applied Artificial Intelligence Technologies (AAIT)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
Foundations of Applied AI
Foundations of Data Processing
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
AI Application Development
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Topics in Applied Information Technology
Introduction to Research in Applied Information Technology
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Interactive Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Human-AI Interaction
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Introduction to Applied Machine Learning
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Capstone Seminar
AI and Cybersecurity
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Research Project
Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
Applied Machine Learning
Advanced Special Topics in Applied Information Technology
Master's Thesis
Total Credits18

Cyber Security (CYBR)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
Cyber Security Fundamentals
Cloud Computing Security
Secure Software Development
Network and Systems Security
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Topics in Applied Information Technology
Introduction to Research in Applied Information Technology
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
Interpretable Machine Learning
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Identity and Access Management
Capstone Seminar
IoT and Edge Systems
IoT Security
AI and Cybersecurity
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Research Project
Cyber Security: Emerging Threats and Countermeasures
Incident Handling and Penetration Testing
Advanced Special Topics in Applied Information Technology
Master's Thesis
Total Credits18

Data Analytics and Intelligence Methods (DAIN)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
Foundations of Data Processing
Metadata Analytics for Big Data
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Intelligence Analysis Methods
Data Analytics in Social Media
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Topics in Applied Information Technology
Introduction to Research in Applied Information Technology
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
Rapid Information Systems Prototyping
Knowledge Mining from Big-Data
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Interpretable Machine Learning
Interaction Design and Accessibility
Introduction to Applied Machine Learning
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Interactive Visualization and Data Analytics
Capstone Seminar
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Research Project
Rapid Development of Scalable Applications
Advanced Human Computer Interaction
Theories and Models in Geo-Social Data Analytics
Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
Advanced Web Analytics Using Semantics
Applied Machine Learning
Applied Deep Learning
Advanced Special Topics in Applied Information Technology
Master's Thesis
Total Credits18

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction
Introduction to Interaction Design
Introduction to Research in Applied Information Technology
Interactive Visualization and Data Analytics
Advanced Human Computer Interaction
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
Interactive Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Human-AI Interaction
Interaction Design and Accessibility
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Capstone Seminar
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Research Project
Advanced Special Topics in Applied Information Technology
Master's Thesis
Accessibility and Assistive Technologies
Total Credits18

IT Management (ITMG)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
Foundations of Data Processing
Determining Needs for Complex Big Data Systems
Cyber Security Fundamentals
Capstone Seminar
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Metadata Analytics for Big Data
Topics in Applied Information Technology
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
Rapid Information Systems Prototyping
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Advanced Information Security Risk Management
Cloud Computing Security
Identity and Access Management
Intelligence Analysis Methods
Law and Ethics of Big Data
IoT and Edge Systems
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Total Credits18

Machine Learning Engineering (MLE)

Foundation
Select four courses from the following:12
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Interpretable Machine Learning
Applied Machine Learning
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
Introduction to Applied Machine Learning
Project Management Concepts and Methods
Capstone Seminar
Advanced Topics in Applied Information Technology
Theories and Models in Geo-Social Data Analytics
Data Analytics in Social Media
Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
Applied Deep Learning
Advanced Special Topics in Applied Information Technology
Master's Thesis
Total Credits18

Online Applied Information Technology, MS Requirements

Core Courses

Required Courses
AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials3
AIT 524AI-Augmented Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3
Total Credits12

Available Concentrations

Applied Artificial Intelligence Technologies (AAIT)

Foundation12
Foundations of Applied AI
Foundations of Data Processing
Information Technology, Ethics, and Society
AI Application Development
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Total Credits18

Cyber Security (CYBR)

Foundation12
Cyber Security Fundamentals
Cloud Computing Security
Secure Software Development
Network and Systems Security
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Identity and Access Management
Applied Machine Learning
Total Credits18

Data Analytics and Intelligence Methods (DAIN)

Foundation12
Foundations of Data Processing
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Knowledge Mining from Big-Data
Intelligence Analysis Methods
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Applied Machine Learning
Total Credits18

Machine Learning Engineering (MLE)

Foundation12
AI-Driven Big Data Essentials
Natural Language Processing: Theory and Practice
Interpretable Machine Learning
Applied Machine Learning
Electives
Select two courses from the following:6
Programming Essentials
Foundations of Applied AI
Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
Applied Deep Learning
Total Credits18

Applied Science, BAS (Cyber Security Concentration)/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the combined Bachelor's/Accelerated master's degree pathway program (accelerated master's) and obtain a bachelor's degree (BAS) in Applied Science, and a Master of Science (MS) in Applied information Technology. This BAS to MS pathway is only open to students within the Cyber Security concentration of BAS.

This accelerated option is offered jointly by the undergraduate BAS program and the graduate Applied Information Technology program in the College of Engineering and Computing.

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.

Students in an accelerated master’s degree program must fulfill all university
requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and accelerated master's degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see the BAS website and consult with a BAS academic advisor.

Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minim of 60 credits, and a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher. 

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and any pathway-specific course pre-requisites.

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

Undergraduate students already admitted to the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the intended master's program if they have met the following criteria, that will be verified:

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing courses: Students must complete at least 3 credits from the following list of graduate-level courses, while in undergraduate status, up to a maximum of 12 credits. Within the BAS, Cyber Security concentration these courses apply towards Technical Focus requirements. 

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials 13
or AIT 655 Project Management Concepts and Methods
AIT 524AI-Augmented Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3
1

When selecting between AIT 512 and AIT 655, students should select the course that aligns with the Applied Information Technology, MS concentration they intend to pursue. AIT 655 applies only to the IT Management (ITMG) concentration. AIT 512 applies to all other concentrations. Students are encouraged to verify course selection with a program advisor.

Reserve credit courses: Students have the option to complete up to 6 credits of graduate-level coursework while in undergraduate status that will only count towards the graduate degree program. Since course selection is dependent upon the student's planned Applied Information Technology, MS concentration, students must consult with a program advisor to select applicable coursework.

For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree and AP.1. Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates.

Applied Science, BAS (Data Analytics Concentration)/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the combined Bachelor's/Accelerated master's degree pathway program (accelerated master's) and obtain a bachelor's degree (BAS) in Applied Science, and a Master of Science (MS) in Applied Information Technology. This BAS to MS pathway is only open to students within the Data Analytics concentration of BAS.

This accelerated option is offered jointly by the undergraduate BAS program and the graduate Applied Information Technology program in the College of Engineering and Computing.

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.

Students in an accelerated master’s degree program must fulfill all university
requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and accelerated master's degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see the BAS website and consult with a BAS academic advisor.

Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minim of 60 credits, and a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher. 

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and any pathway-specific course pre-requisites.

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

Undergraduate students already admitted to the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the intended master's program if they have met the following criteria, that will be verified:

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing courses: Students must complete at least 3 credits from the following list of graduate-level courses, while in undergraduate status, up to a maximum of 9 credits. Within the BAS, Data Analytics concentration these courses apply towards Applied Coursework requirements. 

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials 13
or AIT 580 Foundations of Data Processing
AIT 524AI-Augmented Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3
1

When selecting between AIT 512 and AIT 580, students should select the course that aligns with the Applied Information Technology, MS concentration they intend to pursue.

Reserve credit courses: Students have the option to complete up to 6 credits of graduate-level coursework while in undergraduate status that will only count towards the graduate degree program. Courses may be selected from the list above, or in consultation with a program advisor. As the Applied Information Technology, MS program has several concentrations with unique requirements, students must be sure to select courses not listed above only if they align with their intended Applied Information Technology, MS concentration. 

For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree and AP.1. Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates.

Information Technology, BS/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the combined bachelor's and accelerated master's degree pathway program (accelerated master's) and obtain an Information Technology, BS and an Applied Information Technology, MS in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits (total number of required credits depends on the requirements of both the undergraduate and graduate programs).

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program. 

Students in an accelerated master’s degree program must fulfill all university
requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and accelerated master's degree policies

Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits and with an overall GPA of at least 3.30. 

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and any pathway-specific course pre-requisites.

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

Undergraduate students already admitted to the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the intended master’s program, if they have met the following criteria, that will be verified:

  • Submission of BAM Transition Form by stated deadline.
  • Sufficient minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA for conferred undergraduate degree (which does not include any earned reserve graduate credits).
  • Completion of approved advanced standing courses and any reserve graduate courses that have met the minimum grade requirement.
  • Successful completion of required minimum of 120 credits needed for undergraduate degree conferral (after exclusion any satisfactory reserve graduate credits earned).
  • Successfully meeting George Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and timely submitting the application for graduation.

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree
programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing courses: Students must complete at least 3 credits from the following list of graduate-level courses, while in undergraduate status, up to a maximum of 12 credits.

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials (satisfies the IT 306 requirement in the BS INFT program)3
AIT 524AI-Augmented Database Management Systems (satisfies the IT 314 requirement in the BS INFT program)3
AIT 536Foundations of Applied AI (satisfies IT 371)3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms (satisfies the IT 342 requirement in the BS INFT program)3
AIT 580Foundations of Data Processing (satisfies the IT 374 requirement in the BS INFT program)3
AIT 618Human-AI Interaction (satisfies SYST 469)3
AIT 646Introduction to Applied Machine Learning (satosfies IT 416)3
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization (satisfies IT 373 requirement in the BS INFT program)3
AIT 670Cloud Computing Security (satisfies IT 481)3
AIT 682Network and Systems Security (satisfies the IT 366 requirement in the BS INFT program)3

Reserve credit courses: Students may complete up to 6 credits, while in undergraduate student status, of graduate-level coursework from the list above that will only count toward the graduate degree program. 

For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree and AP.1. Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates.

Mechanical Engineering, BS/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a Mechanical Engineering, BS and an Applied Information Technology, MS in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 139 credits.

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.

Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies. 

Mechanical Engineering, BS Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and course-specific pre-requisites.

The criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Applied Information Technology, MS program.

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing Courses

Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for both the BS and MS programs. Up to four courses (12 credits) of approved master’s level courses taken as part of the undergraduate degree may be applied to the graduate degree.

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials 13
AIT 524AI-Augmented Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 655Project Management Concepts and Methods 23
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3
1

This course should be selected for all concentrations except for the IT Management concentration

2

This course should be selected for the IT Management concentration

While still in undergraduate status, a maximum of 6 additional graduate credits may be taken as reserve graduate credit and applied to the master's program. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a graduate advisor to select reserve graduate credits. Reserve credits must come from courses that fulfill the intended master’s degree requirements. Reserve graduate credits do not apply to the undergraduate degree. 

Degree Conferral

Students must apply the semester before they expect to complete the BS requirements to have the BS degree conferred. In addition, at the beginning of the student's final undergraduate semester, students must complete a Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form. At the completion of MS requirements, a master's degree is conferred.