Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program
Encyclopedia
The Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program (its acronym is ITP) is a part of the University of Colorado at Boulder
and offers graduate degrees in telecommunications: a Master of Science
in Telecommunications and a Master of Engineering
in Telecommunications. It is the oldest telecommunications program in the United States and was founded in 1971 by Frank S. Barnes (Engineering) and George Codding (deceased, International Relations). Since its inception, ITP has taken an interdisciplinary approach to telecommunications, involving the study of engineering
, law
, politics
, economics
and business
. Over the course of the past 35 years, ITP has graduated approximately 2,000 alumni who are in various positions around the world as CEOs, government officials, and management.
In 2004, ITP founder Frank S. Barnes was awarded the prestigious Gordon Prize
for having founded ITP due to its innovative character and the influence that it has had within academia and industry. As the first program of its kind in the United States, it broke ground for the many academic programs that followed. When Peterson's
first started listing telecommunications programs in 1996, the director of ITP was asked to write the introduction on the topic for Peterson’s publisher. There is no question that many other prominent university programs have been directly influenced by ITP. For further information, there is now a consortium of universities that teach the telecommunications discipline, known as ITERA
.
Students may participate in the program through either full-time academic study on campus or by participating in a distance-education platform.
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
and offers graduate degrees in telecommunications: a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Telecommunications and a Master of Engineering
Master of Engineering
A Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
in Telecommunications. It is the oldest telecommunications program in the United States and was founded in 1971 by Frank S. Barnes (Engineering) and George Codding (deceased, International Relations). Since its inception, ITP has taken an interdisciplinary approach to telecommunications, involving the study of engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. Over the course of the past 35 years, ITP has graduated approximately 2,000 alumni who are in various positions around the world as CEOs, government officials, and management.
In 2004, ITP founder Frank S. Barnes was awarded the prestigious Gordon Prize
Gordon Prize
The Bernard M. Gordon Prize was started in 2001 by the United States National Academy of Engineering. Its purpose is to recognize leaders in academia for the development of new educational approaches to engineering...
for having founded ITP due to its innovative character and the influence that it has had within academia and industry. As the first program of its kind in the United States, it broke ground for the many academic programs that followed. When Peterson's
Peterson's
Peterson’s, founded in 1966, is an American company offering a wide range of live, print, and online products and services including test preparation, school searches, financial aid searches, career exploration tools, and professional writing services...
first started listing telecommunications programs in 1996, the director of ITP was asked to write the introduction on the topic for Peterson’s publisher. There is no question that many other prominent university programs have been directly influenced by ITP. For further information, there is now a consortium of universities that teach the telecommunications discipline, known as ITERA
ITERA
ITERA is the acronym for the International Telecommunications Education and Research Association. ITERA is a 501 non-profit organization and was founded on the principle that leading educational institutions can greatly benefit from cooperative development of curricular and research...
.
Students may participate in the program through either full-time academic study on campus or by participating in a distance-education platform.
Prominent Alumni
- Sharon K. Black, ITP's first graduate (class of 1971) international lawyer, adjunct professor and author of the book Telecommunications Law in the Internet Age (ISBN 1-55860-546-0)
- Claus F. Kroeger, Senior Vice President, Operations, Cox CommunicationsCox CommunicationsCox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
- Michelle A. McClure, lawyer and partner at the Washington D.C. communications law firm Irwin, Campbell & Tannenwald, P.C.
- Thomas E Moore, founder and former CEO of Wild BlueWild BlueWild Blue may refer to*WildBlue, a two-way satellite ISP subdivision of ViaSat*The Wild Blue: The Novel of the U.S. Air Force, 1986 book by Walter J. Boyne and Steven L. Thompson*The Wild Blue, 2001 book by Stephen Ambrose...
- David Weiss, former Chairman, President and CEO of StorageTek (now part of Sun MicrosystemsSun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
)