Wireless and Network Engineering

• Through an innovative curriculum combining concepts from electrical and computer engineering, students are prepared to cover the protocol stack in its entirety, from communications and signal processing to networking and applications.
• Students will find extensive experiential opportunities offered through industry and government collaborations facilitated by the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things at Northeastern.
• Advanced on-campus facilities and their unique provisions, including being among one of the nation’s only FCC-designated Spectrum Innovation Zones, afford access to cutting-edge technologies in the field of communication networks.

Cisco projects that by 2023, 66% of the global population will be internet users, and the number of devices connected to the internet will be more than three times the global population. An estimated 70% of the global population will have mobile connectivity-10% through 5G devices. In the coming years, 5G and 6G systems will affect every part of the U.S. economy, creating 4.6 million jobs by 2034. Qualified applicants will be in high demand for jobs across educational institutions, federal agencies, and national research labs. Graduates of the MS in Wireless and Network Engineering will come to these careers with skills ranging from hardware design and electromagnetic characterization to communication techniques and networking protocols for 5G, 6G, and beyond.

Northeastern’s Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things maintains strong relationships with leading companies in the wireless, defense, computing, and manufacturing fields that sponsor its research-creating unique co-op and research opportunities for students. Students conduct research and experiential projects at the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things, a leading center for next-generation wireless and wired communication networks-with emphasis on 6G wireless systems, machine learning applications for network orchestration and management, and overall large-scale experimental research.

Students have the use of test beds such as Colosseum, the world’s largest wireless RF emulation platform, as well as X-Mili and TeraNova, the largest millimeter-wave and terahertz networking platforms in the nation. Students are also given exclusive access to on-campus FCC-designated Spectrum Innovation Zones-among only a few such zones in the nation. Northeastern is also one of only a handful of universities that are part of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies.

Northeastern is an R1 research institution ranked No. 1 in internships/co-ops by U.S. News & World Report. Its research at the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things is supported by several companies and institutions.

Applications received after the stated deadline dates will be accepted and processed as quickly as possible; however it may not be possible to have a decision rendered in time for the applicant to begin taking classes for the desired term if admitted.

Applications submitted by the referenced dates will receive full consideration for the referenced term. Applications received after the referenced dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Completed online application form

• Two letters of recommendation

• Transcripts from all institutions attended

• GRE is not required for terms starting during the 2025-2026 academic years

• Statement of purpose

• Resumé

• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for international applicants unless the waiver requirements are met

• The application fee is waived for all new applicants applying to any of our Master of Science or Graduate Certificates for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 application terms.

The program is suited to students with a background in electrical and/or computer engineering, computer science, or related disciplines. Strong candidates in other STEM disciplines, including both engineering and sciences (e.g., physics, math), with prior exposure to calculus, linear algebra, probability theory and programming, will also be considered.

View the Northeastern University College of Engineering admissions page for details.