SCS Graduate Admissions Overview

SCS Graduate Admissions Overview

Thank you for your interest in graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science! We offer a wide range of professional and academic Ph.D. and master's programs across our seven departments. Admissions and requirements vary by program and are determined by the program's home department. You can apply to up to three of our Ph.D. programs and any of our master’s programs.

Important Information for Programs Beginning in Fall 2024

Application Opens:Sept. 6, 2023
Application Deadline:

All applicant materials must be submitted by the deadline below, and application fees must be paid by these deadlines.

Early Deadline: Nov. 29, 2023 (3 p.m. EST) 

Final Deadline: Dec. 13, 2023 (3 p.m. EST)

If you submit your application early, your recommenders still have until Dec. 13, 2023, to submit recommendations.

TOEFL, IELTS & GRE Deadlines:

If you need to take/retake your TOEFL, IELTS and/or GRE for this application, we highly recommend you take the exam no later than Nov. 29, 2023. Reportable scores can take two weeks to process, and we may not be able to review any scores that arrive after our Dec. 13, 2023, deadline.

If you will be studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and English is not a native language for you (native language…meaning spoken at home and from birth), an official copy of an English proficiency score report is required. The English proficiency requirement cannot be waived for any reason. Find more information under "Test Scores" on our FAQ page.

GRE & TOEFL Codes

GRE Report Codes: Institution Code - 2074, Department Code - 0402

TOEFL Report Codes: Institution Code - 4256, Department Code - 78

Note: Some of our programs follow different deadlines, see application information and links below for more information.

SCS Graduate Admission Applications

Use the links below to apply to the program(s) of your choice.

SCS Doctoral Programs

Ph.D. Application for Computational Biology, Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Societal Computing, Software Engineering and Robotics

Ph.D. Application for Language and Information Technologies

Note: To apply to the doctoral track in Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO) or in Pure and Applied Logic (PAL)you must apply to the Ph.D. program in Computer Science. You should state in the first paragraph of your Statement of Purpose that you are interested in either ACO or PAL. If admitted, you will be allowed to choose that program during your first year.

Master's Programs in Software and Societal Systems

Master of Software Engineering 
For applicants with two or more years of software engineering experience in industry

Master of Software Engineering - Embedded Systems Application
For applicants with less than two years of software engineering experience

Master of Software Engineering - Scalable Systems Application
For applicants with less than two years of software engineering experience
Note: The three programs above — MSE, MSE-ES, and MSE-SS — are not following any early deadlines and the application fee is $100.

Master of Science in Information Technology - Privacy Engineering Application

Master of Software Engineering Online Application
Note: MSE Online follows a different deadline schedule.

Master of Information Technology Strategy Application
Note: The MITS application for fall 2023 opens Oct. 15, 2022 and closes Jan. 15, 2023.

Programs With Joint/Multiple Applications

Machine Learning Joint Ph.D.: Students interested in an ML-Joint Ph.D. should first apply to the Ph.D. program that best aligns with their research interests. Once you are enrolled in one of the participating Ph.D. programs and have passed 10-715, 10-705 and 10-716, there is a lightweight application to apply for a joint Ph.D. in machine learning. 

MD/Ph.D. in Computational Biology: Students must apply via the Medical Scientist Training Program. More information is available on the Medical Scientist Training Program website.

Interdisciplinary Programs in the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition: Students should apply to their primary SCS Ph.D. program but must also apply to the CNBC Graduate Training Program. More information can be found on the CNBC website.