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SCS Graduate Online Application

Applications and supporting documents for the Doctoral Programs in the School of Computer Science and for the Masters Programs in the Robotics Institute and the Language and Technologies Institute must be received by December 15.

Letters of recommendation are due by December 20.

If you register to take the TOEFL for a SCS graduate program, please use our new institution code 4256 for Carnegie Mellon University - School of Computer Science.

To apply for admission to graduate programs within the School of Computer Science, read the following instructions carefully and make certain that you have met all requirements when you submit your application.

Complete the online application form for admission to graduate programs within the School of Computer Science. With the online SCS application form, you may apply to two Ph.D. programs, and/or the Masters programs offered by the Robotics Institute and the Language Technologies Institute. The online application should be completed and submitted electronically as instructed by December 15. Letters of recommendation must be requested and submitted electronically by December 20.

Descriptions of the Ph.D. programs can be found on the Doctoral Programs page. Descriptions of the Masters programs can be found on the Masters Programs page. You may use the SCS graduate online application form to apply to any of the Doctoral Programs and the RI and LTI Masters Programs. To apply to other Masters Programs offered by departments within SCS, please contact the individual programs directly for specific application instructions and forms.

All applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test and have scores sent directly to Carnegie Mellon University (Institutional Code 2074, Departmental Code 0402). See individual program requirements for complete details. Please refer to the GRE testing schedule to determine test dates. No application will be considered complete until we have received these scores. GRE scores will not be accepted if more than five years old.

The GRE subject test is optional for those applicants to the Ph.D. programs in Computer Science, Robotics, Human Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Computation Organizations and Society, and Neural Basis of Cognition. Recommendations for programs are as follows:

It is recommended that applicants to The Language and Information Technologies program submit a subject test.
The Software Engineering program highly recommends, but does not require, a subject test.
The Computation, Organizations and Society program allows students in the management area to substitute the GMAT scores for the GRE scores.

All students whose native language is not English or have not earned an undergraduate degree from a U.S. educational institution must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Request your score be sent directly to Carnegie Mellon University (Institutional Code 4256, Departmental Code 78). We prefer that you take the TOEFL, but we will accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Request that your official score report be sent to:

Martha Clarke, Admissions Coordinator
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891 USA

Submit one transcript from each college or university, even if no degree was granted. You must upload an unofficial transcript in either PDF, JPG, or GIF. Any other format will not be accepted. Mail one copy of each official transcript to Martha Clarke, Admissions Coordinator, at the address given above.


Submit your current Resume. Outline your education, research experience, work experience, publications, scholarships awarded, prizes and honors received, society memberships, and any other extracurricular activities.

Submit a Statement of Purpose. Prepare a concise one or two page essay that describes your primary areas of interest in research, your related experiences, and your objective in pursuing a graduate degree at Carnegie Mellon. Your essay should be specific in describing your interests and motivations. When describing your research interests, you should explain why you think they are important areas of study and why you are particularly well-suited to pursuing them. You should describe any relevant education, research, commercial, government, or teaching experience. If you are applying to more than one program, you may (but are not required to) submit a separate Statement of Purpose for each program. You must upload your Resume and Statement of Purpose in either PDF, MS Word, or text format. Include your name and User ID on the essay.

Notes for specific programs:

Human-Computer Interaction applicants: Indicate your intended area of emphasis in the first paragraph of your Statement of Purpose. If appropriate to your background, you may include a link to your portfolio. If you are unable to provide a link, you may mail a CD of your portfolio to Martha Clarke, Admissions Coordinator, at the address given above.

Software Engineering applicants: Concisely summarize your background in software development, experience with particular parts of the software life cycle, and how your industrial experience prepares you for graduate-level academic work. Submit this information in the Supplemental Information section under Experience (Research, Industry) in the online application.

Computation, Organizations and Society applicants: Indicate your intended area in the first paragraph of your Statement of Purpose along with the name of a possible advisor. For those with industrial or government experience, please describe how this experience prepares you for graduate-level academic work. Submit this information in the Supplemental Information section under Experience (Research, Industry) in the online application. Applicants may also submit a short prior publication related to their research interests.

Submit three letters of recommendation. Recommenders should know you relatively well and be able to evaluate the quality of your previous work. At least two should be from faculty or recent employers. With the online application, letters will be requested and submitted electronically. Paper recommendations will not be accepted. Letters of recommendation are due by December 20. All deadlines are final. Letters received after this date may not be considered in the review of your application.

Submit the online application, pay the non-refundable application fee, request the required test scores, and mail only transcripts to the address below:

Martha Clarke, Admissions Coordinator
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891 USA

A non-refundable application fee of $75 is required for one program and $50 for each additional program. You may pay the fee by credit card. The credit card payment system is part of the online application, and instructions are given when you submit your application. If you do not want to pay by credit card with the online application, you may pay by a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, made payable to Carnegie Mellon University.

It is your responsibility to make certain that your application, supporting documents, and letters of recommendation reach the Admissions Committee by the above stated deadlines of December 15 and December 20. You may check your submitted application to make certain that it is complete.