Spotlight on Carnegie Mellon University Engineering
Everything you need to know about applying to CMU engineering, financing your international masters in the US, and what life is at Carnegie Mellon University.
Ready to learn everything you need to know about engineering and STEM masters degrees at Carnegie Mellon University? You're in the right place!
Although it's not an Ivy League university, Carnegie Mellon is one of the best known and most respected universities in the US.
STEM students will be keen to note that the world’s first university robotics dept was founded at CMU in 1979 and the Java programming language was developed here in 1983.
Where is CMU?
City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA)
City population: 305,704, with a metropolitan population of 2,353,045
Region: While parts of the state clearly fall in the Eastern region, Pittsburgh more closely identifies with the Midwest
Climate: Humid continental: winters are cold (Jan avg: -2°C/28.4°F) with moderate snow; summers are warm and humid (Jul avg: 22.6°C/72.6°F)
Nearest airport: Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Time zone: EST from November-March (GMT -4); EDT from March to November (GMT-5)
CMU fast facts
Private university
University enrollment: 14,528
Countries represented: 109
Living alumni: 205,225+
Masters students: 5637
International grad students: 67%
Engineering grad students: 4050
What can you study at CMU College of Engineering?
You'll find an array of highly-ranked programmes within the College of Engineering, but if you're looking for an MS degree in one of the computer sciences field, you'll want to check out the School of Computer Sciences below.
| Department | Rank | Degrees |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical engineering Unlike the majority of CMU MS grads, the majority of MSBE students remain on the US east coast. | 26 | MS in Biomedical Engineering (MSBE) research and practicum options Dual MS in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (MSBE + E&TIM) Dual MS in Biomedical Engineering and Technology Ventures (MSBE + MSTV) |
| Chemical Engineering The average salary for masters grads in this department is $84,000. | 13 | MS in Chemical Engineering (MSCE) Masters of Chemical Engineering (MChE) 1 year MS in Colloids, Polymers, and Surfaces (MSCPS) 1year |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering This department has the highest percentage of grads accepting international employment - it's 18%. | 10 Civil 8 Enviro | MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering (MSCEE) with 3 concentrations Dual MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (MSCEE + MSE&TIM) Dual MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Masters of Business Administration (MSCEE + MBA) |
| Electrical & Computer Engineering The highest reported 2017 salary from the College of Engineering falls in the ECE department - it's $170,000. | 8 Elect 4 Comp | MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering (MSECE) Dual MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (MSECE + MSE&TIM) Dual MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Technology Ventures (MSECE + MSTV) |
| Engineering & Public Policy | no rank available | MS in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (MSE&TIM) |
| Integrated Innovation Institute | no rank available | MS in Software Management (MSSM) MS in Technology Ventures (MSTV) Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services (MIIPS) |
| Materials Science and Engineering | 12 | MS in Materials Science & Engineering (MSMSE) 1 year MS in Materials Science (MSMS) |
| Mechanical Engineering | 10 | MS in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) Average salary for CMU MSME grads: $90,000. |
What can you study at CMU School of Computer Science?
The School of Computer Science is separate from the College of Engineering, even though curriculum and resources often overlap. These are the masters degrees available at the School of Computer Science.
| Department | Rank | Degrees |
|---|---|---|
| Institute for Software Research Did you know? CMU MS grads in the software fields go on to work for companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Samsung with an average salary of $113,617. | 4 | MS Information Technology Embedded Software Engineering (MSIT-ESE) requires work experience Master of Information Technology Strategy (MITS) Master of Software Engineering (MSE) requires work experience MS Information Technology-Privacy Engineering (MSIT-PE) MS Information Technology Software Engineering (MSIT-SEM) |
| Robotics Institute The salary range for MSCV grads is $108,000 to $145,000. | 4 | MS in Computer Vision (MSCV) MS in Robotics (MSR) Masters in Robotic Systems Development (MRSD) |
| Machine Learning Department | 4 | MS in Machine Learning (MSML) 45% of grads remain on the East Coast, 55% move to the US West Coast for work. |
| Computer Science Department | 4 | MS in Computer Science (MSCS) The median salary for MSCS grads is $120,000. |
| Language Technologies Institute Did you know the average salary for CMU MSBIC grads is $116,393? | 4 | Master of Computational Data Science (MCDS) MS in in Biotechnology Innovation and Computation (MSBIC) MS in Intelligent Information Systems (MIIS) MS in in Language Technologies (MSLT) |
| Human-Computer Interaction Institute The salary range for CMU MHCI grads is $76,000 to $125,000. | 4 | Master of Educational Technology and Applied Learning Science (METALS) Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) MS in Product Management (MSPM) jointly offered through Tepper School of Business |
| Computational Biology Department | 4 | MS in Biotechnology Innovation and Computation (MSBIC) MS in Computational Biology (MSCB) |
Carnegie Mellon job placement
The Technical Opportunities Conference (TOC) is hosted annually by the CMU Society of Women Engineers.
For more than 40 years, it's been the largest career fair at Carnegie Mellon University.
Students attending Engineering, SCS, MCS, Dietrich, Tepper, Heinz, and CFA are welcome to attend this recruitment fair.
There's also an Energy Industry Career Fair in the spring with over 20 employers attending.
The CMU Career and Development Center assists students in their career search, both during and after studies.
And, the College of Engineering and School of Computer Sciences has attracted a number of related companies to area, including Google, Uber, Intel, and GE.
228 companies recruited at the 2017 TOC.
1535 students graduated with a masters degree; 75% of them were international students.
The majority of engineering and computer science grads accept US job offers for post-grad work.
Median salaries range between $67,000 and $127,500.
$170,000
Highest reported salary, College of Engineering
West Coast
Largest work destination for Grads
$250,000
Highest reposted salary, School of Computer Sciences
92.6%
grads that remain in US for employment
What's remarkable about recruiting at Carnegie Mellon is that employers from across the country hire CMU masters grads. International students interested in accepting a US-based position should include additional travel expenses for cross-country recruitment and internships when budgeting for their degree.
What's it like to live at CMU?
There's a lot to do on and around campus as any international student at Carnegie Mellon University can tell you. The Bridge is where you should start when you're interested in organisations, clubs, and events happening all year long.
The university offers a range of housing options, including university-owned off-campus apartments that are available to international grad students. In addition, there is a campus bus service to help you get around.
There's also a range of flexible meal plans available for masters students, whether they live on or off-campus.
How to get into Carnegie Mellon Engineering
Carnegie Mellon Engineering is looking for hard-working and passionate students that have a keen interest in research and, simultaneously, are willing to contribute to the CMU experience as a whole. In other words, your priority should be your studies, but they want students who will do more than research.
Be sure to demonstrate why CMU is the right school for you - and how you realistically hope to make a difference in the world.
NOTE: Applications are completed online and the Electrical & Computer Engineering portal is separate from the remaining graduate engineering departments. Likewise, applications for the School of Computer Science should be made through that school online.
While no minimum GPA, GRE, or TOEFL scores are specified, you should note the following averages when preparing your statement of purpose (SOP) essay and preparing for the standardised tests:
Average undergrad GPA: 3.60
Average GRE scores: 165 verbal, 167 quantitative, 3.7 analytical writing
Average TOEFL score: 104 iBT
CMU Engineering admissions details
Spring admission deadline: Oct 1
Fall admission deadline: varies
Application fee: $75
Resume: required
SOP essay: required
Recommendations: 3, completed online (paper copies not accepted)
GRE test: required, no min score
GPA: no min specified
Language test: required for all non-native English speakers; no waivers given, even if undergrad was completed in English; [TOEFL is preferred, IELTS is accepted](https://prodigyfinance.com/study-centre/making-it-happen/international-grad-students-toefl-ielts/); min scores may vary by department
Min TOEFL score: 84
CMU engineering cost of attendance (for 2017/18 academic year)
Tuition: $46,000
Student activities fee*: $214
Room: $8914
Board: $5350
Books and supplies: $2212
Health insurance*: $2039
Personal and misc: $2496
Travel allowance: $1070
Transportation fee*: $210
Technology fee*: $410
Total CoA for 1 year: $68,915
These mandatory fees collected by the university don't cover the full cost of for activities, health care, transportation, or technology use.
Does Carnegie Mellon offer scholarships to international students?
Carnegie Mellon University admits domestic students on a need-blind basis, but do not claim to meet the financial needs of even these students. Instead, students at the masters-level are expected to meet their cost of attendance on their own.
International students should check with their engineering or computer science department for scholarship opportunities. In addition, CMU provides a list of external financing sources specifically for international students.
Prodigy Finance international student loans for CMU
Prodigy Finance offers loans for international masters students at both the College of Engineering and School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.
Students from supported countries pursuing masters programmes that can be completed in less than 2 years across US-based CMU campuses are eligible to apply.
