Student standing in front of a large window in the Gates Center at Carnegie Mellon University

Prospective Students

Explore information about our academic programs in Computer Science. We offer undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree studies.

Carnegie Mellon University admits undergraduate students into the School of Computer Science, not directly into the Computer Science Department. The admissions application for the bachelor's program is handled by the Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Master's and doctoral programs in the Computer Science Department handle admissions within the department. The School of Computer Science manages the graduate application for both the master's and doctoral degree levels. 

Please refer to "How to Apply" under the appropriate degree level below.

Bachelor's

Admission to all bachelor of science programs in SCS is administered through Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Admissions. Students accepted into SCS as first-year students are undeclared until the second half of their second semester. At that time, students will select one of the five majors. 

Bachelor's in Computer Science Overview

How to Apply


Additional Information

SCS Undergraduate Programs | Turn Tartan Days

AP/IB/Cambridge Credit Information | External Credit Transfer Information

Master's 

Admission to the master's programs in the Computer Science Department is done via the joint application provided by the School of Computer Science. Admissions decisions are made by admissions review committees internal to the department. 

We suggest you read the "Overview" of the programs and "How to Apply" for more detail about CSD master's programs admissions. 

Master's Programs Overview for Master of Science in Computer Science and Fifth Year CS Master's 

How to Apply


Additional Information

Graduate Education Office

Applicants who apply to the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program are not automatically considered for any other program in the School of Computer Science. Please review information provided by the School of Computer Science about other available master's programs to be certain you are selecting the program best suited to your educational goal. 

Doctoral 

Admission to the doctoral programs in the Computer Science Department is done via the joint application provided by the School of Computer Science. Admissions decisions are made by admissions review committees internal to the department. 

We suggest you read the "Overview" of the programs and "How to Apply" for more detail about CSD doctoral programs admissions. 

Doctoral Programs Overview, which includes the Ph.D. in Computer Science. Ph.D. in Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization, and the Ph.D. in Pure and Applied Logic

How to Apply


Quick FAQs & Additional Information

  • Residency and attendance on the Pittsburgh campus is required.
  • The Computer Science Department does not offer online or remote doctoral degrees.
  • A bachelor's degree is required to be completed before entering the program if you are admitted. A master's degree is not required to apply or enter the program.
  • Admitted applicants enter the program in the fall each year. The program does not have a spring or summer admissions cycle.
  • Applicants to the doctoral program are not automatically considered for admission to the master's degree program. You must apply to the MSCS program to be considered for admission to that program.

Admitted Doctoral Student Open House

Graduate Education Office

Visiting CMU

Visitor info & Campus Maps | Visitor Parking | Campus Tours | Campus Life

Please Note:

The CS undergraduate program is not currently doing in-person visits for prospective students.

Group shot of the students on Team Resnik, holding their poster and the NASA SUITS seal.

Navigating the Moon

CMU Students Design Autonomous System for NASA Challenge

Thursday, August 20, 2026

Team Resnik aimed to reduce an astronaut's cognitive load while using a lunar rover — meaning they wanted to make it easier for astronauts to stay alert and safe while operating the rover. While CMU has participated in NASA SUITS before, team lead Maggie Chen said this felt like an entirely new endeavor because they were starting from scratch. The Pennsylvania Space Consortium provided a grant to support Team Resnik throughout the challenge. Along with Chen and Ang, the team included CMU undergraduates Parinthapat Pengpun, Daniel Stankiewicz, Serena Cai, Jean Chen, Charlie Ai, Jose Lima, Napat Warasittichai and Hagen Qian. Read More
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