Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a campus student, return a Graduate Information Sheet to the Program Administrator in advance of starting the program. Once received, the necessary paperwork will be done to enter you into the Student Information System (SIS) so that you can be registered appropriately in the first fall semester by the Program Administrator. In subsequent semesters, you will register yourself online for courses after consulting with your academic advisor.

If you are a part-time student, it is advised that you take 17-651 Models of Software Systems the first fall semester that you are enrolled. (If you are enrolled prior to the fall semester, you may take a different course.) Part-time students may choose to take an additional course or two, and may do so by contacting the Program Administrator.

International program students are registered by the collaborating program administrator.

For the MSIT-ESE program, 138-144 units are required for graduation.

Carnegie Mellon uses units, rather than credits. Each unit represents one hour of work per week necessary to complete the course, including course lecture time. Generally, a twelve-unit course is equivalent to a 4-credit course.

147 units are required for degree completion.

Carnegie Mellon uses units, rather than credits. Each unit represents one hour of work per week necessary to complete the course, including course lecture time. Generally, a twelve-unit course is equivalent to a 4-credit course.

195 units are required for degree completion.

The short answer is: it all depends on the course and the program. At a minimum, you will need to set aside time each week for the following activities:

The course load varies with each course.  In some, you are asked to complete weekly assignments, in others you are required to complete two or three major projects. The expectation, however, is that you will be working on these projects throughout the course.

The last item listed is the variable. If you have extensive experience in software development, you may find that you are able to complete the course assignments in less time than others who do not.

The Personal Software Process (PSP) course is a prerequisite for all MSE and MSIT students, and is essential for their success in the program's project.  Unless this requirement has already been fulfilled and the program administrator notified, you are expected to complete the course via distance delivery during the summer months preceding the start of the program.   The course includes lectures via DVD, interactive chat sessions with fellow classmates and the course instructor, and a set of assignments.  The course is graded on a pass-fail basis, with a passing grade as a program requirement.  DVD's are sent in advance of the course start date.

You must obtain the textbook and are expected to follow a calendar that will be made available at a course management website.  Near the beginning of the course, the program's Courseware Specialist will contact all students with further details.

There is a nominal additional charge for the prerequisite course.

The elective portion of our curriculum allows you to take courses across the university.  In addition to outstanding programs in areas such as human computer interaction, robotics, classical computer science and, of course, software engineering, the university has world-class programs in business, public policy, fine arts, and music.

As a student, you will also have access to faculty and training courses at Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute (SEI).  Many of the program's Studio project mentors are members of the technical staff with the SEI.  Students can register for SEI courses in areas such as the CMM, Risk Analysis, and Software Architecture at reduced rates.

The MSIT-ESE curriculum is comprised of six core courses, three electives, and a team-based project. It centers around three key areas: software engineering and computer science, computer engineering, and systems engineering. Rather than working on a thesis as in a traditional master's program, MSIT-ESE students work on a Practicum project. The Practicum is a capstone project in which students demonstrate their grasp of fundamental knowledge. It provides an opportunity for students to put classroom concepts to practice in a realistic, project-oriented setting. Projects are directed by mentors with significant industrial experience, guiding students as they apply methods, techniques, and technologies to real-world problems encountered in a typical project.

The full-time MSIT-ESE plan of study can be completed in three semesters when taken full-time on campus, or longer if taken part-time..

The MSIT-ESE curriculum consists of core courses, academic electives, and a Practicum project.

In the first fall semester, MSE and MSIT students will be registered by the program administrator for the following courses:

• 17-651 Models of Software Systems

• 17-652 Methods:  Deciding What to Design

• 17-653 Managing Software Development

• 17-671 Software Development Studio I

• 17-656 Communication for Software Engineers

If you have taken and successfully completed graduate-level courses in software engineering and related areas such as computer science, information technology or management, you may petition for these credits to apply toward your elective credit requirements.

Each transfer request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A decision will be made on the transferability and applicability of the course(s) to the degree requirements after you have been accepted into the program. A maximum of two courses will be accepted for transfer.  All core courses must be completed through Carnegie Mellon.

Acceptance into the Masters programs in Software Engineering (MSE/MSIT-SE) does not guarantee admission into any doctoral program at Carnegie Mellon University.   The courses that students complete as part of the MSE/MSIT-SE program may serve to enhance one’s application to these programs, but will in no way assure admittance.

Yes. Visiting campus is a great way to become more familiar with the program. We will make every effort for you to meet current students, faculty, and administrators during your visit. During the summer months classes are limited and faculty often work on projects off-campus. Please contact the campus programs administrator (ens@cs.cmu.edu) at least two weeks prior to your intended visit.

Given the number of students who request such visits, incurred costs associated with the trip are payable by the visitor.

A unique strength of Carnegie Mellon is our ability to create relationships across diverse departments and schools within the university so as to address specific educational needs and industry demands.   The Master of Science in Information Technology – Embedded Software Engineering (MSIT-ESE) is a new professional master’s degree program drawing from the combined resources and strengths of the School of Computer Science's Institute for Software Research (ISR) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

This professionally-oriented degree provides the foundations and skills in computer science, hardware and electrical engineering, and systems engineering necessary for effective embedded software engineering.  

As one of the only explicit software engineering masters programs in the country, the Master of Software Engineering program is a joint effort between Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science and the Software Engineering Institute, and provides an intensive 16-month curriculum for professional software engineers.

Carnegie Mellon University is a fully accredited, degree-granting private university, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, in artistic endeavor, and in research. The School of Computer Science, consistently ranked for 30 years among the top three schools in the country, offers a unique research environment for students, faculty, and staff. The School's academic standards are rigorous and expansive, leaning always toward state-of-the-art research and educational breadth in computer science, robotics, human-computer interaction, language and information technologies, and software engineering, reflecting a commitment and responsiveness to real-world problems and solutions.

Carnegie Mellon is ranked by the Middle States Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools accreditation agency.

All of the graduate software engineering professional programs are intense, technically oriented, highly selective programs geared toward the future leaders in professional software engineering.  

Upon graduation, virtually all graduates are highly successful in securing jobs in the software engineering industry.  Though highly dependent upon location, graduates typically report that hiring salaries generally range from $65,000 - $95,000/year, minus signing bonues and additional perks, and that they have little problem with the availability of job offers.  

• reimbursement for no more than 3 nights' lodging in a local hotel near the campus
• meals for 3 days in Pittsburgh, not to exceed $30/day
• costs for local transportation, including bus and/or airport shuttles

Expenses that are not subject to reimbursement are:

• transportation from your home to Pittsburgh, and return
• rental car transportation while in Pittsburgh
• personal expenses, such as laundry, movie rentals, additional visitors

There are two campus orientations.

An orientation for international students is held two weeks prior to the start of the regular fall session. All new international students are required to attend the first day. Domestic students are invited to attend the following days.

The MSE/MSIT-SE program orientation will be held the week of August 18-20 and is mandatory for all students. You should plan on being on campus and settled into housing accommodations the week prior to orientation. 

Classes begin on Monday, August 24, 2009.

All students are required to provide their own laptops or desktops for use while actively enrolled in the program. Before the program starts, we will provide you with a list of recommended equipment and software so that you plan accordingly.

All students are assigned an Andrew account when they enter the program. Your userid and temporary password will be given to you before you start the summer prepatory course in June.

Each full-time MSE student working on a Studio project is allotted a working space in the MSE student area. Students working collaboratively on a project are assigned seats in the same area. Space assignments and individual keys to locked cabinets for personal belongings are distributed during the campus MSE/MSIT orientation. MSE students may move into their work spaces after receiving their seat assignments and keys during orientation.  

MSIT-SE and MSIT-ESE students are provided access to a shared, common space located in the student area. 

Break-out rooms are available to all MSE and MSIT teams for client meetings, VTC conferencing, practice presentations, and brainstorming sessions. These rooms can be reserved with the Studio Manager.

The university strives to obtain the best health insurance coverage at the most reasonable prices.

All full-time students enrolled in a degree program are automatically enrolled in the basic plan and charged the basic mandatory health plan costs. Coverage begins annually on August 1^st and expires annually on July 31^st and costs approximately $1,500/year. By no later than September 19^th of each year, students can choose to a) upgrade to an enhanced health plan, or b) apply for a waiver from the plan because of existing coverage. Charges will be removed only if the waiver is approved.

Additional information on health services and/or coverage can be found at Carnegie Mellon's Health Services website.

If you do not have your own insurance you can purchase student health insurance through the university. You will be charged for a full year, but can request a refund after you leave the program at the end of the semester. Be sure to note that there is a university-designated deadline for refund requests. Should you use any of the insurance benefits while you at at the university, you will not be able to receive a refund.

More information about the student health insurance plan can be found at Carnegie Mellon's Student Health Services website.

Student health insurance is renewed each year prior to the start of the academic year. The new rates are available annually in mid-June. The Health Department insurance information on the MSE admissions website is for reference and information only.  All full-time enrolled students will be sent an updated packet from the Health Insurance Department in mid-June for programs beginning in August.

All Carnegie Mellon students, graduate and undergraduate alike, are required to have health insurance coverage while enrolled. Health insurance can be purchased through the university and is updated annually. Those who have their own health insurance must complete a waiver form for the Health Department. All students are required to show proof of health insurance coverage.

Housing is available near the university. The Carnegie Mellon’s Housing Office website lists the various housing options available to students.

In addition, the Community Housing Coordinator maintains housing lists that include rental properties as well as shared accommodations. The CMU Housing website is a closed site for enrolled Carnegie Mellon students only. Once you have returned your response form confirming your acceptance to our offer, you will be enrolled and will receive your student ID granting you access to the housing site.

The cost of living in Pittsburgh is relatively low. The United States government estimates that it will cost a graduate student approximately $11,900/year to live in Pittsburgh. The estimate allows for rent, utilities, and food expenses. This amount does not include tuition, activity or transportation fees, technology fees, or health insurance costs.

In addition, the university estimates a graduate student will spend approximately $1,200/year for books.

Unfortunately, Carnegie Mellon does not provide housing for graduate students. Ocassionaly Housing Services will have access to available short-term accommodations during the summer semester. Please visit the Housing Office website for more information.

For the fall and spring semesters, all graduate students are expected to find and pay for off-campus lodging.

As with many graduate programs, the graduate software engineering program does not have a structured financial aid program. Following the completion of the first fall semester, it is possible for exemplary students to obtain positions as Teaching Assistants (TA) in the Computer Science Department (CSD) of the School of Computer Science (SCS). International students must take and successfully pass an international teaching assistants test (ITA) given each April for opportunities the following fall semester. Given the intense nature of the MSE/MSIT-SE 12 and 16-month programs, however, most students typically do not have the additional time to devote to preparation for the test or to teaching assistantship responsibilities.

Valuable information about finacial assistance can be found at Carnegie Mellon's Enrollement Services website.

Carnegie Mellon’s tuition is the same for all students, regardless of their country of origin.

Full-time tuition for the 2009-2010 academic year is $17,640 per semesterfor each of the three or four semesters of the program.  Graduate tuition increases are determined annually, in the late-spring time frame.  In addition to tuition, students are required to pay activity and transportation fees (giving unlimited ridership on the Pittsburgh public transportation system), estimated to be approximately $252 ($126 fall / $126 spring).  Moreover, a mandatory technology fee of $150 per academic year is required.

Tuition is payable in four increments: July, December, May and July (MSE).  Additional information about costs and payment will be sent to you following your acceptance of our offer of admission.

Since the program does not handle tuition, please write to the Enrollment Services department for all matters related to tuition (thehub@andrew.cmu.edu), or refer to the Enrollment Services website for information.