About PhD Program,
When you begin our Ph.D. program, you’ll take the Introductory Course for Doctoral Students — an intense two week program that orients you to the department, introduces you to research and education topics our faculty are interested in, helps you find a faculty advisor and familiarizes you with Carnegie Mellon’s resources. Next, you’ll gain a broad understanding of fundamental research issues in major areas of computer science through coursework and original research. Finally, you’ll write and orally defend a thesis that guarantees you understand the area well enough to advance the state of knowledge in the field.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Due to the Pass/No Pass nature of the program, QPA and GPA are not factors for certification of a doctoral degree in Computer Science.
- Mastering a body of graduate material, achieved by passing 96 university units worth of graduate courses (equivalent to eight full-time courses).
- Learning how to organize and begin to carry out original research, achieved by participating in directed research.
You will also serve as a teaching assistant, hone your writing and speaking skills and maintain your programming prowess. You’ll also receive periodic evaluation of your progress, and must make satisfactory progress to continue in the program.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The Department aims to allow students as much freedom as possible in choosing research directions, subject to the interests and expertise of the faculty who are available to oversee the work. Thus, the PhD program generally decides which funding source to use to support a student after the student has chosen an advisor or research area.
As outlined in the student’s offer letter when admitted to the program, the School of Computer Science (SCS) sets the base stipend and tuition which are covered by the department. Stipend is primarily covered by faculty advisor funding. Carnegie Mellon University sets the student activities, transportation, and technology fees, which are also covered by the PhD program. The department also pays a dependency allowance that is 10% of the CSD monthly base stipend per eligible dependent provided that your spouse or qualifying domestic partner earns less than 15% of the stipend amount.
Application Requirement,
Application Fee
Test Scores
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable)
Submit valid, recent scores
Unofficial Transcripts
Resume/CV
Statement of Purpose (SOP)
Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
Application Deadline,
Dec 13, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee is $100 per program. If you apply before the early deadline of Nov. 20, 2024 (3 p.m. EST), then the application fee is $80 per program.
