If you decide to visit after you have made your decision to attend the program, please advise us of your travel plans, with no less than a two-week notice, and we will: - reserve and pay for 3 nights' lodging in a local hotel near the campus;
- arrange for your campus parking should you drive to Pittsburgh;
- arrange for you to meet with available faculty and staff;
- arrange for you to meet with some of the program’s current students;
In addition, you can expect reimbursement for:
- 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
Housing
1. As a graduate student, will type of housing will be available to me?
Housing is available near the university. Carnegie Mellon’s Housing Office website http://www.housing.cmu.edu/) lists the various housing options available to students. In addition, Ms. Norma Shaw, Community Housing Coordinator, maintains housing lists that Include rental properties as well as shared accommodations. Should you visit the campus, you can include a stop at her office for the most recent listings available.
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. Please remember that this amount does NOT include tuition, activity or transportation fees, technology fees, or health insurance costs. The estimate does, however, allow for rent, utilities, and food expenses.
In addition, the university estimates a graduate student will spend approximately $900/year for books.
Health Insurance
1. Will I need to have health insurance once I arrive at Carnegie Mellon?
All Carnegie Mellon students, graduate and undergraduate alike, are required to have health insurance coverage while registered. Health insurance can be purchased through the university and is updated annually. All students are required to show proof of health coverage upon arrival on campus.
2. As an internat ional student , is there anything special I should know about health insurance?
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 1st and expires annually on July 31st and costs approximately $1,500/year. Students can choose, no later than September 19th of each year, to 1) upgrade to an enhanced health plan or 2) 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 www.cmu.edu/HealthServices.
Tuition/financial aid
1. Is tuition the same for all students, international and domestic?
Yes. Carnegie Mellon’s tuition is the same for all students, regardless of their country of origin.
2. Can the tuition be charged?
The 16-month program tuition is payable in four increments: July 2005, December 2005, May 2006, and July 2006.
3. Does the Masters Programs in Software Engineering have a structured financial aid program?
As with many graduate programs, the MSE/MSIT-SE does not have a structured financial aid program. It is possible, however, following the completion of the first semester for 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, 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.
Information on scholarships and fellowships can be found at: http://osf.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/
In addition, other valuable financial aid information can be found at http://www.cmu.edu/hub/grad.html under the Financial Aid section.
Admissions
1. What number of applicants apply each year to the program? What percent do you accept?
Approximately 140 national and international applicants apply each year for the Fall start of the campus program. Of that number, less than one-half receive offers of admission.
2. What is the difference between MSE and MSIT-SE and MSIT?
The most significant difference between the two programs lies in the size and scope of their application-based projects, the studio and the practicum.
The Software Development Studio is an intense, 12-month project that spans the entire MSE program, commencing the day that students enter the program and concluding with graduation. It accounts for 40% of the total student academic load, serving as a laboratory where students apply knowledge gained from core and elective courses in realistic, yet mentored, environments.
The MSIT-SE Practicum, completed either on or off campus, serves to demonstrate the student’s understanding of the material learned in the core and elective courses. Its’ primary focus is to analyze a major aspect of the software development lifecycle in detail by solving a substantial practical problem in a realistic setting.
3. How many credits does it take to graduate?
Carnegie Mellon uses units, rather than credits, in its course requirements. Each course unit represents one hour of work necessary each week to complete the course, including course lecture time. Generally, a twelve-unit course is equivalent to a 4-credit course.
For the MSE student, 189-198 course units are required for degree completion.
For the MSIT-SE program, 132-147 units are required.
4. What is our programs accreditation and rank?
Graduate programs are not ranked in the same manner as undergraduate curriculum.
As one of the only explicit software engineering master’s programs in the country, the program is a joint effort between Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science and the Software Engineering Institute, providing an intensive 16-month curriculum for professional software engineers.
Program benefits
1. Reputation
Applicants choose Carnegie Mellon’s Masters Programs in Software Engineering over other, equally competitive schools for a number of reasons. The University’s world-class research and researchers in the fields of software engineering, human computer interaction, language technology, and robotics is paramount in their decision-making. In addition, the Program’s ties with the Software Engineering Institute accounts for one-half of it’s’ faculty having direct and current association with SEI. Graduates report that their studies in areas such as Architectures and industry best practices are highly sought and well-regarded when recruited by corporations.
2 . Studio: Program Hallmark
The Studio Project is unique to Carnegie Mellon’s Master of Software Engineering Program. An application-based project, its purpose is to develop extremely high quality software in a mentored environment. Students work in teams to analyze a significant and practical problem, plan, and implement a realistic solution for a real external client.
3. Return on investment
Upon graduation, virtually all of our graduates have been highly successful in securing jobs in the software engineering industry. Graduates report that hiring salaries, though dependent upon location, generally range from $65,000 - $85,000/year, minus signing bonuses and additional perks, and that they have little problem with the availability of job offers.
4. Specialization
The program offers the student the opportunity to use allotted elective courses in order to specialize in a particular area of software engineering, such as process or systems engineering. Students are encouraged to discuss their long-term professional goals with their academic advisors in an effort to tailor the program to meet their specific needs.
5. Transfer Credit
If students have already taken and successfully completed graduate-level courses in the numerous areas, including computer science, information technology, software engineering, or management, they can petition for these credits to apply toward their elective credit requirements. Each transfer request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with a maximum of 2 graduate courses accepted.
Program Particulars
International Visitor Orientation is held one week prior to the start of the regular sessions. This year, international orientation will be held August 16-18, 2005. All new students are required to attend.
The MSE/MSIT-SE Program orientation begins the week of August 22 – 25 and is mandatory for all Program students. Students should plan on being on campus and settled into housing accommodations the week prior to orientation. Classes begin on Monday, August 29, 2005.
2. What should my s chedule of classes for the first semester look like?
You will be required to take the following courses in the fall semester:
17-651 Models of Software Systems
17-652 Methods: Deciding What to Design
17-653 Managing Software Development
17-671 Software Development Studio I
17-676 Software Engineering Bootcamp
17-656 Communication for Software Engineers
3. How do I register for classes?
You will be asked to return a Graduate Information Sheet; once received, the necessary paperwork will be done to enter you into our Student Information System (SIS) and we will register you for the above-listed courses. This is the only time that you will be automatically registered for classes. For future semesters, you will be registering yourself on-line.
For part-time students, it is assumed that you will be taking 17-651 Models of Software Systems in the Fall semester. Should you choose to take two courses, please write the course number and/or title on the Graduate Information Sheet and we will make the addition to your schedule.
4. Will I have an advisor and when can I contact him/her?
Each student is assigned an academic advisor while enrolled in the Program. You will meet with your advisor during the MSE/MSIT Orientation. At this time you will discuss your career goals and map out an academic plan to meet them.
5. Will I have an office ? When can I get into my office?
Each full-time MSE student working on a studio project is assigned a working space in the MSE CAVE in Wean Hall. You will be given your space assignment and keys during MSE/MSIT Orientation. You may move into your space during orientat io n when seats are assigned. MSIT students will have access to a public area of computers inside the CAVE area.
6. Will I get a computer account and when can I start using it?
Yes, all students are assigned computer accounts while enrolled in the Program. You will be required to bring a laptop to campus with you. You will be provided a list of the appropriate equipment and software needed.
7 . I’m an internat ional student . Is there anything special I have to know?
Information from the Office of International Education (OIE), including forms necessary to get the 1-20, will be sent to you. Complete the forms and return them as directed. Your necessary paperwork can then be processed in a timely manner to ensure your arrival on campus before the international student orientation.
