All applications must be made through the School of Computer Science admissions process. All application deadlines will appear on the application website.
Please note: The SE PhD program is committed to attracting students from a wide range of different backgrounds. We are waiving application fees and accepting unofficial copies of transcripts and TOEFL results at the time of application. See the "Application fees" segment below for further details.
The admissions committee is looking at many factors when evaluating applications. The statement of purpose is a key document for the admissions committee. The admissions committee is using all available pieces of information, but the statement of purpose is the central document where you can frame your application and provide context to other information.
Tell us why you are interested in a Ph.D. in Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon. If you have been involved in any kind of research, briefly describe the problem, approach, and results. Describe a problem you are interested in solving as a researcher, and if you have preliminary ideas, how you would go about solving it. Talk about your general interests in software engineering (beyond the problem above), and if you are interested in working with particular faculty, mention their names.
Among others, the statement of purpose can be central in evaluating the following important concerns of the admission committee:
The statement of purpose does not need to follow a specific recipe or structure and can cover many other topics that will help you to present yourselves. If your background is unusual, tell us about it and how it bears on your Ph.D. plans. We do not set a page limit, but suggest to keep the statement concise, typically around 2 pages. You can go into more depth in additional optional documents, see below.
Prof. Jonathan Aldrich has some more advice for prospective students writing their statement of purpose.
Submit your current Resume. Outline any applicable: your education, research experience, work experience, publications, presentations, scholarships awarded, prizes and honors received, society memberships, and any relevant extracurricular activities.
Submit three letters of recommendation. Recommenders should know you relatively well and be able to evaluate the quality of your previous work. Recommenders that can speak about your research skills are more useful than letters commenting on your performance in coursework. At least two should be from faculty or recent employers. With the online application, letters will be requested and submitted electronically. Paper recommendations will not be accepted.
Letters of recommendation are due by the application deadline. We start reviewing of applications in December very soon after the application deadline and if letters are missing at that point we may have insufficient information to properly evaluate an application.
If you will be studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and English is not a native language for you (native language…meaning spoken at home and from birth), we are required to formally evaluate your English proficiency.
We require applicants who will be studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and for whom English is not a native language, to demonstrate English proficiency via one of these standardized tests: TOEFL (preferred), IELTS, or Duolingo. We discourage the use of the "TOEFL ITP Plus for China," since speaking is not scored.
We do not issue waivers for non-native speakers of English. In particular, we do not issue waivers based on previous studies at a U.S. high school, college, or university. We also do not issue waivers based on previous study at an English-language high school, college, or university outside of the United States. No amount of educational experience in English, regardless of which country it occurred in, will result in a test waiver.
Submit valid, recent scores: If as described above you are required to submit proof of English proficiency, your TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores will be considered valid as follows:
If you have not received a bachelor’s degree in the U.S., you will need to submit an English proficiency score no older than two years. (Scores from exams taken before Sept. 1, 2021, will not be accepted.)
If you are currently working on or have received a bachelor's and/or a master's degree in the U.S., you may submit an expired test score up to five years old. (Scores from exams taken before Sept. 1, 2018, will not be accepted.)
Additional details about English proficiency requirements are provided on the FAQ page.
A successful applicant typically has a total score of 100 points and a minimum score of 25 points in each category of the TOEFL. Although exceptions are possible, lower scores often suggest that significant effort will be needed to develop and practice language skills for effective written and oral communication as a researcher and teaching assistant.
Please upload your TOEFL scores (if applicable) to your application by the application deadline. Unofficial copies are sufficient at the time of application, but official copies can be sent using the following codes: TOEFL Institution code: 4256; Department Code 78
We prefer that you take the TOEFL, but we will accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7.0. The same restrictions of expiration dates apply with an IELTS.
If you, despite your best efforts, are unable to test for TOEFL or IELTS, you may take the Duolingo English proficiency test. See the general FAQ for more details.
The SE PhD program is committed to attracting students from a wide range of different backgrounds and waives all application fees. On the application page, enter "bf4dd-5dcf4-69054-e6c29" to the prompt "If you received a voucher code for a specific program. " to waive the fees for this program (and only this program; see waiving application fees for other programs). Also note that unofficial copies of transcripts and TOEFL results are sufficient for the application process; official copies only need to be provided after your application has been selected.
All applicants are different and have different strengths and backgrounds. Use the application to make a strong case of why you should be accepted to the program. Highlight unusual strengths or perspectives in your application. Although we do not impose a page limit for the statement of purpose, we recommend to keep it concise and focused and to move additional material to an appendix or separately uploaded documents.
Here are some examples:
None of these artifacts are required. We will not evaluate the absence of these artifacts as a negative of your application, but some applications may benefit from strong supporting material, especially when used to explain unusual or exceptional circumstances.
The SE PhD program is committed to attracting students from a wide range of different backgrounds. We are waiving application fees and accepting unofficial copies of transcripts and TOEFL results at the time of application. See main description for details.
Submit the online application, upload all transcripts and documents to the application itself. Please send TOEFL scores at the time of application, if applicable.
It is your responsibility to make certain that your application, supporting documents, and letters of recommendation are uploaded to your application by the final deadline. You may check your submitted application to ensure that it is complete.
(This program is NOT accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year)
To be admitted to the dual degree program, you need to be admitted to the Portuguese partner program and at Carnegie Mellon University. Please apply here and select: Ph.D. in Software Engineering/Dual Degree Portugal
In your statement of purpose, you need to mention the Portuguese partner institution you are simultaneously applying to. Currently, this can be one of the following:
Software Engineering Ph.D. Program
Software and Societal Systems Department
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213