Undergraduate Options – How to Apply
Admission to the Additional Major Program
The Additional Major in robotics is designed for students who want to explore the field more than is possible through the Minor in Robotics.
Although students can come from any department on campus, the nature of the courses required for the Additional Major makes it ideal for students already pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science through the School of Computer Science, or in engineering through the College of Engineering.
How to Apply
Generally, students should apply in their freshman year at CMU—but we allow admissions for students in their sophomore year provided they meet the requirements and their schedule allows enough time for degree completion.
The application period is January 7 – February 3. Admission decisions will be sent via email no later than the Friday before Fall Registration Week.
Required application materials include:
- Full name, email address and Andrew ID
- Home college, GPA, year you intend to graduate, and list of all declared Majors and Minors
- Proposed schedule of required courses
- Statement of purpose (1-2 page, single spaced, to articulate why the student wants to pursue the robotics major)
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a current CMU undergraduate student and possess a valid CMU email address to complete the application.
For Current High School Students
High school students interested in the additional major must first apply and be accepted as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University. They may then apply to the additional major during their freshman year.
Specific information about applying to CMU as an undergraduate may be found on the CMU Undergraduate Admissions page.
For International Students
Students interested in the additional major must first apply and be accepted as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University. They may then apply to the additional major during their freshman year. International (non-US citizens) student applicants follow the same procedures for admission to Carnegie Mellon as US citizens. Complete information on applying to both undergraduate and graduate programs is available from Carnegie Mellon Prospective Students.
Specific information about applying to CMU as an undergraduate may be found on the CMU Undergraduate Admissions page.
Additional information regarding needs specific to international students may be obtained by contacting the Office of International Education.
Admission to the Minor / Concentration Program
Admission to the Undergraduate Minor in Robotics or the Undergraduate Concentration in Robotics Program is limited to current students at Carnegie Mellon with declared Primary Majors. Students interested in signing up for the program should fill out the application form after their Major has been declared and added to SIO.
Students from any college outside of the School of Computer Science, can pursue the Minor in Robotics. The nature of the courses required for the Minor makes it ideal for students already pursuing an undergraduate degree in engineering through the College of Engineering. The Concentration in Robotics is only an option for the undergraduate students studying computer science through the School of Computer Science.
Accelerated Graduate Program
The Accelerated Graduate Program – MS in Robotics is available to currently enrolled Carnegie Mellon undergraduates. It allows students to receive an admission decision to the MS in Robotics (MSR) program early and without paying to submit a full application. Students interested in the program should apply at the beginning of their senior year. Admission decisions are announced the following January. The goal is to confirm acceptance prior to the normal job search and graduate school acceptance times. Early admission may also allow students to tailor the remainder of their undergraduate program to prepare for the masters program.
*If a student applies to this program and other MS/PhD programs and if admitted to this and other programs, the student must choose one program.
Eligibility
- Current Carnegie Mellon undergraduate student in their senior year
- Not enrolled in any other graduate program (including other accelerated or IMB programs)
- Have identified a RI faculty member who has agreed to advise your MSR thesis research project (Advantageous if you have but no longer required)
Application Components
- Statement of Purpose – A two-page statement that covers the following:
- a short description of your career goals,
- an overview of your research experience and how it prepares you for this program, and
- a description of the research you plan to undertake
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript
- Three Recommendation Letters –
- If you have an MSR research advisor identified one should be from this person.
- Ideally, the others would come from faculty members and/or outside sources (e.g., supervisor from a summer internship).
- Recommendation letters should be sent from your recommendor directly to Barbara (B.J.) Fecich. (barbarajean@cmu.edu)
Applications will be accepted September 15th through December 1st.
Application (statement of purpose and unofficial transcript are uploaded in the application) and recommendation letters must be received by 11:59pm on December 1st (this is a strict deadline). There is no application fee and we do not require GRE (or TOEFL) scores for this application.
Admission decisions will be provided via email before the start of the spring semester in January.
For additional information (including curriculum and degree specifics) see the Master of Science in Robotics (MSR) Curriculum Page.
Contact the MSR Program Manager, Barbara (B.J.) Fecich with questions.