Gates/Pausch Bridge

About

Carnegie Mellon is known worldwide for our broad view of computer science. We build upon the strong foundations our history has provided and act quickly to explore new directions.

The Computer Science Department is headquartered in the Gates Center for Computer Science on Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh campus.

Made possible by a lead gift of $20 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Center opened in 2009 with new classrooms, graduate and faculty offices, conference rooms, labs, and open project space. The American Institute of Architects selected the LEED-certified Gold building as one of the nine best examples of architectural excellence and urban design in 2012.

Mission

Since our inception over 50 years ago, the Computer Science Department's mission has remained steadfast: to lead in computer science research and education that has real-world impact — to push the frontiers of the field and produce the next generations leaders.

Values

In the Computer Science Department, we believe that our success rests on these four pillars.

Leadership in Education

From the beginning, we designed our programs to prepare our students to be leaders in academia and industry. Our Ph.D. program believes strongly in research from day one, and we consistently monitor our graduate curriculum to ensure that it’s a perfect balance of rigor and flexibility. Our enthusiasm for undergraduate education is unparalleled, and we consistently rank as the top undergraduate computer science program in the country.

The Quality and Impact of Our Research 

We strive for both high-quality, high impact research, collaboratively and across disciplines. We build things for real users with real-world impact. We think big, taking risks in our research agendas to support uncommon research areas, to start uncharted research areas, and to dream of projects beyond what a single faculty member could accomplish alone.

A Supportive Culture that Brings Out the Best in People

We live by the Reasonable Person Principle, which relies on mutual trust and support among all faculty, staff and students. We take collective responsibility for our students and faculty, through shared oversight of grad students and faculty processes, like assigning teaching duties. We presume success, and admit or hire only those candidates we expect to excel.

Diversity

Diversity not only leads to higher creativity within teams but also to improved problem-solving. Exposure to new ideas and experiences enhances our capacity for creative thought. Sharing knowledge and experiences can improve skill sets across our entire department and beyond.