Doctoral Admissions
Students applying to the Ph.D. program in Computer Science or interdisciplinary degrees the Computer Science Department co-manages must apply online.
Apply to the Ph.D. in CS & Interdisciplinary Degrees
The Ph.D. in CS program uses the School of Computer Science Online Application system. The application system opens each fall and must apply through this application portal. The Computer Science Department does not require an applicant have a master's degree to apply to for admission to the Ph.D. program.
To apply to an Interdisciplinary degree program you need to apply via the online application for the Ph.D. in CS and select the interdisciplinary program (ACO, CNBC, PAL) in the appropriate section of the online application.
Applicants apply during the fall admissions cycle and are admitted to start the following fall semester. The doctoral program does not have a spring or summer admissions cycle.
Required application information for all programs and all supporting documents — including letters of recommendation, official test scores, and unofficial transcripts — must be received by the final deadline.
You may continue to edit your application until the final deadline.
PLEASE NOTE: The Computer Science Department cannot issue waivers and does not have any events or pre-admit programs that would qualify an applicant for a fee or language waiver. Please refer to the School of Computer Science Graduate Admissions information for waivers.
Deadlines and Fees
The SCS Graduate Programs Application opens September 3, 2025.
Early Application Deadline*: November 19, 2025 (3 PM ET) — Application fee is $80 per program by early deadline.
Final Application Deadline: December 10, 2025 (3 PM ET) — Application fee is $100 per program after the early deadline.
Information about possible fee waivers will be displayed when you select a program during the online application process.
*The early application deadline is not for early decision. It is a cost savings option only. All applicants who are admitted are notified after the admissions review cycle is completed, usually in February or March.
Required Documents & Support Materials - All Programs
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A PDF of your most recent transcript from each college and/or university you attended, even if no degree was granted must be provided.
- Unofficial transcripts are accepted for the application process.
- Official transcripts are required if you are admitted to the program.
- Official undergraduate transcripts are required for matriculation into the program.
Note: A master's degree is not required to apply for the PhD in Computer Science.
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Please upload your most recent resumé or curriculum vitae in PDF format.
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You must Include a concise one- or two-page essay describing your primary research interests, related experiences and objective in pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science.
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We request 3 letters, at least two of which are from faculty or recent employers.
Letters are due by the final application deadline date.
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GRE scores are optional. An application without GRE scores is not at a disadvantage; however, applicants who have taken the GRE are encouraged to submit their scores. The GRE at Home Test is not accepted.
Official scores must be submitted by the final application deadline to be considered as part of the review.
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If you will be studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and English is not a native language for you (native language is defined as spoken at home from birth and your country’s official language is English), we are required to formally evaluate your English proficiency via one of these standardized tests:
- TOEFL (preferred)
- IELTS
- Duolingo
We do not accept the "TOEFL ITP Plus for China,” since speaking is not scored. Applicants currently in mainland China are encouraged to take the IELTS test.
The Computer Science Department follows the Language Proficiency Policy set by the School of Computer Science as outlined under "Test Scores: English Language Proficiency" on this page: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/academics/graduate-admissions
The Computer Science Department does not issue waivers for non-native English speakers.
Official scores must be submitted by the final application deadline for your application to be considered for review.
Financial Information:
The Computer Science Department offers all admitted Ph.D. students comprehensive financial support (stipend, tuition, university student fees, university student health insurance; please see links below) while they are in good academic standing in their respective programs.
Basic funding for CSD doctoral students is the same for domestic and international students admitted to the program.
Graduate Tuition:
https://www.cmu.edu/sfs/tuition/graduate/scs.html
Student Fees:
https://www.cmu.edu/sfs/tuition/fees/index.html
Carnegie Mellon Student Health Insurance:
https://www.cmu.edu/hub/new-grad/ship-faq.html
Carnegie Mellon Graduate Student Financial Aid:
https://www.cmu.edu/sfs/financial-aid/graduate/index.html
Contacts and Additional Information
For more on the application process, please refer to the School of Computer Science (SCS) Graduate Admissions guidance for application instructions & institution codes for test scores.
For general questions about applying to doctoral programs in the School of Computer Science: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/about-scs/contact select "Graduate Programs and Admissions".
QUICK FAQ:
- A master's degree is not required to apply for the Ph.D. in Computer Science.
- If you are not admitted to the Ph.D. in Computer Science you are not automatically reviewed for admittance to any other CSD or SCS program.
- To be considered for the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program you must apply directly to that program via the online application.
- You are able to apply for multiple graduate programs in the School of Computer Science via the online application. Please refer to the graduate admissions information provided by the School.
- You are not expected to have an advisor before applying for the doctoral program.
- You should refer to our Research Areas information to determine who is doing research in the area(s) you wish to pursue if admitted.
- The application provides the opportunity to select Computer Science Department faculty who you believe align with your research area(s). Official advisor matching occurs after you are admitted to the program.
- The application is available each fall semester. Applicants are admitted for entry the following fall. There is no application for spring or summer entry to the Ph.D. in Computer Science.
- All doctoral programs offered by the Computer Science Department require in-person attendance on our Pittsburgh Campus. No remote doctoral degrees are available from the department.
- Due to the quantity of inquiries and applications we receive, it is not possible for us to provide individualized feedback on your application.
For questions specific to the Ph.D. in Computer Science not answered here email: csd-phd-admissions@cs.cmu.edu.
NOTE: This email does not respond to inquiries for:
- Application technical issues
- General Slate application questions
- Questions about other graduate programs in the School of Computer Science
- Language and fee waiver requests
Please contact the School of Computer Science or the appropriate department for any of the items above.
We encourage you to explore all the doctoral degree programs offered in the School of Computer Science to see if a specific program might be the best fit for the research you want to pursue.
Information about doctoral programs in each of the seven departments is available on the School of Computer Science Doctoral Programs overview page.
Please note that the Computer Science Department (CSD) is one of 7 departments in the School of Computer Science (SCS).
Before applying we encourage you to become familiar with research in other SCS departments to be certain you are applying to the correct department to pursue your research and align with an appropriate advisor.
PhD Programs in the other six departments:
Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department PhD Program
Human-Computer Interaction Institute PhD Program
Language Technologies Institute PhD Program
Machine Learning Department PhD Program
Robotics Institute PhD Program
Software and Societal Systems Department: