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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Graduate Studies

Frequently asked questions

What are the deadlines for the Fall and the Spring admission processes?

All application materials must be completed by the dates below:

  • The Spring application period is August 15 through October 1.
  • The Fall application period is October 15 through December 15.
What is the status of my application?

Due to the volume of mail and e-mail received daily from applicants who are interested in attending the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, it may not be possible to respond to individual requests for information. The Graduate Office will contact you if any of portion of your application is missing.

Is it possible for my application fee to be waived?

No. Unless you are a Carnegie Mellon University student or alumni, an an application fee is required. If your application fee is not submitted (via credit card, check or money order), then your application will not be considered for admission.

What are the ETS Codes?
  • CMU code: 2074
  • ECE department code: 1203
  • TOEFL code: 66
Where do I mail my appliction materials?

Carnegie Mellon University
ECE Admissions Office
Hamerschlag Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
United States of America

Is the TOEFL test required of all international applicants?

The TOEFL test is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The TOEFL requirement can not be waived, even if the applicant has studied at a U.S. school.

What are the minimum GRE, TOEFL and GPA scores accepted by the Department?

There are no minimum scores set by the department for the GRE or GPA. However, for the TOEFL it is advised that you have a minimum 600 paper-based score; minimum 250 computer-based score; or recommended internet-based scores of 18 for reading, 18 for listening, 15 for speaking, and 16 for writing.

Are all applicants considered for financial aid? Is there a separate financial aid form?

All applicants, both domestic and international, are considered for financial assistance, unless they indicate otherwise on their application. There is no separate financial aid form and financial assistance is awarded at the time of admission.

Why was my resume and/or statment of purpose rejected for being too long? Word shows it as being under the stated limit.

Programs such as Microsoft Word often use an extended set of characters, such as directional single- and double-quote marks to enhance readability. However, when pasted into a web form, these characters are not likely to be correctly translated to their proper plain-text equivalents, and are consequently counted as an additional word.

To correct this, we suggest saving a copy of your statement in plain-text format using the "Save As..." command. If you are given the option of replacing unmappable characters with their proper equivalents, do it. Open this file in a program such as Notepad, verify that it looks as you intended, and copy-and-paste it into the web form.

Additionally, hyphenated phrases are counted as two words by our system, while programs like Word only count them as one. If you are close to the limit, this may also be the cause of your problems.

Do you accept paper copies of recommendation letters?

No. Now that our application system is set up to accept electronic recommendation letters, we are no longer accepting paper recommendations.

I haven't submitted my application yet because I'm waiting to see if my recommender has submitted a letter. Do I need to wait?

No. Even if your letters are not in, you should submit your application and mail in your test scores and transcripts as soon as possible. Letters of recommendation can still be tracked, and recommenders can still submit letters after you have submitted your application.

My question wasn't answered here. Who should I contact?

You may contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinator at apps@ece.cmu.edu.



5000 Forbes Avenue / Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 / Phone: 412-268-7400 / Fax: 412-268-2860