Carnegie Mellon University

Integrated MS/BS 

The Integrated Master's/Bachelor's program (otherwise known as the IMB program) in ECE allows students who excel academically to achieve both a bachelor's and master’s degree in ECE through our Professional MS degree program without needing to apply separately. This means no application fee, no recommendation letters, and no need to take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam).

Eligible students begin by completing the BS degree in ECE and can either complete the MS degree at the same time or over the next few semesters. If a course is eligible for the MS degree but must be used to complete the BS degree, then the BS degree takes priority over the MS degree. If suitable progress toward completing the BS is not made, the MS cannot be granted, regardless of whether or not a student fulfills all MS graduation requirements. BS students must complete their degree requirements and graduate before they can be classified as a graduate student. Some courses will require graduate student status before a student can register for them. In the case of MS research projects, an IMB student can only register for the graduate version in their senior year and with written approval from their research instructor confirming the work is at an appropriate rigor for MS students.

Students with a 3.00 QPA or above automatically become eligible for the IMB program in the second semester of their junior year once they have completed at least 270 units. To be officially admitted, students must attend an IMB info session in the term in which they wish to declare and submit a declaration form. *Note that students wishing to declare the IMB for the MS in software engineering must also have satisfactorily completed 18-351 Full-Stack Software Development for Engineers.IMB info sessions are offered three times per semester and all juniors and seniors receive an email in the first few weeks of classes with that semester’s dates. Students may attend an info session in any semester, but they must attend an info session in the term in which they are submitting a declaration form. Students who meet all requirements for the IMB program and attend an info session will be emailed the link to declare. The deadline to sign up for the IMB program for students who meet all requirements is late October for the fall semester and mid-March for the spring semester.

The information sessions for the Spring '24 semester will be held on Tuesday, February 13, Wednesday, February 14, and Friday, February 16. ECE juniors and seniors, please refer to your email for additional details. If you are unable to attend an information session due to a class conflict, please contact your academic advisor.

Students who must petition to enter the program can work with their academic advisor to do so and still must attend an info session. Undergraduate students with a 2.99 QPA or below may petition only in their final semester. Students with below a 2.5 QPA are not eligible for the program. All undergraduate students who would like to petition must submit their petition to their academic advisor by the declaration deadline. To learn more about the petition process, students can contact their academic advisor.

Degree requirements

Professional MS degree requirements 

Please see the MS in ECE section for the requirements for the Professional MS degree. ECE IMB students must complete all the same requirements as the Professional MS degree except 18-989 Introduction to Graduate Studies. This course is waived for IMB students. For students in the ECE IMB program, all requirements for the Professional MS degree are in addition to the requirements for the BS in ECE. No requirements for the MS degree may be used in any way toward the BS degree, including minors, additional majors, or dual degrees.

Students will be beholden to the MS curriculum requirements that exist at the time they sign their declaration form.

Residency requirements and financial impacts

Once a student who has declared the IMB has completed all of the undergraduate degree requirements, the Bachelor of Science degree will be certified for graduation in the term in which the requirements are completed. Once a student's undergraduate degree has been certified, no more courses may then be applied toward the BS degree. This includes courses toward minors and additional majors, although students pursuing an undergraduate dual degree with another department may still continue to apply additional coursework toward that second degree.

Following graduation, the student will move into graduate status to complete any remaining requirements for the MS degree. If a student takes more than eight semesters to complete the BS degree, then they must be a full-time graduate student for at least one semester before graduating with the MS degree.

Students should consult with Enrollment Services to understand how becoming a graduate student will affect financial aid, housing, etc. and with their academic advisor about their degree plans.