Graduate Program Admissions
Graduate Program Open House
Carnegie Mellon Architecture invites prospective students interested in our Graduate Programs to attend hybrid Open House offerings on Friday, November 1, 2024. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Graduate Program, speak with faculty and students in your program(s) of interest, and ask questions.
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We are looking to enroll a diverse group of students from around the world who are comfortable working in innovative ways and seek to push the boundaries of the discipline.
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Programs
Our admission process: an overview
Applicants are responsible for completing and submitting all required application materials on time. We will begin to review application materials received starting January 15th. Applications and all supporting documents, including letters of recommendation and test scores, must be received by the final deadline of February 1st. We strongly recommend applicants begin the application process early and request letters of recommendation well in advance of the deadline. You will need to complete an application to each program for which you wish to be considered for admission.
Admission Timeline
early October - Graduate Program applications open in SlideRoom
January 15 - We will begin to review the application materials received.
February 1 - Application Deadline - The application system will close on February 1, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of admission materials no later than February 10th.
February - The graduate admission committee will review Graduate Program candidate applications in February.
March - Admission decisions will be sent to PhD candidates in early March and master’s program applicants in mid-March. Candidates offered admission will have the opportunity to participate in admitted student programming to get to know the school.
April 15 - Deposit Deadline - Applicants need to accept their admission offer no later than April 15, 2025 to secure their place in the Graduate Program and to begin the initial enrollment process.
Application Requirements
Because our graduate programs are highly specialized, each program has unique application requirements. The chart below outlines the application requirements for the program that interests you with detailed information to follow.
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Applicants are required to pay the $75 application fee.
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Complete the Personal Information, Demographic Information, Academic Information, Self-Reported Test Score, and program-specific admission forms in your SlideRoom application.
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Submit a Personal Statement that describes why CMU is a good fit for you at this point in your career, what specific focus areas you may want to explore in the Graduate Program, and your aspirations and plans for the future after leaving CMU, including how you hope to position yourself in design, research, and/or practice.
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Upload to your application, a 30-second introductory video that tells us something about you and your personal interests in architecture or the built environment.
We are interested in getting to know you in the context of your application and portfolio submission. The short 30-second video will feature you and needs no staging or post-production - just be yourself.
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Upload to your application as a PDF document, your resume/CV summarizing your education, employment experience, professional qualifications, and any noteworthy achievements.
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Upload to SlideRoom a 25-30 page portfolio formatted in single spreads (landscape or portrait) and saved as a single PDF document (maximum file size of 20MB with a maximum resolution of 150dpi).*
* M.Arch, MAAD, MUD, MSSD, and MSCD applicants are required to submit portfolios. Please reference the media section of your SlideRoom application for program-specific content and instructions.
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Upload a PDF document copy of your unofficial college transcript(s). If you have attended more than one institution of higher education, please merge all transcripts into a single PDF document for upload.
Hard copies of complete official transcripts for all degrees received will be requested as a requirement for enrollment.
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For the 2024-2025 admission cycle, the GRE is required for PhD program applicants and test-optional for Master’s program applicants.
To provide your GRE score, contact Education Testing Services (ETS) to send your GRE scores directly to our department using the institution code: 2074, GRE department code 4401. Official scores must be reported to Carnegie Mellon by February 1.
We recommend that you take the GRE before January 15th to ensure that your score report is available by the February 1 application deadline.
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We require proof of English language proficiency from all applicants whose native language/mother tongue is not English. If English is not your native language and you are not a U.S. citizen you must submit one valid English proficiency score from one of the following: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language); IELTS (International English Language Testing System); or DET (Duolingo English Test).
TOEFL/IELTS/DET scores must be less than two years old from the start of our admission cycle (September 2023). If you are interested in the online Duolingo test, please verify that you are administered a 2020 or later version on the 160-point scale with subsection scoring.
TOEFL - Self-report your scores by uploading a copy of your score report to the application and report your scores directly to us through Educational Testing Service (ETS) using the following institution code: 2074 and the TOEFL department code: 12. The minimum required TOEFL-iBT total score is 100, with subscores no lower than 22.
IELTS - Self-report your scores via the application and send your scores to us using the IELTS E-Delivery Service. The minimum required IELTS total score is 7.0, with no score lower than 6.5. We verify all IELTS exam scores electronically. Send scores for e-delivery to:
Account Name: Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture
Department: School of Architecture, Graduate Admissions
Address: 4119 Frew Street
City: Pittsburgh
State: PA
Zip Code: 15213
Country: United StatesDuolingo - Self-report your scores via the application and have your official scores sent to us by Duolingo electronically to “Carnegie Mellon University - School of Architecture Graduate Programs.” The minimum required total Duolingo score is 105. Minimum subscores are: Literacy: 105; Comprehension: 115; Production: 90; and Conversation: 95.
Applicants are required to report their official scores by the application deadline. Applicants whose scores do not meet the minimum requirements are strongly advised to retest in advance of the Feb. 1 application deadline to ensure that the scores meet our standards for English language proficiency.
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If you have a personal/professional website that you would like to share with the admission committee, then you may include the link in the program application form.
If you would like to attach any other documents (e.g. research papers, professional writing, etc.) to your application you may add them to the application under “Optional Supporting Documents.”
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Ask three individuals their permission to serve as references. We recommend selecting a variety of individuals who are familiar with your work and can speak to your qualifications for graduate studies.
Assign three references to your application in SlideRoom. Once you have saved the recommendation request, your reference will receive an email from SlideRoom requesting them to submit a letter of recommendation and complete an evaluative recommendation form on your behalf. We recommend you advise your recommender to look for this important email in their email inbox as well as their spam and junk folders as sometimes these requests get filtered out.
To ensure that your application receives priority evaluation, please give your references ample time to complete and submit their recommendation on your behalf in advance of the application review beginning January 15 and no later than the February 1 application deadline. Your application will not be reviewed until all reference letter forms have been received for your application.
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Master’s applicants may be granted a virtual interview at the request of the program Track Chair. Applicants will be notified of interview invitations by email in mid to late February. Most master’s program applicants will not receive an interview. Therefore, an invitation to interview is not an indication of admission consideration.
PhD applicants are required to complete a virtual interview. Applicants will be contacted by the program Track Chair in mid to late February to schedule an interview via Zoom with consideration of domestic and international time zones.
Admission Review Process
Review of Application Materials Received
Beginning January 15th, the Carnegie Mellon Architecture Graduate Program admission director will check in and review all master's and PhD program applications submitted to SlideRoom to check for materials received and completeness according to program requirements. This review process continues into the week following the February 1st application deadline. By February 10th, each applicant will receive an email confirming the receipt and status of their application as either:
A) Complete and assigned to the program’s admission committee for review; OR
B) Incomplete with an indication of what required materials are missing and must be submitted before the application can be considered for admission.
In early February, submitted applications will be assigned to at least three reviewers of a program’s admission committee. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission until all required materials are received and the application status is deemed “Complete.”
Evaluation of Application for Admission
All applications receive a first round of evaluations that are blind to other reviewers' scores and comments. The application review is based on a holistic approach that takes into consideration the requirements of the program and the application materials submitted. Each reviewer will complete a rated evaluation that considers an applicant’s statement of purpose, academic achievement, non-academic experience, references, and portfolio (for programs requiring one).
In mid to late February, members of each program’s admission committee will collectively meet with the admission director to review the first round of evaluations and discuss potential candidates for admission. It is at the discretion of each program’s admission committee if applicant interviews will be conducted as part of a second round of evaluations. Those applicants that the committee would like to interview will be contacted by the program’s track chair in mid to late February to set up a remote interview via Zoom with consideration of domestic and international time zones. Most master’s program applicants will not receive an interview. Therefore, an invitation to interview is not an indication of admission consideration.
The Graduate Program Admission Committee will complete all rounds of application evaluations by early March. Applications with an “Incomplete” status when the admission committee finalizes its review process in late February will not be considered for admission.
Evaluation of Eligibility for 2-year M.Arch Program
For NAAB-accreditation purposes, M.Arch program applicants being considered for admission will advance to a final round of evaluations to assess the content of their non-accredited degree. The M.Arch program track chair and admission director will review the applicant’s official transcript, previous undergraduate coursework, and experience outlined in a candidate’s resumé to evaluate on a binary yes/no basis if a candidate meets the overall requirements for placement in our two-year M.Arch program based on the following criteria:
- Architectural Design Studio Courses: 72 units (24 credit hours)
- Fundamentals of Architectural History & Theory or equivalent: 18 units (6 credit hours)
- Fundamentals of Structures and/or Construction: 18 units (6 credit hours)
- Fundamentals of Environmental Science and/or Systems or equivalent: 9 units (3 credit hours)
- General Studies: 36 units (12 credit hours)
We define General Studies in alignment with NAAB's description, which considers all non-architecture courses that provide basic knowledge and methodologies of the humanities, fine arts, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences.
M.Arch program applicants who do not meet the overall requirements for placement in our two-year M.Arch program based on this final evaluation will not be offered admission.
Notification of Admission Decisions
Each applicant will receive a final admission decision letter via email from "Carnegie Mellon Architecture | Graduate Admission" by March 15th. Contact the admission director, Alexis McCune Secosky, by email to inquire about the status of your final decision if you have not received your admission decision letter by March 20th.
Questions?
If you have any questions about your application, please refer to the Graduate Program Application FAQ. For more information, contact Carnegie Mellon Architecture Graduate Admissions.
Statement of Assurance: Policy Statement
Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state or local laws or executive orders.
Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the university ombudsman, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-3930.
Obtain general information about Carnegie Mellon University by calling 412-268-2000.
The Carnegie Mellon University Statement of Assurance is available on the CMU website.