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Carnegie Mellon University
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Carnegie Mellon University - Academics - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Academics

A
Where does this grade come from?View all Academics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Academics Grades:

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 12:1
Full-Time Student Population 9,793
Part-Time Student Population 1,404
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 884
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 80
Total FT Faculty 1,238
Faculty with Terminal Degree 98%
Average Faculty Salary $112,463
Full-Time Retention Rate 96%
Graduation Rate 86%
Programs/Majors Offered 151
Average Course Load 5 courses
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 students: 69%
  • 20 to 49 students: 20%
  • 50 or more students: 11%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Students have a love/hate relationship with academics at Carnegie Mellon. On one hand, the prestige that comes with a degree from CMU is rewarding in and of itself. Even though CMU isn't Ivy League, there is still a reputation of excellence because of the professors and the work that students put in. But therein lies the "hate" side of the relationship. On the other hand, no matter which major you choose, there is a lot of work involved. Admittedly, some majors are more labor-intensive than others—for example engineering, computer science, and architecture. However, even students outside of these majors are known to pull all-nighters during midterms and finals. 

For all of the commitments that students make to their work, they are gifted with the guidance of some of the best professors in their fields. Many professors are constantly engaged in research, but instead of distancing themselves, CMU students are often given the opportunity to assist in research as a supplement to their studies. There is one thing to remember when contemplating academics at CMU: Students need to do the work in order to succeed. Success is possible, and there are some who get 4.0's in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, but they don't achieve this without constant hard work.

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Carnegie Mellon Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at Carnegie Mellon University

TaoistPooh

Economics '14

5.0
A+

The New Registration System Is Easy to Use!

They new integrated registration system makes planning and registering a very easy task!

May 25, 2012

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Academics at Carnegie Mellon University

TaoistPooh

Economics '14

3.8
B+

Amateur Professors

They have a host of British-trained professors, which is a problem since they don't TA while they are getting their PhD's. Their teaching skills are lackluster, and they have a very limited number of published papers. This is an issue if you want to go to grad school and need to get recommendations. However, there are a number of faculty that teach only one course, and these members are erudite and reachable.

May 24, 2012

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Academics at Carnegie Mellon University

catashhhtrophe

Psychology '15

4.6
A

Good Classes, Good Professors

I'm a psychology major and am pleased with the quality of the classes I am taking. There are a few requirements that I don't quite agree with, but overall the classes are interesting and the workload is manageable.

Apr 29, 2012

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Page 1 of 15
User rating for Carnegie Mellon University - Academics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 45 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: Yes
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: Yes
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements 4 or 5
IB Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 6 or 7
Undergraduate Schools/Divisions
  • Carnegie Institute of Technology
  • College of Fine Arts
  • Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Mellon College of Science
  • School of Computer Science
  • Tepper School of Business
Degrees Awarded
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
  • Other
  • Post-master's certificate
Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management: 5%
  • Computer Science: 3%
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering: 5%
  • Information Technology: 4%
Graduation Requirements
  • Computer literacy
  • English (including composition)
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Social science
Special Study Options
  • Distance learning opportunities
  • Study abroad
  • Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Other Academic Offerings
  • Cooperative education program
  • Cross-registration
  • Double major
  • Exchange student program (domestic)
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
Best Places to Study
  • Baker-Porter Hall
  • Cathedral of Learning (UPitt Campus)
  • Gates-Hillman Center
  • Hunt Library
  • Kiva Han (on Craig Street)
  • University Center

Online Courses

Online courses are offered through the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) for both open and free courses to take independently, or as part of the curriculum for a University course. The open and free courses are offered in biological science, media programming, statistics, French, psychology, and more. These are self-guided, whereas the academic courses have access to an instructor and graded tests. However, online courses as part of degree-seeking programs do not replace human professors at Carnegie Mellon.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Raina Bradford-Jennings
Hometown
Brookfield, CT
Major
Professional Writing
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.