Carnegie Mellon University - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

It often feels like CMU is just a school with brilliant students struggling to get by in a never-ending onslaught of hard work. In the rush of their academic diligence, CMU students can often forget the role their professors play in furthering their education. That said, CMU professors run the gamut from being pioneers in their field to only teaching a class so they can do research here. But on the other hand, one thing that can be said about all the professors is that they’re very approachable. Professors will always find the time to meet after class or respond to e-mails. Student-professor relationships are largely based on what the student makes of it.

Most prospective students become interested in Carnegie Mellon because of its excellent academic reputation. The school maintains an interesting dichotomy with its success in both technological and artistic pursuits. Many people consider CMU’s technical majors to be the most successful, and accordingly, they’ve received national acclaim. In the academic stratosphere, computer science and engineering reign high above most other majors. The sciences, business administration, drama, and information systems programs are also held in high esteem while the humanities maintain a nebulous space at the bottom of the school’s academic spectrum.

 

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Students Speak Out

CMUKG says: Carnegie Mellon University 2015 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

The teachers really know their... The teachers really know their material. Oftentimes, their passion for the subject is evident in the excitement they get when teaching. Most of the professors I have had have been more than willing to meet outside of class to give extra help. Carnegie Mellon has exceptional programs in business, engineering, science, design, architecture, and the arts. 12345 Academics: March 04, 2009 Report

CMUNF says: Carnegie Mellon University 2015 Math and Statistics

The workload seems very... The workload seems very manageable. I am heavily involved in Greek life and an RA for a first-year area, and I always have time to do my work. I do also know that the average Carnegie Mellon student takes more classes than students at other universities. 12345 Academics: March 02, 2009 Report

CMUHM says: Carnegie Mellon University 2016 Engineering

Professors are always extremely... Professors are always extremely accessible, but I have had some mediocre teachers. They definitely expect a lot of outside work and really give you an outline of what you should be learning on your own. We have a really good engineering program, which is why I came here. 12345 Academics: March 02, 2009 Report

CMUCM says: Carnegie Mellon University 2016 Psychology

Most of my teachers have been... Most of my teachers have been excellent. Although CMU is traditionally known as an engineering and technical school, the humanities program is very strong. The teachers all encourage in-depth classroom discussion of the course readings and topics. In addition, the teachers also provide ample opportunities for students to conduct research in their own individual areas of interest. 12345 Academics: March 01, 2009 Report

victoriacmu says: Carnegie Mellon University 2013 Arts, Visual and Performing

There are probably very few... There are probably very few schools where you will work this hard. Each major prides itself on being harder than any other, and everyone likes to brag about how bad they have it. 12345 Academics: March 01, 2009 Report

Facts

Did You Know?

“The two universities that have made the most phenomenal gains [in the last two decades] are Stanford and Carnegie Mellon.”
–George Keller, author of Academic Strategy: The Managment Revolution in Higher Education

Want to go to class without leaving your dorm? Carnegie Mellon now offers a few of its courses online.

Need help on your test? Just go inside the front door of Baker Hall. Students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences often rub the nose of Hamerschlag’s statue for good luck.

Once a semester during finals, students gather outside during the middle of the night to participate in Primal Scream—a chance to yell, eat food, and relieve stress.

Carnegie Mellon assigns “unit” values instead of “credits” to each of its courses in order to represent the amount of work that is required by a particular class. One unit equals one hour of work, so a nine-unit class means that you’ll have approximately nine hours of work a week. Most classes are between nine and twelve units.

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