Application Details

To be considered for admission, applicants must complete and submit an application to the Information Networking Institute no later than February 1. Applications received after February 1 will be considered on a space-available basis.

How To Apply

To apply for admission, applicants must complete the following steps:

1. Complete the Online Application Form.

All applications and recommendations must be submitted online.

The following supplemental materials must be submitted in hard copy:

• Academic records
• ETS reports (GRE/TOEFL/IELTS)
• Technical certificates (Only those from companies such as Cisco, Microsoft, etc. will be reviewed.)
• Research summaries (Full research documents cannot be reviewed.)
• Financial support information to show general ability to cover costs. A letter stating how costs will be covered is sufficient. No specific format or amount is required for the application process. Submission of this information may not be deferred until an admission decision is rendered.

2. Submit official transcripts (applicants from India should send mark sheets for proper conversion of grades. Attested mark sheets properly sealed by the university registrar are acceptable) from all colleges or universities you have attended at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels, whether or not you earned a degree from that college or university. All transcripts must be received in an envelope with the registrar's seal across the envelope flap.

If attending the final semester in your undergraduate program at the time of application, the INI will accept properly sealed official transcripts or mark sheets for the semesters completed to date.

Applicants admitted to any INI program must submit final official transcripts, properly sealed, upon completion of their undergraduate program from the institution conferring their degree as a condition of enrollment at Carnegie Mellon. Certificates of graduation and/or degree certificates should also be submitted if provided by the institution. Failure to provide such documents or failure to graduate will nullify admission to the INI programs.

While the online form allows for submission of transcripts online, official paper documents are required to complete the application.

3. Submit three letters of recommendation. At least two of these should be from faculty or recent employers. People who recommend you should know you well and be able to evaluate the quality of your work. Recommendations must be submitted electronically via the online form.

4. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required; neither the GMAT nor GRE Subject Test is accepted for review. Applications will not be considered complete until the INI receives an official copy of test scores. GRE scores will not be accepted if they are more than five years old.

To submit your GRE test results through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) use the following codes: #2074 (Carnegie Mellon U), department code #0404 (Information Sciences).

To ensure that GRE scores reach the INI office before the application deadline, applicants should take the test no later than December.

5. All applicants whose native language/mother tongue is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The INI will accept the PBT (paper-based test) scores if the Internet-based test (iBT) is not offered in the applicant's country. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test will also be accepted to demonstrate ESL proficiency.

To submit your TOEFL test results through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) use the following codes: #8569 (CMU-Interdisciplinary Studies), department code #99 (department not listed).

Admission decisions on applications without the required test scores may be delayed.

Applicants who have attended and graduated from a four-year undergraduate degree program at an accredited U.S. university may have this requirement waived.

Applicants attending a graduate program at a U.S. university should submit a copy of their most recent TOEFL test for evaluation. The INI may request additional information to demonstrate sufficient ESL skill.

6. The Statement of Purpose will be submitted online as responses to a series of questions. Hard copy statements will not be accepted. The questions include:

1. Briefly explain your objective in pursuing the master's degree for which you are applying.
2. Describe your background in engineering, computer science, and other fields particularly relevant to your objectives. Include any industrial or commercial work experience. ExecMSIA applicants should address their work experience and background in the security field.
3. Outline your research experience and list any publications.
4. Provide any additional information you feel would be useful to the admissions committee in determining your suitability for admission to the INI.

There is limited space to respond to the questions, so the responses should be concise and to the point. No additional space will be provided, nor will addendums to the questions be accepted.

7. Applicants must submit a non-refundable application fee of $65. Payments may be submitted by credit card online. Applicants may also pay by personal check drawn on a U.S. bank, money order or cashier's check for the exact fee amount. Payments should be made payable to Carnegie Mellon University. Money transfers cannot be accepted.

8. Mail all transcripts, check payments and additional supplemental documents to the following address. Applicants may include additional documents in support of their application, including project papers and technical certificates. Documents should relate specifically to the program being applied to; documents not directly related such as certificates or awards for non-technical or extracurricular activities such as athletics, choir, etc should not be sent and will not be reviewed.

Applicants are encouraged to send transcripts or make sheets by courier for tracking purposes and so receipt by the INI can be confirmed.

Mailing addresses:

(Either of the mailing addresses below is acceptable when sending supplemental documents, but the INI office address is recommended to avoid delays.)

Direct Mail to the INI Office:

Information Networking Institute
Admissions Committee
Carnegie Mellon University
4616 Henry St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
USA

General CMU Address:

Graduate Admissions
Department/Program of Information Networking Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213