International Students 

Requirements

• A completed Application for Admission. A free online application is available at Apply Now.
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• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, regardless of whether credit or a degree was obtained. Your official transcript should show the titles of all courses taken, grades or marks received, and the date and title of any degree(s) conferred. Transcripts must be enclosed in an envelope and signed across the seal by the registrar's office.
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• Official GMAT or GRE Score Reports. Applicants should take the GMAT or GRE no later than one month prior to the application deadline (please see Deadline information noted below). If you took either of these tests more than five years ago, you MUST take it again. Test scores must be submitted directly by the Education Testing Service (ETS). Please have scores sent to the Heinz School using the following codes:

  GMAT:	69H-V8-50
  GRE:	2074 (institution code) 1903 (department code)

  
  
• Language Proficiency. Language Proficiency Exams- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  All applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit official score results from either the IELTS or TOEFL. The only exception is for applicants who have received a degree from a university at which English is the primary language of instruction.  If you took the test more than two years ago, you must take it again.
  
  TOEFL scores must be submitted directly by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The minimum TOEFL score is 620 (260 computer-based test or 74 on the Internet-based test). If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the TOEFL. For more information on the TOEFL, please contact ETS (Phone: 1-609-921-9000). When registering for the TOEFL, please use the following codes:
  
  

  TOEFL:

  2074 (institution code) 94 (department code)

  
  
• IELTS. You may submit International English Language Testing System (IELTS) results in place of the TOEFL. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. More information can be found at http://www.ielts.org/ . Test scores must be submitted directly by IELTS. For more information on the IELTS, please contact their office directly (Phone: +1-626-564-2954). The minimum IELTS score is 7. If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the IELTS.
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• Résumé. A résumé is a one or two page summary of your education skills, accomplishments, employment experience and volunteer experience. The résumé MUST be current and include all part time and full time work experience, the dates of when the employment began and ended and a brief description of your responsibilities under the title of the position. Click here for a sample résumé.
  
  Please note: If there are any gaps in your résumé, make sure you address them in your optional essay (see optional essay details below).
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• A 1000-word essay describing your background in information systems, your career goals and how the MISM program will help you achieve your goals.
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• Optional essay. Please include this to comment on any item(s) in your application that you think worthy of further explanation (address any weaknesses or strengths). Please limit this to 250 words.
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• Recommendations. The MISM recommendation forms must be completed by three people who can provide academic or professional references. Recommenders may be registered on the online application and may complete and submit letters of recommendation using the secure online system. Alternatively, recommenders may submit recommendation letters on paper using the recommendation form available for download from the online application. All recommendations submitted on paper by mail should be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions or released to the applicant in a sealed envelope with the recommender’s signature across the seal Please note that recommendations from friends, family members, acquaintancesor other sources not able to evaluate applicants on an academic or professional basis are unacceptable.
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• Application fee is waived with the Online Application.
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• At least one (1) college level computer-programming course is required. We recommend an object-oriented programming course, specifically Java. Taking a Java programming course prior to enrolling in the MISM program will allow you more curriculum flexibility.
  
  We often receive college transcripts with courses titled 'Programming'. We obviously have no way of knowing which languages and what topics were covered in any course. So, we ask that you address the topics covered within the programming course in an optional essay or include a copy of the syllabus from the course. This will let us know how extensive your programming knowledge is and what topics were covered.
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• Relevant Professional work experience:
  • One year track (May to May):
    Three (3) years of full time, post baccalaureate, relevant professional work experience
  • 16 month track with internship requirement (End of August to December):
    0-3 years of experience.

  The reasons for the difference in requirements are as follows:

  • Within the MISM program, an IS project course is required in order to graduate. This project requires that students apply the skills and knowledge they have gained within the classroom to a problem from a real world work environment. In order to create a realistic and valuable project it is beneficial to have sufficient professional work experience. For those students without sufficient professional work experience, their summer internship will serve as their real world foundation.
  • Representatives from many different companies come to the MISM program to recruit students. They are specifically looking for individuals with solid IS knowledge and a reasonable amount of full time work experience, prior to obtaining the MISM degree. For students with less than three years of full time work experience, the internship will serve to bridge that gap.
  
  
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited University or College.
  Please note, we are familiar with education systems in other countries that use a different format than that in the United States. For example, in India, a bachelor's degree is a three-year program. We accept that three-year degree from individuals who have received their education from a school in India as a fulfillment of the bachelor's degree requirement. If your education system has a structure that differs from the undergraduate programs' structure in the United States, please let us know prior to applying so that we may investigate.

Additional Requirements

The admissions office for the Master of Information Systems program no longer mails admission materials to international addresses. For your convenience free online applications are available on the website. In addition to the requirements for the application for admission you will want to consider these additional requirements when making application to these programs:

• English Proficiency Exam - students may choose to submit test results from either the TOEFL or IELTS
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. The only exception is for applicants who have received a degree from a university at which English is the primary language of instruction. If you took the test more than two years ago, you must take it again. Test scores must be submitted directly by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Fore more information on the TOEFL, please contact ETS ( Phone: 1-609-921-9000).
  • The minimum TOEFL score is 620 (260 computer-based test and 74 on the Internet-based). If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the TOEFL.
  • When registering for the test, please use the following codes:
    TOEFL: 2074 (institution code) 94 (department code)
    • You may submit the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) results in place of the TOEFL. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. More information can be found at http://www.ielts.org/. Test scores must be submitted directly by Cambridge Examinations and IELTS International (CEII). For more information on the IELTS, please contact CEII (Phone: 1-626-564-2954). The minimum IELTS score is 7. If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the IELTS.
• Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be translated into English. All original documents must accompany the translations.

Documentation

All international applicants from abroad or in the United States are required to have valid documentation. If admitted, you will receive detailed information about the procedure for entering the United States as a student. You will be required to provide evidence of financial support. We recommend that students start searching for sources of funding well in advance of the application deadline. Carnegie Mellon's Office of International Education assists admitted international students by issuing I-20 documents, orienting them to INS policies and much more.

Office of International Education

Carnegie Mellon's Office of International Education (OIE) assists admitted international students with INS requirements. Admitted international students are required to pay the non-refundable admission deposit and to send a personal information sheet and affidavit of support before an I-20 will be issued.

Academic Culture and Communication (ACC) Program

Incoming students who want to strengthen language skills before beginning graduate work in the fall may be interested in attending the Academic Culture and Communication (ACC) Program: Preparing nonnative English speakers for success at Carnegie Mellon. Some international students may be required to attend ACC prior to enrollment at Carnegie Mellon. This program is designed to prepare students for success by enhancing their proficiency in the areas of advanced academic speaking, listening, reading, and writing. By honing these skills before the fall semester begins, students are better prepared to engage in academic work and take their place in the university community. For more information, visit the ACC website .