Graduate Program Admission
The Carnegie Mellon Architecture Graduate Program now uses GradCAS for admission applications. Please note that we no longer use SlideRoom for completing the full application, only for uploading select media.
We seek 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
The admission process: an overview
Review our master's and doctoral program offerings to determine which program(s) are a fit for your graduate program application(s). You must complete an application to each program for which you want to be considered for admission.
Applicants are responsible for completing and submitting all required application materials by the application deadline of January 10. To ensure a complete and competitive application, review and reference this webpage as you complete your application.
Admission Timeline
Mid-October: Graduate Program applications open in GradCAS.
Early January: We begin to review applications after we return from Winter Break.
January 10 - Application Deadline: The application system closes on January 10 at 11:59pm EST. No new applications are accepted after the deadline.
February 1: All application materials must be received by this date in order for applications to be considered complete. Incomplete applications may not be considered for admission.
February: The graduate admission committee reviews Graduate Program applications.
March: Admission decisions are sent to master's program applicants in early March. Candidates offered admission have the opportunity to participate in admitted student programming to get to know the school.
April 15 - Deposit Deadline: Applicants must accept their admission offer no later than April 15 to secure their place in the Graduate Program and begin the initial enrollment process.
Application Requirements
Beginning with the 2026-27 admission cycle, Carnegie Mellon Architecture's Graduate Program now uses GradCAS for admission applications. While we continue to use SlideRoom to collect visual media, such as the portfolio and/or video statement, the Graduate Program no longer uses SlideRoom for completing the full application.
Because our graduate programs are highly specialized, each program has unique application requirements. The chart below outlines the application requirements for each program.
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You must complete your application(s) in GradCAS. Review all four sections of the application: Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials. The first three sections are common to all GradCAS applications. The Program Materials section outlines the specific submission requirements and options for the Carnegie Mellon Architecture Graduate Program application.
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In the Academic History section of GradCAS, request an official electronic transcript from the U.S. school(s) you attended. Select the appropriate electronic transcript vendor and follow the instructions for Sending Transcripts Electronically found in the GradCAS help center. GradCAS accepts electronic transcripts from Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse. If your school does not use one of these services, your transcript must be sent by mail from your school's registrar to:
GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471For official international transcript(s) that cannot be sent electronically using Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse, you must request a certified transcript evaluation from ECE or WES. The electronic transcript evaluations can be ordered in GradCAS. Once WES or ECE completes your evaluation, it is sent to GradCAS. We do not accept unofficial or paper transcripts or evaluations. If a transcript is not in English, there must be an original or certified translation as part of the transcript(s).
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To the Supporting Information section of GradCAS, upload your resume/CV summarizing your education, employment experience, professional qualifications, and any noteworthy achievements.
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Upload a personal statement (1,000-1,500 words) in the Documents tab of the Program Materials section of GradCAS. Address the following:
Fit and Goals: Describe 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.
Background: Describe your background and the most formative experiences leading you to pursue this particular program at CMU.
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Applicants whose native language/mother tongue is not English AND who are not U.S. citizens must provide proof of English language proficiency. Submit at least one valid English proficiency score meeting our minimum requirements from one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET).
Send your official scores to GradCAS AND upload a copy of your score report to the Documents tab of the program's application:
- TOEFL: Send to GradCAS with code B886
- IELTS: Select GradCAS as the score recipient
- DET: Include the link to your score report in the Program Questions tab of the application AND upload a copy of your score report to the Documents tab of the program's application.
TOEFL/IELTS/DET scores must be less than two years old. If you select the online DET, please verify that you took a 2020 or later version of the exam on the 160-point scale with subsection scoring.
Applicants are required to report their official scores to GradCAS by the January 10 application deadline. Detailed answers to questions are outlined on the Graduate Admissions FAQ webpage.
Applicants whose scores do not meet our minimum requirements for English language proficiency are strongly advised to retest with enough time to submit new scores before the deadline. Applications that do not include language proficiency scores may be considered incomplete.
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The GRE is test-optional for master's and Ph.D. program applicants for the 2026-27 admission cycle.
You may submit your GRE scores if you wish to do so. To report your GRE scores, contact Education Testing Services (ETS) and request that they 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 January 10.
To facilitate the on-time completion of your application, please make sure that you schedule any required exams far enough in advance so that the official scores are submitted to us by the deadline.
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If you have a personal/professional website that you would like to share with the admission committee, include the link in the Program Questions tab of the Program Materials section of GradCAS.
To attach any other documents to your application (e.g. research papers, professional writing, etc.), upload them in the Documents tab of the program's application.
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Upload your portfolio using the SlideRoom tab of the Program Materials section of the program's application. Portfolios must be formatted as 25-30 pages in single spreads (landscape or portrait) saved as a single PDF document (maximum file size of 20MB with a maximum resolution of 150dpi).*
* M.Arch, MSCD, MSRSD and MUD applicants are required to submit portfolios. Please reference the media section in SlideRoom for program-specific content and instructions.
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To the SlideRoom tab of the Program Materials section, upload a 60-second video statement that tells us something about you and your personal interests in architecture or the built environment.
Speak directly to the camera — we want to hear your authentic voice rather than viewing footage, slides, or your work. Keep production simple: clear audio, a steady camera, and no staging or post-production. Just be yourself.
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Ask three individuals for their permission to serve as references. We recommend selecting a variety of individuals who are familiar with your work and who can speak to your qualifications for graduate studies.
Assign these three references to your application in GradCAS. Once you have saved the recommendation request, your reference will receive an email from SlideRoom requesting that they submit a letter of recommendation and complete an evaluative recommendation form on your behalf. We recommend that you ask your references to check their email inbox for this important email, as well as their spam and junk folders, as sometimes these requests get filtered out.
We encourage you to contact your references well in advance — at least one month before you plan to submit your application — to give them plenty of time to complete their letter. To help them write the strongest letter possible, we suggest providing them with materials like your resume, personal statement, and a clear deadline.
Please ensure that your references submit their letters by the January 10 deadline. Your application may not be considered complete until the three required reference letters have been submitted to GradCAS.
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Applicants are required to pay a $100 application fee per program application.
Admission Review Process
Application Review
Our team begins an initial review of applications in mid-January and checks for all required materials. Check GradCAS for application status updates. Incomplete application materials must be received no later than February 1 for applications to be considered complete.
In early February, complete applications are assigned to at least three reviewers from the program's admission committee. Applications that remain incomplete as of February 1 may not be considered for admission.
Application Evaluation
All applications receive a first round of evaluation in a blind review process. The application review is based on a holistic approach that takes into consideration the requirements of the program and the submitted application materials. Each reviewer completes an evaluation that considers the applicant's statement of purpose, academic achievement, non-academic experience, references, and portfolio (as applicable).
In mid- to late-February, each program's admission committee meets with the admission director to review the first round 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. Applicants that the committee wants to interview are contacted by the program's track chair in mid- to late-February to set up a remote interview on Zoom. Please note that most master's program applicants will not receive an interview. Therefore, if you do not receive an interview invitation it does not necessarily indicate that you are not being considered for admission.
The Graduate Program Admission Committee completes all rounds of application evaluations by late February.
Evaluation of Eligibility for 2-Year M.Arch Program
For the purposes of NAAB-accreditation, M.Arch program applicants being considered for admission advance to a final round of evaluation to assess the content of their non-accredited degree. The M.Arch program track chair and admission director review each applicant's official transcript, undergraduate coursework, and experience as outlined in their resume to evaluate whether they meet the requirements for our two-year M.Arch program based on the following criteria:
- Architectural Design Studio Courses: 72 units (24 credit hours)
- Fundamentals of Architectural History and 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 receives an admission decision letter via email from "Carnegie Mellon Architecture | Graduate Admission" by March 15. Contact the admission director, Alexis McCune Secosky, by email to inquire about the status of your admission decision if you have not received your letter by March 20.
Questions?
If you have any questions about your application, please refer to the Graduate Admissions 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.