The Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) program has multiple, specialized academic pathways emphasizing multidisciplinary thinking, teamwork, and leadership through experiential learning and co-curricular programming. Some pathways have different application requirements, so it is important for you to review the information below regarding the application deadline and requirements before you begin your online application.
If you’re looking for MISM program overview, including information regarding curriculum, experiential learning, scholarships and financial aid, or career outcomes, please visit the MISM main page.
Before you begin your online application, please carefully review the information below.
MISM is a STEM-designated degree program. Students enrolled in the program are eligible for 24-month OPT STEM extension. For more information, visit the Office of International Education’s website.
We have two application deadlines for the August 2025 starting date for our full-time master’s programs. Please select the deadline that meets your needs.
Submit your application form and required supporting materials by the priority deadline to receive a decision by the end of January. The required supporting materials are two (2) recommendations, official transcript/evaluation report for your bachelor's degree, and official test scores (if applicable). Review the application checklist below for more details.
Applicants who are currently pursuing their bachelor’s degree are encouraged to apply by the regular deadline (see below) so your fall (or seventh) semester grades are included on your official transcript/evaluation report.
The regular deadline is best for applicants who have not yet completed their bachelor’s degree, or for those who do not need an earlier decision from us. Applicants who apply by the regular deadline can expect to receive a decision by the end of March.
The required supporting materials required to make your application file “complete” can arrive after you submit your application and after the regular deadline. The required supporting materials are two (2) recommendations, official transcript/evaluation report for your bachelor's degree, and official test scores (if applicable). Review the application checklist below for more details.
We will continue to accept applications after the regular deadline as long as space remains in the incoming class. Access to competitive fellowships may be limited after the regular deadline.
Regardless of your chosen deadline, you will complete these steps to submit your application:
Applications are reviewed after all required materials have been received.
Before you begin the online application process, please carefully review the list of application requirements and admission criteria for the Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) program.
The Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and we will complete the review of your application after we have received all of your application materials.
You must submit a completed application form via our online application system to be considered for admission to Heinz College. Heinz College does not charge an application fee. Apply Online Now
All applicants who have completed (or will complete) their Bachelor’s degree in the United States must have an official transcript of their undergraduate studies submitted directly to Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College by their undergraduate university.
All applicants who have completed (or will complete) their Bachelor’s degree outside the United States must have a course-by-course transcript evaluation report submitted directly to Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College via an approved transcript evaluation service.
All applicants must earn a Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution (or its equivalent) prior to the date they would begin their studies at Heinz College. If you have not completed your Bachelor's degree by the time you submit your application for admission to Heinz College, you may be admitted on the condition that you submit your final, official transcript, including your date of graduation, prior to the start of your first semester at Heinz College. How to submit your official transcript or course-by-course evaluation report
The admissions committee reserves the right to require GRE/GMAT scores be submitted (prior to completing their review of the application) if the applicant’s coursework does not meet the minimum standard for enrollment.
Prospective MISM and MISM-BIDA students are NOT ELIGIBLE for waiver of the GRE/ GMAT requirement based on their work experience.
Students who are required to submit test scores must have scores reported directly to Heinz College by the testing service. When required, we strongly recommend that you take the exam at least one month prior to the application deadline.
You are required to have two (2) recommendation forms submitted on your behalf. Recommendations should be provided by employers, supervisors, professors, or others who are able to comment on your professional and educational goals and potential. At least one (1) of your recommenders should know you in a professional setting (full-time employment, internship, part-time employment, research, non-academic extracurricular activity, etc.). You may opt to have up to three (3) recommendations submitted in support of your application. Please note: recommendations from friends, family members or acquaintances, and other sources not able to evaluate applicants on an academic or professional basis, will not be accepted. Letters of recommendation must be written in or translated into English. Your recommendations must be submitted electronically through the online application system by your recommenders. We do not accept recommendations submitted on paper. How to submit your recommendations
You are required to upload your résumé to the application system. Please submit a one- or two-page summary of your education skills, accomplishments, employment experiences, and volunteer experiences. 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 an example of a résumé. Please consider using the "Optional Essay" to address the reason for any "gap" in your résumé, if applicable. Your résumé should contain only true information and your own, original content. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false or plagiarized material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.
Your essay should contain only true information and your own, original content. You should not use artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, to write any portion of your essay. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized, AI-generated, and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false, plagiarized or AI-generated material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.
You may choose to submit an essay in which you comment on any item(s) in your application that you consider worthy of further explanation. We are mostly interested in having you address any gaps in your professional experience, or anything you would consider a weakness that could have an impact on your admission status. Please limit optional essays to no more than 250 words. Your essay should contain only true information and your own, original content. You should not use artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, to write any portion of your essay. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized, AI-generated, and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false, plagiarized or AI-generated material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.
The completion of a short video interview is extremely important for applicants to the MISM program, especially individuals unable to visit campus prior to the application deadline or those who are non-native English speakers. More than 95% of admitted MISM applicants completed a video assessment. You will receive an email invitation to complete the video interview after you submit your online application and after we receive your official undergraduate transcript (or course-by-course evaluation report). How and when to complete the video interview
Heinz College is committed to ensuring the integrity of our admissions process and the reputation of our educational programs. We also want to protect and enhance the value of the degrees that we confer. As an enrolling student, you will be required to successfully complete a verification process of your admission application materials. The verification process will be completed by an outside, independent contractor hired by Heinz College and Carnegie Mellon University. The purpose of this background check is to protect all stakeholders of the program (students, faculty, staff, and alumni) from those who would falsify their backgrounds to gain an unfair advantage in the admissions process. We believe that this verification will support our efforts to ensure integrity throughout the program. Upon admission, you will receive more details about this process from the Office of Admissions.
At least three years of work experience is required to be accepted into the MISM 12-Month Pathway.
At least three years of work experience is required to be accepted into the MISM 12-Month Pathway.
The MISM-BIDA Pathway requires that you have a background in these three required coursework areas: programming, database, and statistics.
MISM-BIDA requires that you have a background in these three required coursework areas: programming, database, and statistics. See the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below for detailed information.
Click here for more information on the Exchange Program application requirements.
Click here for more information on the Exchange Program application requirements.
Heinz College and Allegheny College offer an Accelerated Master's Program to qualified Allegheny College undergraduate students. The program, structured as three years at Allegheny College followed by three semesters at Heinz College, results in students receiving both a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time than is normally required.
Students can apply online for free in the fall of their junior year for admission at the start of their senior year. As an Accelerated Master's applicant, you are required to submit the application materials and meet the admission criteria required of all MISM or MISM-BIDA applicants (depending on which pathway you choose), detailed above in the "Application Checklist" section.
Students will pay tuition and fees to Allegheny College from their freshman through junior years. They will pay tuition and fees to Carnegie Mellon for their graduate program for three semesters beyond the completion of their junior year. Allegheny College students also will be responsible for paying a maintenance fee to Allegheny College while enrolled at Carnegie Mellon in their senior year.
Students will receive both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees upon completion of their graduate program at Carnegie Mellon. Allegheny College will count units taken during the master’s program toward the student’s bachelor’s degree according to its policies and procedures. Carnegie Mellon will forward to Allegheny College transcripts and other necessary information on student academic performance.
Allegheny College students will be eligible for scholarship support from Allegheny College for their freshman through junior years. They will be eligible for scholarship support from the Heinz College for the length of their graduate program, and can apply to any and all Heinz College scholarship funds for which they are eligible (based on program and the individual scholarship fund’s specific requirements).
Each year, Heinz College will admit a maximum of five qualified Allegheny College students to the MISM program.
For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the MISM and MISM-BIDA programs, respectively, please see the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below.
Heinz College and Bethany College offer an Accelerated Master's Program to qualified Bethany College undergraduate students. The program, structured as three years at Bethany College followed by three semesters at Heinz College, results in students receiving both a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time than is normally required.
Students can apply online for free in the fall of their junior year for admission at the start of their senior year. As an Accelerated Master's applicant, you are required to submit the application materials and meet the admission criteria required of all MISM or MISM-BIDA applicants (depending on which pathway you choose), detailed above in the "Application Checklist" section.
Students will pay tuition and fees to Bethany College from their freshman through junior years. They will pay tuition and fees to Carnegie Mellon for their graduate program for four semesters beyond the completion of their junior year. Bethany College students also will be responsible for paying a maintenance fee to Bethany College while enrolled at Carnegie Mellon in their senior year.
Students will receive both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees upon completion of their graduate program at Carnegie Mellon. Bethany College will count units taken during the master’s program toward the student’s bachelor’s degree according to its policies and procedures. Carnegie Mellon will forward to Bethany College transcripts and other necessary information on student academic performance.
Bethany College students will be eligible for scholarship support from Bethany College for their freshman through junior years. They will be eligible for scholarship support from the Heinz College for the length of their graduate program, and can apply to any and all Heinz College scholarship funds for which they are eligible (based on program and the individual scholarship fund’s specific requirements).
For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the MISM and MISM-BIDA programs, respectively, please see the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below.
Click here for detailed information on the MISM Accelerated Master's Program for Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate students. Click here for detailed information on the MISM-BIDA Accelerated Master's Program for Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate students.
Click here for detailed information on the MISM Accelerated Master's Program for Chatham University undergraduate students. Click here for detailed information on the MISM-BIDA Accelerated Master's Program for Chatham University undergraduate students.
Heinz College and Singapore Management University (SMU) offer an Accelerated Master's Program to qualified “Fast-Track” undergraduate students. The program, structured as three years as SMU students followed by three semesters at Heinz College, results in students receiving both a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time than is normally required.
Students can apply online for free in the fall of their junior year for admission at the start of their senior year. As a Fast Track applicant, you are required to submit the application materials and meet the admission criteria required of all MISM and MISM-BIDA applicants, detailed above in the "Application Checklist" section.
Students will receive both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees upon completion of their graduate program at Carnegie Mellon. SMU will count units taken during the master’s program toward the student’s bachelor’s degree according to its policies and procedures. Carnegie Mellon will forward to SMU transcripts and other necessary information on student academic performance.
For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the MISM and MISM-BIDA programs, respectively, please see the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below.
You may want to consider enrolling in prerequisite coursework prior to applying for admission.
If you have not previously completed a college-level class in object-oriented programming (OOP), we encourage you to enroll in a class before you apply for admission in order to strengthen your profile. Completing the OOP course (with a grade of B or higher) is a great way to show the Admissions Committee that you are proactively preparing for the MISM program and fulfilling the prerequisites for enrollment. Please see below for more details regarding the OOP prerequisite in addition to a list of pre-approved OOP classes.
If you have not previously completed a college-level class in probability/statistics, you may want to enroll in a course before or during the admission process. Enrolling in a probability/ statistics class before you apply for admission in order to strengthen your profile. Completing the probability/ statistics class course (with a grade of B or higher) is a great way to show the Admissions Committee that you are proactively preparing for graduate school and fulfilling the prerequisites for enrollment. Please see below for more details regarding the probability/ statistics prerequisite in addition to a pre-approved probability/ statistics class.
If you are applying specifically to the MISM-BIDA pathway and you have not previously completed college-level database class, we encourage you to enroll in a database class before you apply for admission in order to strengthen your profile. Completing the database course (with a grade of B or higher) is a great way to show the Admissions Committee that you are proactively preparing for graduate school and fulfilling the prerequisites for enrollment. Please see below for more details regarding the database prerequisite in addition to a list of pre-approved database classes.
Heinz College does not prefer any specific institution at which you should complete your prerequisite coursework. Courses offered through Coursera or other MOOC platforms do not meet the prerequisite coursework requirements for admission to Heinz College.
Our faculty and staff are here to help you review courses you are considering. If you have any questions regarding admission and enrollment prerequisites, please contact the Office of Admissions via email at hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu, or give us a call at 412-268-2164.
If the committee determines that an applicant's hands-on technical background does not meet the faculty's requirement for the MISM program, the student may be required to complete an object-oriented programming course prior to enrollment in the program. This condition will be included in the offer of admission and will require that you take a pre-approved course at an accredited university and achieve a grade of B or better in the course. Students offered admission with the condition of successfully completing an object-oriented programming course prior to enrollment should contact the Office of Admissions to verify that the course you have selected meets the faculty's standards.
Please note the following:
Courses that do not grant credit and a grade will not fulfill this requirement, even if you receive a certificate of completion for the course.
If you are prospective student who wishes to complete the prerequisite programming courses for admission to Heinz College, please consider the following "Pre-Approved Java Programming Courses" (listed in the section below) as you look for suitable classes.
At UC San Diego Extension, the following two classes have been pre-approved as prerequisite programming courses for admission to Heinz College: Java Programming I: Fundamental Java Concepts (Course # CSE-40479) Note that this class lists a prerequisite course, but some students have been successful without the formal prerequisite course if they have previously studied programming on their own. Java Programming II: Core Java Programming (Course # CSE-40480) We prefer that you take this class, because it covers “exceptions handling," and it also covers deeper-level topics that will better prepare you for the MISM program. UCSD Extension CSE-40479 (or similar experience) is listed as a prerequisite for this class.
At UC Berkeley Extension, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: Java: Discovering Its Power (Course # EL ENG X436.2) Note that prerequisite courses are listed for this class, but some students have been successful without the formal prerequisite courses if they previously studied Java (or C++) on their own. (C++ is similar to Java.)
At UCSC Extension, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: Java Programming I (Course # CMPR.X412) Includes a module on learning to code with Generative AI. Note that no prerequisite is listed. Search the page for the course number (CMPR.X412) and click on the course number to view all upcoming sections.
At Boston University, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: MET CS 520 Information Structures with Java Note that this class has a prerequisite, which MUST be waived per the instructor’s consent. In order to waive the prerequisite, please email the instructor who is teaching the course that semester (BU provides you that email address) with any previous technology or programming skills. If the professor grants you a waiver, please forward that waiver to METCSAPP@bu.edu. The team at BU will manually register you as a non-degree seeking student. Please note: Because of the prerequisite requirement, you cannot register for this course online. It must be registered for manually after gaining the prerequisite waiver.
At Harvard Extension School, the following two classes have been pre-approved as prerequisite programming courses for admission to Heinz College. Note that Java I is a prerequisite to Java II and is intended for students with no previous programming background. CSCI E-10A Introduction to Computer Science Using Java I Note that this class is generally offered during the Fall Semester. CSCI E-10B Introduction to Computer Science Using Java II Note that this class is generally offered during the Spring Semester. This course lists a prerequisite, but some students have been successful without the formal prerequisite course if they possess the equivalent experience in a high-level programming language such as C, C++, or Java.
At Parkland College, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: CSC 140 Computer Science I (Java)
At Foothill College, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: C S 1A Object-Oriented Programming Methodologies in Java C S 2A Object-Oriented Programming Methodologies in C++
At Excelsior College, the following class has been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: IT210 Object Oriented Programming Note that you may enroll in the 8 or 15 week sections. Both section types offer the same content, with the 8-week long courses covering the material at a faster pace.
At Carnegie Mellon University, the following classes have been pre-approved as a prerequisite programming course for admission to Heinz College: 17-214: Principles of Software Construction: Objects, Design, and Concurrency 15-121: Introduction to Data Structures Note that prerequisite courses may be required and students should consult with their advisor prior to registering for the course.
All enrolling students in the MISM program must meet the basic statistics coursework requirement by completing a college-level statistics course with a grade of B or higher. When choosing an appropriate college-level course to take, you may choose a course designed for students with very little or no background in statistics. Course topics should include probability and probability tables, conditional probability, Bayes' Rule, random variables and expected value, and the basics of normal distribution and hypothesis testing. At the conclusion of the course, students should have the basic tools for analyzing data and outcomes involving probabilistic circumstances. The course should be taken for credit and students need to earn a grade of B or higher. Completing the course before submitting their application allows students to include the transcript as part of their application packet.
Didn't find what you were looking for on this page? Check out our Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information on any of the topics or processes outlined above.
Heinz College Office of Admissions 5000 Forbes Avenue Hamburg Hall Pittsburgh , PA 15213-3890 412-268-2164 hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu
5000 Forbes Ave, Hamburg Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 · 412.268.2159
©2020 Carnegie Mellon University. All Rights Reserved.
