Cost of Attendance
The MCDS program is part of the CMU School of Computer Science. Tuition rates are listed as a fall/spring per-semester tuition, plus additional summer semester tuition. All students must take a 12-unit summer distance education course, and tuition for this course is charged at the per unit "non-degree" rate. These figures increase every academic year. New students should factor in an approximately 5 percent increase per year into any budget computation. No tuition or fees are charged during the summer semester while you complete your summer internship. You must take at least 36-units per semester to be considered full-time. The per unit fee changes each year, and courses are typically 12 units. You must also provide your own laptop.
The breakdown of costs for the MCDS 16-month option is shown below.
Financial Assistance
The MCDS program does not offer financial assistance, but our students find various ways to finance their education, including external scholarships, loans, university employment or payment in full. Teaching assistantships are sometimes available, typically in the second and third semester. The assistantship covers only a small part of the cost of tuition. Many organizations award external scholarships for Carnegie Mellon students, and U.S. citizens may also finance the cost of education through government-secured Stafford Loans or part-time employment. Students with full-time jobs can also enroll in the program part time. For more information on graduate student financial aid please visit the financial aid website.