So I just got accepted to Carnegie Mellon’s Mellon College of Science. I really want to go to CMU but I want to go to the engineering school. Is it possible to go to CMU in the Mellon College of Science then transfer to the Carnegie Institute of Technology once there? If so, how difficult would it be?
Bump. I want to know as well.
Hi! 2013 Alum here.
It is very doable to transfer between MCS to CIT. You will have to be in good academic standing. I have known several who have made the switch and been able to graduate in 4 years. One was even able to do an accelerated masters in ECE in 4 1/2. Most freshman year classes are general reqs that can usually count for something. Some unfortunately do not, for example MCS students have their own Physics while engineering has Physics for Engineering that are not necessarily interchangeable.
Registering for your first semester maybe a bit constrained. You may be able to get into one of the Intro engineering classes but it may be difficult due to the reserved seats for CIT students. The second semester you should have a lot more flexibility to sign up for Intro to Meche, Intro ECE etc. I believe you will need to be taking or have taken one of those before they let you switch. My advice is to take a look at the undergraduate catalog of the major you do want to switch into and see what the requirements are. CIT students are undecided when they start as freshman and declare at the end of their Freshman year.
@Cahier How much more difficult would it be to transfer from Dietrich (Economics) to Tepper?
1 Like
@Cahier thank you so much!! Do you know when in the year it would be best to try to transfer? Like after first semester perhaps?
Yes I would try and take the Intro to Engineering class of the major that you are interested in and then spring semester apply to switch. If you do attend your advisor will be a great resource, they will be able to help you figure it out!
I just want to add that typically in the past that CIT is not space as constrained as some the other colleges at CMU and usually allow people to switch in if they desire it and have the performance. Numerous students also switch out as well! However, there’s always a chance that things change and space does become an issue. (too many students enroll)
@Tuscani In terms of course overlap, the ease is pretty good I believe. In terms of competitiveness and space concerns, I am honestly not sure. I have definitely observed people make the switch so they certainly allow it.
There is no guarantee for switching, but it’s possible if your first year grades are very good.
I was admitted into CIT and Tepper. At the moment, my interests seem to lie within those two schools, but if I become interested in Computer Science, I may consider an internal transfer into the School of Computer Science. How feasible/common is a transfer from CIT into SCS?
If I want to switch majors within a certain school (Dietrich), from Eng to Economics, how easy would it be? because you only need to declare major at end of second year, correct?
Hi, I am going to be a freshman this fall at CMU and I will be majoring in Information Systems as well as playing on the varsity soccer team. I picked Info Systems as a major because it is interdisciplinary and because it sounds very interesting, but it is kind of a leap of faith, because I’m not really sure exactly what to expect. I’ve always been interested in studying engineering, so if IS doesn’t work out, I want to have the option to switch into CIT. I know I’d have to take an intro to engineering course to do this, and I want to take one freshmen year so I have the ability to switch after spring break if I want to. My question is, what intro to eng courses are easiest to get a seat in if you’re not a CIT student freshmen year? And if I explain my situation to the appropriate professors and counselors when I am making my schedule, will they be supportive in putting me into an intro class?
Thanks!
Hi I’m interested in biomed engineering and fell in love with CMU when I visited. However, I have a 4.08 weighted gpa, a 32 ACT, and am a white girl. I looked at the stats and i’m below average for the engineering school where the ACT score for most is a 34 and who have a 4.2 weighted gpa. Do you think I should apply to dietrich and then switch schools once I’m accepted? I really wanna go here and I feel like that’s my only option.
^ anyone?
To CollegeGirl: Apply to the Engineering College and the school of SCIENCE, not the humanities college, you can apply to two at CMU. You just never know what other factors they may weight in, so absolutely tell them what you want to study and apply for the school you want. If you are interested in biomedical, take math, chemistry and physics in your senior year of high school and ace them. Then, if you get into the school of Science, and do well your freshman year, you may have a chance to transfer. Applying to the humanities and social science college when you want to be an engineer makes no sense, as what is the backup plan there? Unless you have a second interest in humanities or social science, do not do this. . Also look at other college programs in biomedical engineering, and apply to many other colleges, including some state schools. Do not get too set on CMU, but try for their engineering program if you want to become an engineer.
Thank you, but I have actually decided not to apply to CMU at all