Information Systems Management Master's Degree Application Process

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.

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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

We are committed to reducing barriers and increasing access for all applicants. We assess applicants holistically and take into consideration many factors, including quantitative background and experience.

Applicants are REQUIRED to submit GRE/GMAT scores or applicants can qualify for a waiver of the GRE/GMAT requirement by submitting one (1) or more of the following:

1. Evidence of Prior Quantitative Coursework- At a minimum, applicants can demonstrate their preparedness by having earned an “A” or higher in a college-level, credit-bearing, Calculus class and Statistics class. Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Calculus and Statistics will satisfy this requirement if the course(s) appears on the undergraduate transcript as college credit.  Only classes listed on the official undergraduate transcript or other official transcript(s) will be considered.
2. Undergraduate transcript from Carnegie Mellon University– Applicants who have completed (or will complete) their undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University are eligible for a waiver of the GRE/GMAT requirement.

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 Information Systems Management and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics pathway students are NOT ELIGIBLE for waiver of the GRE/ GMAT requirement based on their work experience. 

If you are going to submit scores, click here for detailed information on submitting your standardized test scores.

If your native language (mother tongue) is not English, you are required to submit an official score report from the TOEFL, IELTS, or the Duolingo English Test. The only exceptions are for:

1. students who have worked or studied for five or more years in Australia, Botswana, Canada, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and/or Zambia.
2. students who studied for four years of their undergrad education in the United States and earned their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US school (students are encouraged to provide unofficial copies of the English Language Proficiency exam they used when they applied to their undergraduate institution as part of their application to Heinz College).
   

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. 

How to submit English proficiency exam results

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.

You are required to upload the required essay to the application system.

Your essay should address the following 3 questions. We recommend that your total essay length should be 700 words minimum (up to 1100 words suggested maximum). Please give each section of your essay the appropriate heading for each question.

1. Career Goals: What are your career goals after completing graduate school? (Recommended response length: 150-300 words)
2. Prior Experience: How have your prior experiences (professional, academic, and/or personal) prepared you for graduate study and informed your career goals? (Recommended response length: 400-500 words)
3. Why Heinz College: How will attending this degree program at Heinz College help you achieve your career goals? (Recommended response length: 150-300 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.

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 Information Systems Management 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.

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.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is designed for Allegheny College students who have completed their junior year.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

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.

TUITION AND FEES

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.

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

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.

SCHOLARSHIPS

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).

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

Each year, Heinz College will admit a maximum of five qualified Allegheny College students to the Information Systems Management program.

PREREQUISITES

For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the Information Systems Management and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics 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.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is designed for Bethany College students who have completed their junior year.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

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.

TUITION AND FEES

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.

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

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.

SCHOLARSHIPS

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).

PREREQUISITES

For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the Information Systems Management and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programs, respectively, please see the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below.

Find detailed information on the Information Systems Management Accelerated Master's Program for Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate students.

Find detailed information on the Information Systems Management-Business Intelligence and Data Analytics Accelerated Master's Program for Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate students.

Find detailed information on the Information Systems Management Accelerated Master's Program for Chatham University undergraduate students.

Find detailed information on the Information Systems Management-Business Intelligence and Data Analytics 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.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is designed for SMU Fast Track students who have completed their junior year.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

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 Information Systems Management and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics applicants, detailed above in the "Application Checklist" section.

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

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.

PREREQUISITES

For detailed prerequisite information and course descriptions for both the Information Systems Management and Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programs, respectively, please see the "Prerequisite Coursework Information" section below.

All enrolling students in the Information Systems Management program must meet the basic object-oriented programming (OOP) coursework requirement by completing a college-level OOP course with a grade of B or higher. To ensure this requirement is met by each enrolling student, the Admissions Committee will look for proof of each applicant's applied technical background/experience listed on the transcript(s) submitted to the Office of Admissions. Specific examples of applied skills include:

• independently write programs in approved languages (Java, C++)
• compile, de-bug and execute programs

If the committee determines that an applicant's hands-on technical background does not meet the faculty's requirement for theInformation Systems Management 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:

• Java is the preferred programming language (other programming language accepted is C++)
• Must be a college-/ university-level course at an accredited institution
• Must be for credit and a grade
• The course may be taken on-campus or online 

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.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO EXTENSION

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.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY EXTENSION

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.)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ EXTENSION

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.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

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. 

HARVARD EXTENSION SCHOOL

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.

 PARKLAND COLLEGE

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)

 FOOTHILL COLLEGE

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++

Excelsior College

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.

Carnegie Mellon University (Current CMU Students Only)

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 Information Systems Management 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.

All enrolling students in the Business Intelligence and Data Analytics track must meet the basic database coursework requirement by completing a college-level database course with a grade of B or higher. The course should cover relational database design and an introduction to database programming.

The classes below have been pre-approved by the faculty to satisfy the Database prerequisite for enrollment.

• DBDA.X415: Relational Database Design and SQL Programming, offered online through UCSC Extension Click here for details
• COM SCI X 414.51: Relational Database Management, offered online through UCLA Extension Click here for details
• MET CS 669: Database Design & Implementation for Business, offered online through Boston University Click here for details
• COMPSCI X409.1: Introduction to Databases, offered online through UC Berkeley Extension Click here for details