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Machine Learning Academics

The Machine Learning Department comprises a multidisciplinary team of faculty, staff and students across several academic disciplines. We're dedicated to furthering the scientific understanding of automated learning and to producing the next generation of tools for data analysis and decision-making based on that understanding.

Today's demand for expertise in machine learning far exceeds the supply, and this imbalance will only grow in the coming decade. To help prepare students for these opportunities, we offer four Ph.D. programs; a master's program; and an undergraduate minor, concentration or major. Students can also take classes in the Machine Learning Department without being part of one of its academic programs.

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Have questions or concerns about our academic programs? Contact us.

Important Note

We do NOT offer any online or part-time degrees. All of our programs are a full-time commitment on the Pittsburgh Campus.

Available Programs

Ph.D. in Machine Learning

The Ph.D. Program in Machine Learning is for students interested in research in machine learning and computational statistics. The program is operated jointly by faculty in the School of Computer Science and Department of Statistics.

We also offer the following joint Ph.D. Programs:

M.S. Curriculum and Program Requirements

The M.S. in Machine Learning is ideal for students considering a career in industry or as preparation for a Ph.D. Regardless of the application used, the curriculum and program requirements are the same.

Primary Application Information: M.S. in Machine Learning

The primary application is open to students who are not currently earning a degree from or working at CMU, as well as CMU undergraduates who prefer it over the Fifth-Year Master's program.

Primary Application Information: M.S. in Machine Learning — Applied Study

The primary application is open to students who are not currently earning a degree from or working at CMU, as well as CMU undergraduates who prefer it over the Fifth-Year Master's program. Unlike the other links in this list, the M.S. in Machine Learning — Applied Study is a unique degree for students planning a career in industry.

Fifth-Year Master's in Machine Learning Application Information

Current CMU undergraduates may be eligible to apply early and earn a master's degree in their fifth year.

Machine Learning Minor

Machine learning and statistical methods are increasingly used in many application areas, including natural language processing, speech, vision, robotics and computational biology. The Minor in Machine Learning allows undergraduates to learn about the core principles of machine learning while pursuing another primary area of study.

The curriculum varies based on when students began their CMU undergraduate program.

Curriculum for 2018 and earlier
Curriculum for 2019 and later

Machine Learning Concentration

Students within the School of Computer Science can add the Machine Learning Concentration to their major to enhance their computer science education.

Statistics and Machine Learning Major

This joint major, managed by the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, develops the critical ideas and skills underlying statistical machine learning — the creation and study of algorithms that enable systems to automatically learn and improve with experience. It is ideal for students interested in statistical computation, data science or "Big Data" problems, including those planning to pursue a related Ph.D. or a job in the tech industry.

Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence

Carnegie Mellon has led the world in artificial intelligence education and innovation since the field was created. It's only natural, then, that the School of Computer Science would offer the nation's first bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence, which we introduced in fall 2018. A B.S. in AI from CMU unites disciplines from machine learning to natural language processing, instruction in the BSAI program includes faculty members from across the school's seven departments.

Teaching Assistantships

Apply to be a teaching assistant or course assistant in the Machine Learning Department. Both graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to apply.

Effective July 31, 2023, CMU will no longer produce a letter that states actual skills, enumerated skills or anything not listed in the description. Additionally, academic departments and faculty may not produce skill verification letters. 

The official course syllabus verifies the skills taught in the course and your official transcript verifies the successful completion of the course/skills.

Instructions From Enrollment Services
https://www.cmu.edu/hub/registrar/student-records/verifications/course.html

FAQs 
https://www.cmu.edu/hub/registrar/student-records/verifications/faqs.html

Leonardo Associate Professor of Machine Learning Virginia Smith discusses her team's work on large-scale machine learning, distributed optimization and federated learning.