Fill Out the Health History Form

All incoming students must complete health history and immunization information on the Student Health Services website. 

International Students: Fill Out Your Forms

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will receive an I-20 Form, which will allow you to obtain an F-1 student visa. The Office of International Education helps with the documentation.

Submit a Photograph for the MLD Website

While the photo for your ID card should be relatively formal, a more lively photograph is ideal for the Machine Learning Ph.D. Students Page. The photograph should be of just yourself (not a group photo), but a picture with your hometown, favorite restaurant, or other interesting location as the backdrop would add personality. Send a large, uncropped photograph to Diane. She will edit it to the appropriate size (which is 800x800 pixels at the appropriate level of zoom). Send by July 1. 

Check out additional deadlines from CMU's Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Get Your CMU Student ID Card

Learn more about submitting your photo.

CMU's classes begin August 25, 2025 (although some classes in the Computer Science Department begin one week later). 

If applicable, you will be registered for the following courses your first semester:

• 10-715: Advanced Introduction to Machine Learning
• 36-705: Intermediate Statistics
• 10-920: Graduate Reading and Research

Classes fill up quickly, so if you are on a waitlist for a course send email to diane@cs.cmu.edu.

For the full schedule of courses, go to the Schedule of Classes. To register for courses, visit Student Information Online.

You must be registered for at least 36 units (at all times) to be considered full-time by the university. One unit is defined as requiring an average student to spend about one hour each week to earn an average grade in that course, implying that a 36-unit course load should take about 36 hours per week of work. However, machine learning students must earn at least a B- for a course to count toward their degree, and most students aim to earn A's, meaning that 36 hours per week is a low estimate. Because of this, and because it can take students time to acclimate to a new learning environment, we strongly encourage students to take only the courses listed above in their first semester.

You should spend 50% of your time on actual courses and 50% of your time in research, so you also should be registered for 10-920: Reading and Research each semester.

MLD Graduate Student Orientation - August 11-13, 2025

Graduate Student Orientation for all incoming Graduate Students is scheduled for August 11-13, 2025. 

International Graduate Student Orientation - August 11, 2025

The Office of International Education (OIE) will hold International Graduate Student Orientation and registration is required. Students can register for an orientation session by following the instructions on OIE's website. Students who arrive in Pittsburgh after the standard sessions must contact OIE upon arrival to scheduled a make-up orientation/immigration check-in. 

Registration for fall orientation will begin this summer. An email with further details on how to register will be emailed to students at that time. 

Language Support Orientation

Language Support Orientation sessions, held mid-August to mid-September, are designed to help students who are nonnative English speakers get a strong start at CMU. The sessions offer guidance on and discussion of common language and cross-cultural issues experienced by international students. (The Student Academic Success Center is also a valuable resource for nonnative English speakers.)

Students who attend this one-hour session will:

• Better understand the language challenges faced by many nonnative English-speaking students and develop realistic expectations for their success at CMU and in their professional lives;
• Learn how to interpret their own TOEFL speaking scores to more realistically assess their individual language issues;
• Become familiar with the ITA test requirement and know how to best prepare for the test; and
• Learn about the language support available on campus.

Your Andrew user ID is automatically assigned when you are entered into the Student Information System. Your Andrew ID is needed to view your student account, register for courses, sign up for health insurance and more.

You will receive an email with the subject line “Action Required: Your Andrew userID Has Been Created” from it-help@cmu.edu. The email will provide instructions on how to receive your Andrew userID; set a password; and enroll in two-factor authentication (2fa) with DUO, Carnegie Mellon’s multifactor authentication service provider. Be sure to check your spam folder in the event that the email does not appear in your inbox.

For problems with your Andrew account, email Computing Services.

MLD appreciates the efforts of its graduate students in obtaining outside support. As an incentive for actively soliciting and obtaining support from outside sources, the department provides supplemental money. Students receiving outside support at the initiative of MLD (with only a vitae — or less — from the student) are not entitled to the supplement. If you have received a fellowship, contact Mary Stech to find out what information you need to give her and what your supplement would be.

All Carnegie Mellon students are required to have health insurance, and will be automatically enrolled and charged for Carnegie Mellon student health insurance unless a waiver is requested and granted. Visit the University Health Services website for more information.

Each student is required to take one of the following three actions:

1. Enroll in the basic plan as charged.
2. Upgrade the benefit plan by enrolling in the enhanced student health insurance options during the open enrollment period.
3. Apply for a waiver from the mandatory plan.

Students, especially those not covered by their parents' American health insurance plans, are strongly encouraged to enroll in the university's health insurance plan. The price and coverage are reasonable and it is easy to use at the student health clinic on campus. International students should be particularly cautious of scams targeting students who are not very knowledgeable about the American medical system, since seemingly good deals can result in massive charges for people who do not fully understand the American system of deductibles, copayments, preapproval, in-network and out-network services, yearly and lifetime payment caps, etc.

If you elect to enroll in CMU's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), the university will cover 100 percent of the premium cost for your individual coverage under SHIP. While you will have the opportunity to purchase partner, spouse or dependent coverage under the SHIP plan, the university's support will be limited to 100 percent of your individual coverage amount. Note that if you wish to elect the required health insurance coverage under an alternate plan, you will not be eligible for the university support referenced here.

To be eligible for the financial support, you must enroll in the SHIP program no later than August 15. A payment plan is available for the balance of the premium not covered by the university (i.e. dental, vision). Learn more about the payment plan on the University Health Services website. 

Refer to the University Health Service's website for complete information about immunization requirements, student health insurance and more.

New Pittsburgh campus students must verify required vaccinations using the CMU Immunization Record Form (signed by a health care provider) in HealthConnect no later than August 1, 2025.

Questions about health services can be directed to:

• General information: health@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2157.
• Immunization information:health@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2157 (option 4)
• Insurance information: shinsure@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2157 (option 3)

CMU does not have on-campus housing for graduate students, but it does have resources to help new students find off-campus housing. For information on housing and related issues, visit the Off Campus Housing Marketplace, which can be helpful for locating suitable apartments or houses for new students.

The Machine Learning Department has an invite-only ML Housing Google Group that is restricted to members of the MLD community. You are welcome to use it to coordinate finding apartments and roommates.

CMU's Graduate Student Association has created a Graduate Student Housing Handbook with useful information about neighborhoods, common prices reported by actual CMU students, and questions to keep in mind. 

There is an unofficial Facebook group that may be useful as well. (Note that this is NOT an official CMU resource and participants aren't necessarily from CMU.)

Many of our students live in the Squirrel Hill or Shadyside neighborhoods.

If you will be looking for an apartment before you arrive, the best times to do so are either in early May or mid-July. Most leases are for one year, ending in May or August. You can sign a lease any time if the space is available, but people don't always let the landlords know whether they'll be renewing until 30-45 days before the end of the lease. There is usually a little overlap in August — old leases aren't over until the end of August and you need a place by mid-August — but it's often possible to "bunk in" with older students for a few days until your place becomes available. You can also look for short-term, off-campus housing.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will receive an I-20 Form, which will allow you to obtain an F-1 student visa. However, the I-20 cannot be issued until we receive your completed International Student Information Form. Note that you are not required to provide any proof of financial support unless you have legal dependents (spouse and/or children). In that case, you may be required to show that you have additional funds available to support the dependents. 

All students applying for the F-1 visa are required to pay a SEVIS fee in addition to any other required filing fees. We will not pay this fee in advance, but you will be reimbursed once you arrive in the fall. To be reimbursed, save your receipt and bring it to the Ph.D. coordinator when you arrive on campus. You will also have to pay to have the documents shipped to you. Again, save the receipt and give it to the Ph.D. coordinator with your SEVIS receipt for reimbursement. 

If you are already in the U.S.: Request a transfer through your Foreign Student Adviser rather than receiving a new I-20 form. For additional information regarding visas, visit the Office of International Education.

International students will also receive information with their I-20 Form about International Student Orientation, sponsored by the Office of International Education. This program is mandatory. If you have a situation that does not allow you to attend, you will be required to attend an orientation session before the end of the first week of the semester in order for your enrollment to be complete and to maintain your valid visa status. An important part of the orientation are instructions of how to obtain a social security number, which you will need in order to receive your stipend. 

It is common for students studying artificial intelligence (this is what is listed on your I-20 instead of machine learning) to experience administrative processing delays when getting a visa. If there is anything you need to do, you will be contacted with information.

The Office of International Education provides answers to frequently asked questions.

The Machine Learning Department Orientation will be on August 21-22, 2025.

In-person attendance is expected at this event, where we introduce you to the Machine Learning Department and the School of Computer Science. Faculty will give presentations about the projects they are working on. The research presentations will give you an idea of the kind of research that happens in machine learning and throughout SCS. After orientation, students are strongly encouraged to arrange individual meetings with potential faculty advisers.

All students must take an online "Responsible Conduct of Research" module. To complete the online education course, go to CITI's website and following the directions below.

1. Select Carnegie Mellon University as your "Participating Institution" and create an account. Use your CMU Andrew email ID for this account.
2. Once your registration is complete, you will be directed to a list of courses. Choose the "Responsible Conduct of Research" module most appropriate to the type of research you conduct (physical sciences, social and behavioral, undergraduate, biomedial engineering or humanities). 
3. The course may take a few hours to complete but can be done over a period of time. When you complete the course, CITI will email your completion record to the CMU Research Compliance Office.
4. If you have done CITI education for another organization, add CMU to your CITI profile. You will be given credit for your previous courses to the extent they overlap with CMU's requirements.

Students must complete training for NSF and NIH grants. A copy of the certificate must be given to the MLD Associate Business Manager.

Your stipend has an anticipated begin date of August 16, 2025. Stipend payments are made twice each month. In order to get "on the payroll," you are required by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services to complete an I-9 Form, which documents your authorization to work in the United States. You will complete page 1 of the form via our HR/Payroll system, Workday. You will complete page 2 by taking your documents to the CMU Works Service Center at 4516 Henry Street (UTDC Building). Please see the list below for acceptable documents to show at the Service Center. You may also sign up to have your payment directly deposited into your bank account. Please bring a blank check, marked VOID, to the Payroll Office. You will also need a social security number before you will receive any payments.

List of Acceptable Documents

U.S. citizen must show either a valid U.S. passport, or a state-issued driver's license PLUS an original Social Security Card or a birth certificate bearing a seal. People who are not U.S. citizens must show their passport (with attached employment authorization Form I-9, which will be issued by the CMU Foreign Student Adviser during foreign student orientation.) Be sure that you have these documents with you when you arrive.

If you have received external funding, your contact person in CMU SCS will be Mary Stech. If you have any questions, contact her directly.

Dependency Allowance

If your spouse is unemployed or earns less than $500 per month, you are entitled to a dependency allowance. A dependency allowance of 10% per month of the SCS base stipend amount for each eligible dependent is paid to a Ph.D. student provided that his or her spouse or qualifying domestic partner earns $500 or less per month.

In academic year 2025-2026, base stipend is $3,575 and the allowance per eligible dependent is $357.

Your ID Card is your official Carnegie Mellon photo identification. It is your access to campus buildings, athletic facilities and the Port Authority Transit system. You must have an ID Card as a graduate student.

To obtain your card:

• Submit your photograph via the ID Photo Submission Application before July 31. 
• You will receive your ID Card upon arrival. If you do not receive your ID Card from your department, visit The HUB, lower level of Warner Hall, during business hours to pick it up.  
• If you did not submit your photo online, visit The HUB with your own photo or to have your photo taken.

The department pays your student fees and also pays your tuition by dividing it up each month. You don't have to worry about tuition or the following student fees: Student Activities Fee, Transportation Fee or Technology Fee. You will have to pay the dependent health insurance and any personal fees, as in dental, vision or library fees. For more details, see the HUB website.

Your student account information can be found at https://s3.andrew.cmu.edu/sio.