Carnegie Mellon University · Language Technologies Institute, School of Computer Science

Master of Computational Data Science (MCDS)

Awarded degree: Master of Computational Data Science

Master'sMCDSData science degree

Overview

A 144-unit School of Computer Science master's focused on engineering large-scale information systems, with Systems, Analytics and Human-Centered Data Science concentrations, a summer internship and a capstone. Standard timing is 16 months; extended timing is 20 months.

Official program name: Master of Computational Data Science (MCDS)
Awarded degree: Master of Computational Data Science
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Master's
Program classification: Dedicated data science degreeThe awarded degree or official program title is data science itself.Focus: Computational data science
School: Carnegie Mellon University — Language Technologies Institute, School of Computer Science
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Specializations: Systems · Analytics · Human-Centered Data Science
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Required credits: 144 units
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: 16 months (Standard Timing) or 20 months (Extended Timing)
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Awarded degree is a Master of Computational Data Science.

Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We list data science bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees — dedicated, joint, and (separately labelled) related degrees with an officially named data science concentration. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Delivery, required in-person attendance, class schedule and study intensity are shown separately, each only as the university states it. “Fully online” appears only when official wording supports it.

Academic delivery: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Not published

Curriculum

Five core courses (63 units), three concentration courses (36 units), three capstone courses (36 units), one elective (12 units).
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Internship

Both timing options include a summer internship.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Capstone

Capstone project on a CMU research project or an industry-sponsored project.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Specializations, concentrations and tracks

Systems
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Analytics
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Human-Centered Data Science
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredStatement of Purpose.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredCurrent resume.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Application fee: Required$100 — $80 by the early deadline, $100 after.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredUnofficial transcripts from each university attended.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Other requirement: RecommendedShort 1-3 minute video; not required but strongly suggested.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: RequiredScores must be less than five years old; waived for CMU undergraduates.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
TOEFL iBT: RequiredRequired for non-native English speakers studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa; TOEFL preferred, IELTS or Duolingo accepted; no waivers.
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Priority deadline
November 18, 2026 · for Fall 2027 · EST
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Upcoming
Final deadline
December 9, 2026 · for Fall 2027 · EST
Source: lti.cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Upcoming

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — SCS Master's ProgramFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level	$62,200	per academic year · 2026-2027Source: cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
SCS Master's Program, per unitFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level	$864	(basis not stated by the institution) · 2026-2027Source: cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other published fees

Technology Fee: $490 per academic yearMandatory
Source: cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Student Activities Fee: $248 per academic yearMandatory
Source: cmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Funding

Funding policy and awards exactly as the university publishes them. Available assistantships do not establish guaranteed funding; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Understanding funding

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation and enrollment restrictions

Two separate questions: is the university institutionally accredited, and does it publish restrictions on who can enroll (for online programs, usually by state of residence)?

Institutional accreditation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

None recorded for this program.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 11, 2026.

lti.cmu.edu/academics/masters-programs/mcds.html — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
cmu.edu/sfs/tuition/graduate/scs.html — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 11, 2026

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Data Science Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.