How to Apply to the Mathematics Major at Carnegie Mellon: The Department of Mathematical Sciences in the Mellon College of Science, with All First Years Undeclared and Declaring in Spring, and Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) teaches undergraduate mathematics through the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the Mellon College of Science (MCS). The admission page tells applicants to “submit your application for the Mellon College of Science”, so you apply to the college rather than directly to a department. Computer science is not covered here; this site has a separate article on it. Below is what the website says for fall 2027 entry, for domestic students, international students (with a section for applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and concentrations

• B.S. in Mathematical Sciences: the department says it offers a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences within which students may choose a concentration. The admission page and the department list five: Mathematical Sciences (the least structured, which the admission page describes as suitable for students planning graduate study or a second major in another department), Operations Research and Statistics, Statistics, Discrete Mathematics and Logic, and Computational and Applied Mathematics.
• Shared core: the prospective-student page says all B.S. degrees require the same core courses and differ in upper-level requirements and electives; students may declare any concentration, and switching within the first two years is easy.
• Joint and interdisciplinary degrees: the B.S. in Mathematical Sciences and Economics (called Economics and Mathematical Sciences for Dietrich College students); the B.S. in Computational Finance, offered jointly by MCS, the Heinz College and the Tepper School of Business; and the Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA), which combines mathematics with any of the five schools in the College of Fine Arts. Economics, computer science and similar majors have their own articles on this site and are not covered here.
• Minors: Mathematical Sciences, Discrete Mathematics and Logic, and Computational Finance.
• Honors Degree Program: listed on the department’s degree page; see section 3 for how it works.

2. How admission works: apply to the college, declare in spring

• At application: the admission page asks applicants to submit the MCS application. The department’s FAQ says all external admissions are handled by the CMU admissions office, and that all MCS first-year students are undeclared and are asked to declare a major in the spring of the first year. The department also says it does not communicate with the admissions office about applicants, so visits or correspondence with the department play no role in undergraduate admission.
• College-level cutoffs or quotas: the pages read do not give a separate admission cutoff or quota for MCS or mathematics, or the grades needed to declare the major. This is not published; ask the Office of Admission and the college.
• One college only: Early Decision and transfer applicants can apply to only one college within the university.
• Moving into mathematics (or adding a second major or dual degree) from within CMU: the FAQ requires a final grade of B or better in both 21-127/21-128 and 21-241/21-242, and an overall QPA of at least 3.50. Forms are on the MCS forms page, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies handles questions.
• Changing concentration: email the Director of Undergraduate Studies or your major advisor with the concentration you want.

3. Preparation, placement and credit

• High school courses for MCS: 4 years English, 4 years mathematics, 1 year each of chemistry, physics and biology, 2 years foreign language and 3 electives. The note says four years of mathematics should include at least algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry and elementary functions (pre-calculus) and preferably calculus; the academic-requirements page “strongly encourages” advanced mathematics, especially calculus (the major’s admission page says “encouraged”).
• Placement: the department places new first-year and transfer students into precalculus and calculus courses using test scores (SAT, ACT, AP, IB, Cambridge) and placement exams in orientation week. A prerequisite waiver for 21-090 Precalculus comes with any of an AP Precalculus score of 5, an SAT Math score of at least 670, or an ACT Math score of at least 29. Passing an orientation-week placement exam gives a prerequisite waiver, not course credit.
• Honors and acceleration: the department says students start in rigorous foundational courses, including honors versions of first- and second-year courses, and strong performance lets them accelerate and take graduate courses as early as junior year. Incoming majors with credit for 21-120 and 21-122 typically take 21-128 and either 21-241 or 21-242 in the first semester; placement into 21-242 is based on the Mathematics Maturity Survey taken in orientation week, and students may place out of 21-241/21-242 and 21-127/21-128 but should talk to their advisor. Honors Vector Analysis (21-269) is by invitation based on first-semester performance. In the second year there are honors “Mathematical Studies” sequences in analysis (21-235, 21-236) and algebra (21-237, 21-238), by invitation based on first-year performance or by application to the honors director.
• Honors degree: after two semesters each of analysis and algebra, students may apply to earn a master’s degree alongside the bachelor’s, taking at least five graduate courses and writing a master’s thesis. The FAQ says students typically apply for the Mathematical Studies courses at the end of the first year and for the graduate stage in junior year; the honors director is Prof. Ian Tice.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit: the admission page says AP scores of 4 and 5 may earn credit and IB Higher Level scores of 6 or 7 may earn credit; each college decides how exams count, and scores go to the admission office in early summer for the dean’s evaluation. Cambridge A-Level may earn credit for exemplary grades; O-Level is not accepted for placement. The course-by-course credit tables are in university PDFs that I did not read. Students awarded calculus credit who feel uncomfortable may take a lower course in the sequence, and credit is adjusted.
• College courses in high school: the department says most dual-enrollment courses transfer as 21-001 elective credit; courses taken in person at a college are evaluated in the summer after enrollment and before first-year registration.
• Math competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions are viewed in admission; this is not published. The admission page does say CMU will consider a Schoolhouse.world portfolio in holistic review (optional; certifications exist in calculus, statistics and more, and certified students may take CMU placement exams in foundational STEM topics).

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• Early Decision (binding): deadline November 2, notification by December 15, reply by February 1. Admitted students are expected to enroll, must withdraw other applications and submit the Early Decision Agreement; a denied student cannot reapply in Regular Decision; the outcomes are admit, deny or defer to Regular Decision.
• Regular Decision: deadline January 4, notification no later than April 1, reply by May 1.
• Check the year: the pages do not print a year with these dates, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Materials: the Common Application, a USD 75 fee (waived for students meeting an indicator of economic need on the Common Application), high school courses and grades, standardized test scores, a counselor evaluation, a teacher recommendation, the Common Application essay, and the writing supplement (three short-answer questions). The pages read do not say whether the teacher must teach math; not published.
• No supplemental materials: CMU does not accept resumes, artwork, portfolios, recordings or websites. Applicant updates are not accepted after January 15, though counselor documents still are.
• Testing (test flexible): MCS is in the test-flexible group: scores must be submitted for the application to be complete, but you choose the type: SAT, ACT, IB (predicted or actual), AP, Cambridge A-Level (predicted or actual) or French Baccalaureate (predicted or actual). Those submitting predicted results give actual results only if admitted and enrolling. CMU prefers testing be done by November 1 for Early Decision and January 3 for Regular Decision. The SAT is superscored, the ACT is not, SAT Subject Tests are neither required nor considered, and self-reported SAT/ACT scores are accepted. The SAT code is 2074 and the ACT code is 3534.
• After admission: proof of meeting high school diploma requirements by the end of May, and a final transcript by the end of July of the year you enroll.

5. Domestic students

• Cost: the tuition page is for first-year students entering in fall 2026: tuition USD 69,702 (USD 969 per unit), housing 11,700 and food 7,950, with several fees, for a total of USD 91,214 in tuition, fees and living expenses and a total cost of attendance of USD 93,614 for residents; commuters total USD 78,620. The page has one tuition rate and does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state. Figures for fall 2027 entry are not in the pages I read.
• Aid: the admission page says CMU commits to meeting 100% of demonstrated need for domestic students; students from families earning under USD 75,000 a year attend tuition-free, and those under USD 100,000 get aid without federal loans. There is a Net Price Calculator for US citizens, eligible non-citizens and permanent residents. The page says graduates have on average under USD 18,000 in student loan debt. The forms and deadlines for aid are not on the pages read; see the university’s aid pages.
• State-resident preference: the pages read do not mention one; not published.
• DACA: DACA applicants apply as international students by choosing “Other (non-US)” on the Common Application and must apply for aid to be considered for institutional aid.

6. International students

• Process: the website says the application procedure and timetable for international students are essentially the same as for applicants from US schools, with the same requirements and deadlines. An international applicant is a citizen or permanent resident of another country who will study in the US on a temporary visa.
• English (required of non-native speakers; scores no more than two years old): IELTS 7.5 overall, with subscores of 7.5 considered; TOEFL iBT taken before January 21, 2026: 102 overall, with section scores of 25 considered; on or after January 21, 2026: 5 overall, with section scores of 5 considered; TOEFL Essentials 11; Cambridge English 191; Duolingo 135 overall, with literacy, conversation, comprehension and production subscores of 135 considered. For multiple TOEFL attempts CMU uses the set with the highest overall score and does not use MyBest. InitialView or Vericant interviews are recommended but not required.
• Exemptions: the pages read say only that non-native speakers must submit a test and do not list exemptions; not published.
• Documents: use your passport name on all documents; non-English transcripts need an official translation verified by a counselor or school official as true copies; IB and A-Level applicants send expected results.
• Funding: the website states that Carnegie Mellon does not offer financial aid to international students; students and families must plan to pay the total cost of attendance (see the cost figures above). Department-specific scholarships: not published. Proof-of-funds and visa document details are not on the pages read; see the international student office.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether Gaokao results are considered or how; not published. Ask the Office of Admission.
• Test options: under the test-flexible policy you may submit the SAT, ACT, AP, IB, A-Level and other listed options; IB and A-Level applicants send predicted results.
• Transcripts and verification: Chinese transcripts need an official translation verified by school staff. The pages read give no Chinese-specific requirements for transcripts, school-leaving exam materials or credential evaluation, and no statement for applicants from China; not published, so ask the Office of Admission.
• English: see the scores above.

8. Research, department programs and outcomes

• Undergraduate research: the department says there is very little entry-level lab work in mathematical research; students typically learn of opportunities through math club seminars, the Directed Reading Program and course 21-410, and after advanced coursework upper-class students are competitive for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs.
• Department scholarships: the pages read do not mention them; not published.
• Outcomes: the Mathematical Sciences admission page prints, for the class of 2025 six months after graduation, 82% employed or in graduate school, an average salary of USD 118,714, and recent employers Amazon, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and PNC Bank. The costs page separately says the university-wide class of 2025 had an average starting salary of USD 116,882 with 91% employed or continuing education within six months; these are university-wide figures, not the mathematics figures.

9. Transfer students

• Dates: the transfer page says CMU admits a small number of transfers as space permits; the fall transfer application deadline is February 15, supporting documents are due March 10, and decisions come by May 17. The “Application Plans and Deadlines” page instead says February 16, documents by March 1, notification May 17 and reply by June 1. The two pages differ, so check the latest and the year.
• Requirements and documents: you must have completed a semester of college before the deadline; send a college transcript in addition to the high school transcript, with course descriptions from each college (not a whole catalog); a recommendation from a professor or advisor replaces the college counselor’s; the Common Application College Report from your registrar or dean is required; SAT/ACT are not required; non-native speakers still submit an English test.
• Credit: if admitted, the college evaluates your courses for transfer credit and sends the evaluation with the decision letter. The pages read give no mathematics-specific requirements for calculus or linear algebra sequences, and I did not read the department’s transfer-credit page; see the department website and the admission office.
• GPA: a minimum transfer GPA is not published.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Four years of math including pre-calculus (preferably calculus); choose one test type (SAT, ACT, IB, AP, A-Level and others); Common Application, USD 75 fee (waivable), teacher recommendation, essay and writing supplement
• Early Decision November 2 or Regular Decision January 4, and confirm the year is fall 2027; check the aid pages
• Declare the major in the spring of first year; an AP Precalculus 5, SAT Math 670 or ACT Math 29 waives the precalculus prerequisite

International students (including those from China):

• Same deadlines and materials; English: IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 102 (old scale) or 5 (new scale), and others; translated transcripts, passport name
• The website states there is no financial aid for international students, so prepare the full cost
• Ask the Office of Admission about Gaokao use and Chinese transcript requirements

Transfer students:

• Finish a semester of college first; prepare the college transcript, course descriptions and a professor’s recommendation; the two pages disagree on dates; moving into mathematics from within CMU requires B or better in the listed courses and a 3.50 QPA

Sources: Carnegie Mellon University, Undergraduate Admission: Mathematical Sciences; Application plans and deadlines; Admission requirements; Academic requirements and college-level work; Standardized testing; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Costs and aid; 2026-2027 undergraduate tuition; Mathematical Sciences: undergraduate; Mathematical Sciences: prospective students; Mathematical Sciences: FAQ; Mathematical Sciences: degrees; Mathematics placement information; AP and IB credit. Most deadlines on the pages carry no year, and the tuition page covers first-year students entering in fall 2026; figures for fall 2027 entry are not in the pages I read. Check Carnegie Mellon for the latest details and confirm the entry year.