Most students choose to do their course work and project work concurrently. Students admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy program should hold a master's degree in engineering or its equivalent, although some exceptional students are admitted directly into the Ph.D. program with a baccalaureate degree. The Ph.D. is a research-oriented degree, and admission to the program is limited to students who have demonstrated unusually high ability and who seek to make research a substantial part of their career. Ph.D. programs generally take between three and five years to complete, depending upon student interest, background, and project extent. A number of laboratories and other special facilities have been developed for the various research programs within the department.
Living costs are moderate in the Pittsburgh area.
Students generally find rentals in the Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Oakland areas satisfactory. In addition, the Housing Office maintains a current database of available local housing. The metropolitan area has more than 2 million people, many of them in local communities. Together, they support a broad range of cultural and sports activities, and many are staff members in the research laboratories and industries that are concentrated in large numbers in the Pittsburgh area. The University Carnegie Mellon is a small, private institution whose educational programs are professionally oriented.