As AI replaces coding tasks, software engineering becomes more important than ever. MSE graduates leave our programs armed with the ability to work at a higher level to engineer quality software systems –using the latest AI tools not just for coding, but as components and in every part of the software lifecycle.
Students in all our programs gain in-depth understanding of key software engineering practice areas, including:
- Specification and Reasoning: system behaviors and the logic used to verify them.
- Requirements: identifying, defining and documenting needs.
- Architecture: high-level software framework.
- Quality Assurance: ensuring software meets quality standards throughout the development lifecycle.
- Management: understanding business needs and leading teams to create the best outcomes.
- Communication and Leadership: clearly articulating decisions and, innovating to create value.
By the Numbers
91%
2025 Grads hired within 3 months of graduation
38%
MSE Professional Grads (2022-2025) hired directly into senior software engineering positions
20%
MSE alumni are currently holding high-level positions including VP, Sr Director, Founder etc.
Programs at a Glance
The MSE curriculum ensures that students gain a fundamental understanding of software engineering as a profession beyond the individual contributor level. Students engage in rigorous courses that cover the practice areas listed above and can take electives in topics like AI, security, and embedded systems, all within CMU’s #1 top-ranked School of Computer Science.
No matter the program, students complete their degree with a capstone project that fits their needs.
Master of Software Engineering (MSE)
The Master of Software Engineering is a full-time, in-person graduate program designed to prepare students for technical leadership in software engineering. Students complete four semesters of study, with a summer internship.
Duration: 20-months, on-campus, full-time
Median Starting Salary: $140,000
Employed by: BeaconFire, CMU Robotics, Hivemapper, LinkedIn, Nimble Robotics
Duration: Four semesters, with an optional summer internship
Format: On-campus, full-time
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Students can customize their MSE experience through software engineering and general electives and may pursue concentrations in areas including Leadership, Scalable Systems, Cyber-Physical Systems, and Artificial Intelligence.
Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSE Online)
For experienced software developers with at least two years of full-time professional experience.
The MSE Online program is a part-time online degree designed for experienced software professionals. Students complete core software engineering coursework while applying what they learn to problems in their professional work.
Duration: ~24 months
Format: Online, part-time
Rather than completing the in-person MSE Studio, MSE Online students complete a paper focused on industrial software research.
What makes the MSE programs special?
Take it to the next level and deliver.
The software systems that drive our modern world are not built on clever code alone. Our approach to learning takes you beyond foundations and teaches you how to build massive software systems that are on spec, on budget and on time. By applying lessons learned in requirements gathering, project scoping, estimation, team management, architectural design and assurance, our graduates are perfectly suited to do what few others can: DELIVER.
Join a community, not just a program.
We view MSE as an enduring community. One of the largest, most accomplished and most engaged of any graduate program at the university. For more than three decades, our students, faculty, and staff have formed bonds that last a lifetime. Once you graduate, as a part of our alumni network, you will have an instant connection to hundreds of accomplished, influential software engineering professionals across the globe, all of whom share the MSE experience and understand its impact.
Collaborate with the best.
Our home academic unit, the Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D), was established within the School of Computer Science more 20 years ago for one purpose: transdisciplinary collaboration. That purpose will influence your entire experience in the MSE. You'll work with the best and brightest, not just in software engineering, but across the entire technology spectrum. Throughout your time in S3D, you'll be encouraged to tap into the expertise around you and call upon the guidance of some of the foremost minds in their respective fields, whether it's robotics ornatural language processing. Don's miss the opportunity to take advantage of everyting that Carnegie Mellon University has to offer.