16-Month Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM)
CMU’s Master’s in Software Management With Internship Experience
The 16-month format of Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) is designed for early-career software professionals with zero to three years of work experience who want to build toward product strategy and leadership roles. You study full-time at CMU’s Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, California, for three semesters plus a required summer internship, from August through December of the following year. The internship gives you professional experience in industry and a chance to explore different career paths before you graduate.
Offered through the Integrated Innovation Institute (iii), the curriculum integrates five core pillars: software, product, business, leadership, and AI. Coursework focuses on what gets built, how product decisions are made, and how software delivers business value.
Application Info
- Applications Open:
- Now
- Application Deadline:
- January 20, 2027
Is the 16-Month MSSM Degree Format Right for You?
Designed for technical professionals ready to advance their careers or pivot into product leadership, Carnegie Mellon University’s 16-month Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) combines rigorous coursework with a required summer internship so you graduate with hands-on industry experience, expanded leadership skills, and a powerful professional network.
Why Choose the 16-Month format?
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Complete a Career-Building Internship: Gain real industry experience through a required summer internship at top tech companies or innovative startups before you graduate.
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Pivot Your Career Path: Use the extended timeline to build technical, business, and product strategy skills tailored for software or product leadership roles.
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Develop End-to-End Product Mastery: Learn to align engineering, business strategy, and user experience to launch scalable software products.
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Find Yourself in Silicon Valley: Connect with founders, engineers, product leaders, and tap into an active alumni network.
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Build a Strong Professional Network: Collaborate with driven classmates from diverse technical backgrounds in a hands-on, team-based environment.
Looking for a Different Format?
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Want an accelerated, 1-year timeline?
Explore the 12-Month MSSM format -
Want to earn your degree while working full-time?
Explore the Part-Time MSSM format
Curriculum Requirements & Plan
To earn the MSSM degree, you must complete a total of 144 units. Of those, about half are required courses and half are electives of your choosing. The MSSM degree takes place over three semesters and a summer: Fall, Spring & Fall, plus a summer internship.
Review a sample course plan below.
16-Month Curriculum Plan
Fall Semester 1
Full Semester Course (12 units)
12 units total
- Pathway 1: Students without adequate technical experience take Architecture & Programming Principles (12 units).
- Pathway 2: Students with adequate technical experience choose one option:
- Special Topics: AI Engineering Fundamentals (6 units) in Mini 1, followed by one Mini 2 course (6 units): Special Topics: Leading Change for AI Business Transformation or User-Centered Research Methods for Product Innovation
- Integrated Innovation for Large-Scale Problems (LSP) (12 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Spring Semester 1
Full Semester Course (12 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Half Semester Course (6 units)
Two Half Semester Courses (6 units each), chosen from the Spring Elective Courses list
Summer Semester 1
Full Semester Course (3 units)
Fall Semester 2
Full Semester Course (12 units)
Complete one of the following applied learning courses during the final fall term:
- 49797 – Special Topics: Advanced AI for Industry & Society
- 49759 – Integrated Innovation for Large-Scale Problems
- 49800 – Start-Up Creation in Practice
Half Semester Course (6 units)
30 units of 12-unit full semester or 6-unit half semester courses, chosen from the Fall Elective Courses list
Elective Courses**
- Legal Issues in New Venture Creation (6 units, TV Concentration)
- Applied AI (Artificial Intelligence) (6 units)
- Human Computer Interaction & User Experience (6 units)
- Introduction to Machine Learning (6 units)
- Special Topics: DevSecOps in the Product Life Cycle (6 units)
- Venture Governance: Founder Decision-Making, Fundraising, & Boards (6 units, TV Concentration)
- Special Topics: Advanced AI for Industry & Society (12 units)
- Architecture & Programming Principles (12 units)
- Integrated Innovation for Large-Scale Problems (12 units)
- Start-Up Creation in Practice (12 units, TV Concentration)
- Special Topics: AI Engineering Fundamentals (6 units)
- Organizational Behavior for High Tech Industry (6 units)
- Special Topics: Leading Change for AI Business Transformation (6 units)
- User-Centered Research Methods for Product Innovation (6 units)
The Tech Ventures (TV) Concentration is an advised set of courses for students interested in entrepreneurship. Venture Governance and Legal Issues in New Venture Creation (spring electives) are required prerequisites for Start-Up Creation in Practice (Fall Semester 2). Advisors share more information at the start of the program.
**Please note: Listed elective courses are dynamic and subject to change based on faculty availability and curriculum needs.
Featured Experiences: Summer Internships
Put your skills into action during a summer internship. MSSM students have worked in AI research, product management and product strategy roles across the country.
2026 Internship Showcase
MSSM ‘26
Product and Business Development Intern,
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute
Jona applied four years of healthcare product experience to manufacturing and robotics, learning to frame each deliverable around its audience and the decision it supported. The work showed her how her product skills transfer to a new industry.
MSSM ‘26
Product Management Intern,
Cloudflare
Purav worked across product discovery and early delivery in Cloudflare’s security organization, conducting competitive analysis, interviewing stakeholders and validating problems before developing solutions. The work reinforced the value of understanding users before deciding what to build.
MSSM ‘26
Technical Program Manager Intern,
Google
Saloni designed and developed an AI-powered agent to automate workflows, balancing technical implementation with architecture, documentation and stakeholder communication. Changing requirements showed her that work in AI calls for constant experimentation and making decisions without a clear path forward.
Alumni Spotlight: From MSSM to TikTok
Looking to strengthen her leadership skills, Lili He (MSSM ’19) chose the MSSM program for its team-based, real-world learning. She gained the confidence to think beyond individual projects, contribute strategically and advance to a software engineer role at TikTok.
Build the Experience to Lead in Software
Break into software leadership or reposition your career with the 16-month Master of Science in Software Management from CMU’s Integrated Innovation Institute. Through rigorous coursework and a required internship, you’ll graduate prepared to lead products, teams and innovation initiatives with confidence.
Start Your Application
MSSM 16-month format
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the MSSM 16-month degree format and 12-month degree format at Carnegie Mellon?
The 16-month format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program runs from August through December of the following year and includes a required summer internship. It is recommended for applicants with three years of professional experience or less and for career changers. The MSSM 12-month format runs from August to August with no internship and is recommended for applicants with four or more years of experience. Both formats are full time on CMU’s Silicon Valley campus and require 144 units.
16 months (August to December of the following year)
12 months (August to August)
Fall, Spring, summer internship, and a final Fall semester
Fall, Spring, and Summer (3 consecutive semesters)
Required summer internship
No internship
0–3 years of professional experience, or career changers
4+ years of professional experience
CMU Silicon Valley (144 units)
CMU Silicon Valley (144 units)
Who should apply to Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM 16-month degree format?
The 16-month format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program is designed for early-career technical professionals with three years of work experience or less and for those looking to pivot into software or product leadership.
0–3 years of professional experience, or career changers pivoting into software or product leadership
Demonstrated professional or academic experience in software development (required)
Typically an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Information Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related field
Applicants with four or more years of experience may be a better fit for the MSSM 12-month format
How long does Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM 16-month format take, and where is it held?
The 16-month degree format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program is a full-time program that runs from August through December of the following year on CMU’s Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, California.
16 months (August through December of the following year)
Courses in the Fall and Spring semesters, a required summer internship, and a final Fall semester
CMU Silicon Valley campus (Mountain View, California)
144 total units
Required summer internship
Fall semester (August) only
Is an internship required in Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM 16-month format?
Yes. The 16-month format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program requires every student to complete a summer internship, worth 3 units of academic credit, before the final fall semester. The MSSM 12-month format does not include an internship.
Summer, between the Spring semester and the final Fall semester
3 units of academic credit
MSSM students on the Silicon Valley campus can work with CMU Silicon Valley Office of Career Services, which supports graduate students’ professional development through individualized coaching, advising, and interactive workshops. Its Peer Career Consultant team, made up of current students, helps peers polish resumes, navigate networking in Silicon Valley, connect with alumni, and prepare through mock interviews for software engineering, product management, and security engineering roles.
In 2026, MSSM students interned at organizations including Google, Cloudflare, and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute.
What courses do students take in Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM 16-month degree format?
Students in the 16-month format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program complete 144 units of required courses and electives across five areas: business, product, leadership, software, and artificial intelligence (AI). Required courses include Foundations of Software Management, Product Management, Software Engineering Management, Process and Project Management, and The Business of Software, and the 16-month format also includes a required summer internship.
144 total units of required courses and electives
Business, Product, Leadership, Software, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Foundations of Software Management
- Product Management
- Software Engineering Management
- Process and Project Management
- The Business of Software
- Integrated Thinking for Innovation
- The Future-Ready Leader
- Leadership and Teams
All MSSM 16-month students complete a required summer internship before the final Fall semester.
How much does Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM 16-month format cost?
Tuition for the 16-month format of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program is published on the CMU MSSM admissions page. The MSSM is a self-funded degree program, so students or their sponsoring employers pay full tuition and expenses.
Self-funded program; students or sponsoring employers pay full tuition and expenses
Books, supplies, health insurance, and Silicon Valley living costs are separate from tuition
For current tuition and cost-of-attendance details, visit the MSSM admissions page at cmu.edu/iii/admissions/mssm.html.
What careers do graduates of Carnegie Mellon’s MSSM program pursue?
Graduates of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program work in product management, software engineering, AI software engineering, and software leadership roles at organizations ranging from early-stage startups to Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. The 2025 MSSM cohort reported a median base salary of $167,000, and 100% of MSSM graduates accepted a job offer within six months of graduation.
Product management, software engineering, AI software engineering, software leadership, and technical program management
Product Manager, Senior Product Manager, Software Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Inbound Product Manager, AI Software Engineer, Full-Stack Software Engineer, Engineering Manager, Co-Founder, Technical Lead, Solution Architect, Cyber Security Systems Architect, and Growth Analytics Manager
MSSM graduates work at early-stage startups, mid-sized firms, and enterprise technology and finance companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, PayPal, and Goldman Sachs.
Students in the MSSM 16-month format complete a required summer internship, gaining industry experience before graduation.
$167,000 (2025 MSSM cohort, all formats)
100% of MSSM graduates accepted a job offer within six months of graduation
For official reports and full placement statistics, visit the Salary and Career Outcomes section on the MSSM Program Page.