Carnegie Mellon University

Dreamers and Doers, Welcome

What kind of person belongs at Dietrich College? The passionate kind. The playful kind. The analytical kind. The boundary-crossing, convention-crashing, expectation-defying kind. The kind of person that dreams the best for humankind.

Humanities and Social Sciences: From Ideas to Innovation

If you like doing things a little differently – or better yet, a lot differently – you’re going to love it here! We learn by doing. We work across disciplines. We mash up traditional liberal arts with analytical and computational approaches, and we tackle some of society’s toughest problems.

Consider this your official invitation to become your best self. Our undergraduate programs and research won’t just prepare you for career opportunities. They’ll enable you to adapt to new challenges and set you on a lifelong path to fulfill your passion – even if you’re not quite sure what it is yet. Let’s get started!

Take a Look Around

First-Year Experience
First-year Experience:
A Foundation for Learning

Degrees, Majors and Minors
Degrees, Majors and Minors:

Your Path to the Future

Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning:

Action and Reflection

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

Connected and Thriving Together

Honors and Pre-Professional Programs
Honors and Pre-professional Programs:
Exploring and Excelling

Careers and Outcomes
Careers and Outcomes:

Aspirations into Action

Meet Your Peers

Camille Chandler

"Dietrich has really given me the space to explore my diverse set of interests. Even outside of classes, I’ve had plenty of hands-on, interactive opportunities like undergraduate research, being a teaching assistant and experiential learning opportunities like CMU’s Prison Education Project which have evolved my thinking in academic spaces and helped me to understand the impact I want my work to have. All this while receiving invaluable support from enthusiastic professors who are excited about teaching and about their research. I’ve gained so much academic confidence and perspective here and I’m incredibly grateful for the role Dietrich has played in that process." — Camille Chandler, class of 2025

Ava Allard

"As a transfer student, Dietrich has been an amazing resource in helping me achieve a smooth transition to Carnegie Mellon. I deeply appreciated that, as soon as I got to campus, all of my advisors and teachers in Dietrich seemed eager to get to know me and help me find opportunities to get more involved at the college. With their support and advocacy, I found a position as a research assistant and a teaching assistant, and I was elected to the Dietrich College Council. Dietrich is an incredible and active hub for mentors and opportunities. It is evident that Dietrich strongly values individuality and that all Dietrich College community members search for ways to foster this uniqueness in each student." — Ava Allard, class of 2025

Cynthia Erazo Rodas

"Dietrich has allowed me to explore my interests by creating a space that’s flexible as well as creating a focus on being interdisciplinary. Students are able to take different classes, seek different opportunities and overall get to experience different things based on their interests, and in the end it all ends up connecting, which was something that drew me to Dietrich. Coming in, I knew I wanted to study psychology, and my first year I was able to explore taking Spanish and history classes. Having the flexibility to focus on multiple things helped me realize that I wanted to focus on all three studies. Not only does Dietrich create a space that’s flexible for its students, it also creates a safe space for everyone where everyone feels comfortable and included. My peers, professors and advisors create a fulfilling space, where everyone has the opportunity to learn from each other and it’s something that I look forward to every day!" — Cynthia Erazo Rodas, class of 2025

Joyce Lee

"Dietrich College opened up the world of national security and defense to me, which was one I had never imagined myself entering before I enrolled at CMU. Through my coursework, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program, my relationships with my professors and peers, and all that Dietrich has to offer, I was able to more fully explore this field as my interest in it grew. Outside of such professional pursuits, Dietrich also showed me the merits of research and engaging in interdisciplinary studies, opening up avenues for me to work as a research assistant for various projects beyond my department. I am able to enjoy a well-rounded and holistic learning environment through Dietrich and am grateful for all the support I receive from the faculty, who are all so invested in my growth as a student and professional." — Joyce Lee, class of 2025

Emme Wetzel

"I have really loved the interdisciplinary nature of my education at Dietrich College. Because I had the flexibility to explore my interests and passions, I was able to make time to study abroad in Rome, Italy while also being able to easily get my Information Systems degree with an additional two minors. I feel as though Dietrich prepares students to become fulfilled and well-rounded humans, focused on high achieving academics as well as granting flexibility to grow as a person."  — Emme Wetzel, class of 2024

Jocelyn Morningstar

"Dietrich offers a lot of opportunities to get involved in your college and major. During my first year, I joined Women in IS, which is a mentoring program that helped me to connect with other students in Information Systems (IS). Being able to talk to peers who have taken the classes I am in and getting their perspectives on IS has helped me navigate my way through the program. I also joined the Dietrich Student Advisor Board, which is an organization that gets students' perspectives/opinions on the new general education program. This has taught me a lot about Dietrich and the CMU community. I have grown a lot during my time at CMU, and Dietrich is a big part of that." — Jocelyn Morningstar, class of 2025

Want to learn what humanities and social sciences students are getting up to at CMU? Read on!