Upload a copy of your resume. The purpose of this document is to provide a snapshot of your education and professional achievements in your career. Use a standard (i.e. Times New Roman or Arial), 12-pt. font for your 1-2 page resume.

Pro Tip: It is important to include month and year for starting and ending dates for each position held. If this key information is not included, we will ask for an updated resume, which may delay your application.

Education Requirements

Students are required to hold a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution and be competent in these areas:

• General mathematics including calculus and linear algebra
• Basic statistical concepts and methods
• Basic programming in any modern language

Though our standards are high and our admissions process is competitive, it is also holistic. We consider all aspects of an applicant’s background and experience.

Transcripts

You will upload transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs you have attended or are attending. These may be copies of transcripts that you already have in your possession. However, these cannot be web transcripts. A web transcript is anything obtained from an online student portal, downloaded from your student record, or retrieved online.

Transcripts uploaded during the application process are considered “unofficial.” What makes a transcript "unofficial" is that you have it in your possession instead of us receiving it in a sealed, stamped envelope directly from your university.

Pro Tip: View a sample of a web transcript that you should avoid submitting.

All candidates are required to upload legible, scanned/digitized copies of their unofficial transcripts and degree certificates which include the following:

• University Transcripts: All transcripts are copies of actual university transcripts (not web transcripts), usually on watermarked paper with a seal, etc.
• Degree Name: If you earned a degree, the name is on the transcript (i.e. Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, etc.).
• Degree Conferral Date: If you earned a degree, the date the degree was awarded is on the transcript.
• Degree Certificate: If you earned a degree and the degree name/conferral date are not on the transcript, you must upload a copy of your degree certificate which includes this information. This cannot be a provisional certificate; it must be final. Still unsure what to submit? See sample degree certificates.
• Grading Scale: Include for every university so we know what the grades mean. Often on the back of the transcript; otherwise, contact the university to obtain. Still unsure what to submit? See sample grading scales.
• Official Translation: If the transcript is not in English, upload both the transcript in the original language and the official translated copy so that we can read it.

Pro Tip: If your uploaded transcript doesn’t include all the required information, we will need to contact you to send the missing items, and your application may be delayed.

Pro Tip: Official transcripts (those sent directly by the degree-granting institution) are not required during the application process. Should you be admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts later.

Please ask your GMAT or GRE testing agency to send us your official score, so we can verify what you provide on your application.

A couple of important points:

• GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years. Yours must still be valid when you submit your application.
• If you’ve taken the GMAT or GRE more than once, only report your highest score on your application.
• Request that the official score be sent to us using the following codes:
  • Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) Program Code 69H-XH-84
  • Graduate Record Examination Tests (GRE) Program Code 4883

If you wish to apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver, you must do the following:

Submit a letter to the admissions committee (via an upload in your application) that addresses the following:

• Please discuss your undergraduate GPA scores and any other degree GPA. For a waiver to be granted we are only seeking those with exceptionally high GPA achievement.
• Please also share any remarkable academic achievements we should be aware of.
• Please share with us if you have an advanced master’s degree. Is it in a STEM-related area? Are there particular courses that demonstrate your capability in succeeding in the MSPM curriculum?
• Please share if you have recognized certification in product management, e.g. ISPMA, Pragmatic Institute, AIPMM, Certified Scrum Product Owner, Certified Product Manager (280 Group), Certified Innovation Leader Credential, ProductSchool, Black Bolt Product Management, etc.

Also:

• Please highlight if you have 10 or more years of professional working experience. Please be specific about your roles and job content relative to a role in product management.
• Please share if you had held the role of product manager and for how many years. Please describe the job and role beyond what is on your resume/CV and be specific about your accomplishments in this role that are relevant to the MSPM degree.

Test Courses:

Test waiver applicants may need to complete the following coursework and show proof of completion:

• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science
• Introduction to Python: Fundamentals
• Become a Product Manager
• Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling and Valuation

NOTE: If you are rejected for a waiver, we will keep your application, and if you are accepted, you must provide a test score to enroll or consider you when you do provide a test score.

Candidates are required to demonstrate a level of competence in English to meet the admissions requirements of the university. You are required to take a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam unless:

• You attended an undergraduate institution, earning a bachelor’s degree, where the sole language of instruction was English.
• You earned a graduate degree where the sole language of instruction was English. (Although not required, we do recommend that you take the English Language Proficiency exam.)

You must request that the official score be sent from the testing agency to our program for us to verify the score entered into the application. Request that the official score be sent to us using the following codes:

TOEFL Program Code: Institutional Code = 2074; Departmental Code = 02

• The recommended TOEFL score is 25 on each section of the Internet-based test.
  • The minimum TOEFL scores required to apply for admission are: Reading: 20, Listening: 20, Speaking: 20, Writing: 20

• The recommended IELTS score is 7 overall and 7 in each band.
  • The minimum IELTS scores required to apply for admission are: Listening: 7, Reading: 7, Writing: 7, Speaking: 7, Overall Band: 7

• The recommended Duolingo English Test (DET) score is 120 overall.

TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years and must be valid at the time you submit your application.

Pro Tip: If you earned a degree from a non-U.S. institution, your academic documents should state that the sole language of instruction for the entire university was English in order to be eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waiver. If your academic documents don’t include this, you should upload an official letter from the University Registrar indicating English as the mode of instruction for the entirety of the degree.

As part of your application, answer the following essay questions:

• In 150 words or less, tell us about your professional goal immediately following your graduation from Carnegie Mellon University.
• On an 8.5x11 PDF, in a non-essay format, design and describe your ideal training program for product managers. Choose your own format and be creative! Submissions may include a PowerPoint slide, a diagram or flowchart, or even a sketch. You will upload a copy of this design.
• In 400 words or less, describe your leadership style, with at least one example. This can be in any context: professional, social, school, volunteer, sports, etc.
• In 400 words or less, tell us about your programming experience, including specific languages and platforms used and the number of years of experience working with each of them.

Video essay: Be prepared to answer a specific prompt related to product management. Specific instructions will be given in the MSPM application.

Optional essay: Use this essay to convey any important information you may have otherwise not been able to communicate. This may include unexplained resume gaps, your reason for selecting the recommender you chose, or if you are applying again, how your candidacy has improved since your last application.

Please select two people familiar with your work and/or leadership skill. We prefer that you select supervisors, but you can also include professors, coaches, mentors, or coworkers. Please give us their email contact information on your application, and we’ll reach out to them with a request to submit their letters online.

We use the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR). The Common LOR is intended to save you and your recommender valuable time by providing a single set of recommendation questions for each participating school. This allows your recommender to use the same answers for multiple letter submissions, alleviating the workload of having to answer different questions for each school multiple times. You benefit because it makes the ask for several different letters to be written on your behalf much easier.

A $125 application fee is required of all applicants. This fee can be paid online using a credit card at the time of submission.

Once you have completed your online application, if you have any supporting documents, they should be uploaded directly to your application via your application status page in the application portal.

If you have submitted all the application components, it isn’t necessary to send anything else to us at this point. Upon admission, you’ll need to send your official transcripts/academic documents. These details will be included in the admission letter, so no need to worry about it now.

Admissions interviews are granted at the discretion of the admissions committee after an initial review of your application. You will receive additional information about the interview process at the time of the invitation.

We welcome applicants from around the globe and encourage non-U.S. citizens to apply to our MSPM program.

Review our information for international applicants to learn more about certification of financial resources and visa regulations.