Concurrent Degree Programme with Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (IS)
Overview of Programme
This fast–track 4.5-year programme allows students to graduate with a Master’s degree in Engineering and Technology Innovation Management (thereafter called MS (E&TIM)) from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and a Bachelor degree in Information Systems (hereafter called BComp (IS)) from NUS. Students get a global education with 3.5 years at NUS and 1 year at Carnegie Mellon University. To apply for this programme, students must apply for Information Systems course, offered by School of Computing, NUS. They will be chosen on the basis of their A-level grades (or equivalent) or polytechnic diploma grades, NUS academic performance, their interest profile in information systems studies, and a personal interview designed to judge their potential and suitability for the programme.
Students will complete 144 units (equivalent to 36 courses) of the BComp (IS) programme before they proceed to complete MS (E&TIM) at CMU. Sixteen units (equivalent to 4 courses) will be counted against the courses in MS (E&TIM). Students who have successfully completed the stipulated four courses in the MS (E&TIM)programme will be awarded BComp (IS) from NUS. At the end of the MS (E&TIM) programme, the students will be conferred the second degree – MS (E&TIM) from CMU. The intake to this BComp (IS) – MS (E&TIM) concurrent programme will be limited by agreement between CMU and NUS.
Partner University: College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
The Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering ranks among the leaders in the world for engineering research and education. It offers a five-year joint bachelor’s and master’s degree in all five of the traditional majors, in addition to an accelerated master’s programme in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management.
Admission Requirements
The admission and progress criteria comply with the requirements established by both CMU and NUS. A joint steering committee comprising at least one faculty representative from each of the two universities will oversee the programme. Existing BComp (IS) students may enter the concurrent degree programme at any point during their undergraduate study at NUS. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to apply. They must have demonstrated strong academic abilities and are required to meet all the requirements of the programme.
During their course of study at NUS, students in the programme must maintain a high level of performance (GPA 4.20 and above). Students who do not meet this standard will be moved to the standard BComp (IS) programme at NUS. Admission to the Master’s degree component of the programme, granted by the College of Engineering and Tepper Business School at Carnegie Mellon University, will be based on the student’s academic performance, and recommendations of a joint steering committee.
Programme Requirements
This concurrent programme combines the BComp (IS) offered by the School of Compting, NUS and MS (E&TIM) offered by the College of Engineering, CMU, USA. The details are listed as follows:
(A) BComp (Information Systems)
The requirements for the BComp (Information Systems) for respective cohorts, please click here.
(B) MS (Engineering & Technology Innovation Management) Programme at Carnegie Mellon University
Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) is an interdisciplinary MS programme that provides candidates with science and engineering backgrounds with an understanding of the fundamentals of innovation and value creation, while also strengthening technical insights. It is appropriate for those who aspire to lead technology development and engineering, create new technology-enabled ventures, develop business technology strategies, or design policies to encourage technological innovation. E&TIM applicants can choose to pursue a dual degree with several of the university’s engineering departments.
The programme is coordinated by Engineering & Public Policy in collaboration with the Heinz College, the Department of Social & Decision Sciences (in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences) and the Tepper School of Business. E&TIM’s unique, cross-cutting approach allows students to develop capabilities for leading innovation while growing and leveraging their own areas of technical expertise.
The one-year programme runs from January to December and includes a summer internship. The details of the Masters programme can be found at: https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/graduate-programs/multidisciplinary-programs.html
Grading and Degree Requirements
Students are required to complete 144 units (equivalent to 36 courses) of the BComp (IS) programme before they can register for the MS (E&TIM) from CMU. Students need to complete their internship requirement before going to CMU.
Students who have satisfied the core requirements of the MS (E&TIM) programme namely, Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy, The Strategy and Management of Technological Innovation, Product/Process Project Course, and the Innovation Management in Practice Seminar will be considered as having successfully completed the 4 remaining courses required for the BComp (IS) programme. These CMU core courses are mapped to the IS electives but students may also request mapping to appropriate core courses, subject to the approval of the department.
Continuation Criteria
Students in this concurrent programme must maintain a GPA of 4.20 or above (out of 5.00) for their BComp requirements.
Tuition Fees
Students will pay CMU tuition fees during the time they undertake instruction at CMU in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the concurrent degree. They will also provide their own medical insurance coverage.
Award of Degree
Students who satisfy the concurrent BComp (IS) – MS (E&TIM) degree requirements will be conferred both degrees.
Exiting the Programme
A student whose GPA falls below 4.20 for two consecutive semesters in NUS will not be allowed to remain in the concurrent programme, but may continue with his/her BComp (IS) study at NUS.
Students who have completed the four core courses from the MS (E&TIM) programme but did not succeed in completing the entire programme will only be awarded the BComp (IS) degree and not the MS (E&TIM) degree.
Further Enquiry
For current IS students, please direct all queries to bcomp@comp.nus.edu.sg with the subject clearly marked: “Concurrent Programme in Information Systems with College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (CDP-IS-CMU)”.
This concurrent double degree programme has been suspended for review and/or revision and that it may not be available to students matriculated in cohort year 2025/26.
