The Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA: What You Need to Know in 2024

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Tepper’s host institution, Carnegie Mellon University, is one of the leading universities in the country for computer science and related fields such as automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in this space, Tepper’s program can provide you with the technical and analytical skills needed to succeed.

Unlike schools that focus heavily on the case method, Tepper is the pioneer of analytical decision-making. Their Management Science approach truly plays to their strengths and reputation. Their specialty in this regard is also evidenced by the high-quality research conducted by the members of its academic community. The school is also committed to ensuring that their education system is up-to-date, as evidenced by the ongoing implementation of the Tepper Strategic Plan 2023.

Another factor that makes CMU Tepper unique is its location. The city of Pittsburgh, where Tepper is located, is often overlooked in terms of how liveable it really is. The city currently boasts a diverse and young population, a large area of green space, and a booming tech industry. It is often ranked as one of the best cities in the US for millennials.

CMU Tepper MBA Class Profile

Class Size305
Acceptance RateDoes not disclose
GMAT MedianDoes not disclose
GPA Average3.5
Average Age29
Avg. Years Work Experience5.4
Diversity Women43%
Diversity Intl.41%
Pre-MBA IndustriesFinance: 21%
Technology: 16%
Consulting: 12%
Healthcare: 10%
Government/Education/Impact/Public Sector: 9%
Marketing/CPG: 8%
Media/Entertainment: 5%
Manufacturing: 5%
Retail: 5%
Other/Energy/Law/Hospitality: 5%
Real Estate: 4%
Undergraduate MajorsBusiness: 34%
Engineering: 22%
Humanities/Social Sciences: 14%
Economics: 11%
Other: 11%
Biological/Physical Sciences: 8%

The data above is from 2024 and represents the CMU Tepper class of 2026.
See the full report: CMU Tepper MBA Class Profile

Student Experiences

CMU Tepper MBA Employment Report & Careers

Salary Average$192,175.00
Offers Upon GraduationDoes not disclose
Offers At 3 Mos.94%
Post-MBA IndustriesGovernment: 42.2%
Technology: 28.6%
Financial Services: 13.5%
Healthcare: 4.3%
Energy/Petroleum/Utilities: 2.2%
Consumer Products: 1.6%
Manufacturing: 1.6%
Media/Entertainment: 0.5%
Real Estate: 0.5%
Other: 4.3%
Post-MBA LocationsUnited States: 95.9%
Mid-Atlantic: 16.9%
Midwest: 11.3%
Northeast: 32.2%
South: 5.6%
Southwest: 5.6%
West: 24.3%
Non U.S.: 4.1%
Post-MBA Companies

MBA Recruiting Partners

Career Development Resources

CMU Tepper Career Paths


The data above is from 2023 and represents the career statistics of the CMU Tepper class of 2023.
See the full report: CMU Tepper MBA 2023-2024 Employment Report

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CMU Tepper MBA Academic Programs

MBA Curriculum

CMU Tepper’s MBA curriculum is divided into four mini-semesters over two years. Between each mini-term, students spend a week participating in club treks or culture trips. A large part of the first year coursework covers core classes in analytics, leadership, and communications. Students take classes in topics such as Probability and Statistics, Marketing Management, and Management Presentations. At Tepper School of Business, you will start taking elective classes during your first year, and the focus shifts primarily to electives during the second year of the program. With over 200 courses to choose from, the electives cover a broad range of subjects including Ethics and Leadership, Franchising, and Consumer Behavior.

See the full offering of courses: Tepper MBA Course Catalog

Majors

Each student at Tepper School of Business must complete at least one concentration in their MBA, and can choose to pursue up to three or four concentrations. The program offers 12 concentrations in total.

  • Accounting
  • Business Technologies
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Operations Management
  • Operations Research
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Strategy
  • Sustainability

In addition, students can choose to gain a more in-depth mastery of a subject by completing one of Tepper’s five academic tracks: Business Analytics, Energy Business, Entrepreneurship, Management of Innovation and Product Development, and Technology Strategy and Product Management.

Experiential Learning Programs

CMU Tepper offers capstone courses as part of their experiential learning program. Through the Management Game capstone course, students run a computer-simulated company for three years. The Strategic Management of the Enterprise class, which is conducted in partnership with A.T. Kearney, allows students to work on actual problems faced by client companies.

Concentrations

Tepper’s Health Care Analytics Concentration “prepares students to apply their analytical skills to a wider range of problems in the healthcare domain.”

Research Centers

Students at CMU Tepper have seven education and research centers at their disposal, including the Center for Behavioral and Decision Research, the Green Design Institute, and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. 

MBA International Study Programs

For students who want to add a global component to their MBA, Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business offers global capstone courses in Germany or in Hong Kong and mainland China. In addition, Tepper also hosts student-led treks, which take place in between the mini-semesters.

Other MBA Formats

In addition to the full-time MBA, the Tepper School offers a STEM-certified MBA program in three other formats: Part-Time Online Hybrid, Part-Time Flex, and Part-Time Accelerated.

Video Resources on CMU Tepper Academics

CMU Tepper MBA Application

The latest application requirements set by the CMU Tepper MBA admissions office are described below.

Essays

Here are the prompts for Tepper’s most recent application:

The Career Goals Essay (Video)

  • Now, let’s hear directly from you! We know that your career goals are an important part of your decision to attend business school, and we are excited to hear them. Please describe your post-MBA career goals. You have up to 2 minutes to respond to this question.
    • Please be as specific as possible. If you have not yet identified specific companies, that is okay. Just tell us what interests you for your next role or company. What about the industry, company, or functional role is appealing to you?
    • If you have any criteria you are using to evaluate career opportunities, please share those as well. We may have great opportunities to add to your list.
    • How does this post-MBA career goal relate to your long-term career plan?

The Behavioral Essay

  • Philosophy on Helping Others. The Tepper School community is committed to helping students reach their full potential. Explain your philosophy on helping others achieve their full potential. How have you implemented this philosophy in your professional life, and what impact has it had on those around you? How will this philosophy influence your approach to leadership in the Tepper MBA program and beyond? (500 words)

The Personal Essay

  • List an interesting fact about yourself that you’d like to share with your future Tepper classmates. (text box, 1 or 2 sentences)

Optional Essay

  • Is there anything else that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a place for you to add information that you think is important but is not covered elsewhere in the application. This could include clarification of your employment or academic record, choice of recommenders or helpful context for the admissions committee in reviewing your application. (upload file, no word limit)

Read more: CMU Tepper MBA Essays: Tips and Prompts

Video Resources on CMU Tepper Admissions

CMU Tepper MBA Admissions Interviews

CMU Tepper’s interview invites follow a prompt schedule– if selected, you will most likely receive an interview invitation within a week of the application deadline. Interviews can be conducted in person on campus or via Skype. All interviews are with a member of the Carnegie Mellon Tepper Admissions team. Tepper interviews focus on behavioral questions, such as those related to your teamwork and leadership skills.

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What Makes CMU Tepper Unique?

  • MBA with STEM designation: Tepper’s MBA will allow you to expand the range of options during your job search. Moreover, the STEM designation allows international students to prolong their stay in the US by getting an extension on their visa.
  • CMU Tepper boasts a strong research profile with faculty who are renowned experts in their field. The school includes nine Nobel Laureates.  
  • The Management Science approach taught at Tepper focuses on using data analytics to inform decision-making.

*All data retrieved from the CMU Tepper MBA Program webpages, unless otherwise stated.

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