Incoming Student Information

Welcome

Welcome to Pittsburgh, and to the COS Program. We are extremely pleased that you have decided to become a member of our department; we think it's a very special collection of faculty and students, and we hope you will too. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to send me email. We hope you have a good summer, and look forward to having you with us in the fall.

-Connie Herold, COS Program Manager

Things Every Incoming Student Needs to Know

Important Dates

See the Activities and Dates page for:

Orientation Information:

  • Computation, Organizations and Societ (COS) Immigration Course.
  • Software Engineering (SE) Immigration Course.
  • School of Computer Science (SCS) Immigration Course.
  • Campus-wide graduate student orientation.

Action Items

  1. ARRIVING TO CMU

    How to get to Campus: Directions
  2. OFFICE SPACE

    The Computation, Organization and Society PhD program has office space located on campus in Wean Hall, on the 4th and 5th floors. Office keys can be picked up in Wean 5216 from Connie Herold when you arrive on campus.
  3. MAILBOXES

    The COS student mailbox is located on the 5th floor of Wean Hall right behind the computer cluster area. The correct mailing address to use is as follows:

    Your Name, The Institute for Software Research, Wean Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
  4. SCS COMPUTER ACCOUNT

    Once your Data Sheet (downloadable as a pdf) is received you will be assigned an SCS computer account on a general purpose machine. This will allow you to transfer your files and to send/receive email here. (Once you are aligned with a specific project/advisor you will apply for additional accounts as needed).

    To apply for your computer account:
    1. Fill out the Graduate Student Data Sheet mentioned previously, indicating three ranked choices for desired user ID, and return to me via email. Your userid cannot be more than 8 characters and should not be only your lastname. Additional information is available on the facilities pages.
    2. The SCS Computer Account application will also be forwarded to you in hard copy. Please fill out, sign, and return to me for our records.
    I'll request the account be set up when I receive #1, but it will be only temporary until I receive #2.
  5. COMPUTING SERVICES

    Your Andrew account is your key to access the university's computing services, such as the Carnegie Mellon Web Portal, computing clusters and Andrew e-mail. Your Andrew e-mail address can be determined from the Computing Services website. In order to log into your e-mail, you will need to go to this link for directions on how to determine and to set your password.

    Your password is the first *8* digits of your Student ID number. In most cases this will be your social security number.

    If your academic department used a unique, random number as your student ID number, you may call your graduate department, (Connie Herold, 412-268-4545 to receive your SID over the telephone. Or, you may fax a completed and signed Student ID Request Form (.PDF available here) to the University Registrar's Office at 412-268-6651, and we will fax you your student ID number.

    Please note: We will NOT verify a student SSN over the phone or email. If you need to obtain your SID (when it is an SSN) can do so by faxing the Student ID Request Form mentioned above.

    Information and instructions useful for solving many common computing problems can be found at the following link: http://www.cmu.edu/computing/myandrew Sorry, I cannot help you with Andrew computer accounts.

    If you need to write to the Andrew Help Center, write to (advisor@andrew.cmu.edu)

    For urgent problems, please contact the Computing Services Help Center directly at 412-268-HELP, Monday-Friday 9AM to 5PM. After 5PM Monday-Friday, and on weekends, please report systems outages and area-wide network problems to Computer Operations at 412-268-6688.
  6. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

    Once your Admission Process has been completed, please contact the COS Program Manager Monika De Reno (mdereno [at] cs [dot] cmu [dot] edu) regarding your Monthly Payroll and Visa assistance. She will have the necessary forms ready for you and put you in touch with Helen Higgins, the ISR Employment Processes Manager.

    Tuition Bills:
    • You will receive a bill before the start of each semester. These tuition statements show the known charges for the upcoming semester.
    • When you receive this tuition statement, you should follow the instructions so as to not jeopardize your enrollment status. This includes paying for your student health insurance.
    Financial Aid Link:
    Financial Aid Information for Graduate Students
  7. PARKING

    You may apply on-line at http://bizservweb.pc.cc.cmu.edu/parking/. Click on "Applying for an Annual or Universal Parking Permit" and follow the instructions. You will receive notification by email of the results of your request.
  8. HEALTH INSURANCE

    All incoming students are required to submit health history and immunization information. After May 15, visit this link for instructions on how to complete these forms. Students have until June 30 to submit this information.

    Carnegie Mellon also has a medical insurance mandate. Students are default charged for medical insurance each year, and must either enroll in the plan or complete a waiver form certifying you are enrolled on an employer or government-based plan that meets certain coverage requirements. For details on the mandate, enrollment and waiver forms, visit http://www.cmu.edu/studentinsurance. You have until September 2 to make your insurance decision. Our online waiver program is accessible on the website now, and our online enrollment program will be available by June 1. If you intend to stay on your existing insurance plan (your parents, for example) you will need to complete our waiver form and the default charge will be removed.
  9. HOUSING

    While housing for graduate students is not available on campus, the Carnegie Mellon Housing Office provides several resources to assist graduate students in finding suitable housing in nearby neighborhoods. I have included the list of the name and email addresses of those who will be starting the program in the fall. Please feel free to use this list to contact some of the others especially if you are looking for a roommate. By seeking out housing early, you beat the undergraduate/graduate rush that tends to happen in the early part of August. The best place to start is by accessing the On-Line Community Housing Listings. Click on “Search for a Listing in the Housing Registry” LOGIN: your Andrew id Password: Your Andrew password (Is the first 8-digits of your student id#)

    Change of Address: Please notify the COS Program Manager (Connie Herold) of any address changes throughout your time here at Carnegie Mellon. Also update your address in the Student Information System.
  10. GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION

    Orientation for all new graduate students is held in the Spring and Fall each year. Please check the Important Dates page for dates and additional information. All international students are also required to attend the Office of International Education's International Student Orientation. Graduate student orientation additional information and registration information can be found at www.cmu.edu/graduate. Information regarding international student orientation can be found at www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/newsandevents/orientation.html. These university orientation programs compliment the departmental orientation programs.
  11. UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR'S OFFICE

    Your Andrew e-mail account is your conduit for official and important Carnegie Mellon communications. Please check it frequently over the summer and during your academic career. Official Carnegie Mellon notifications are sent to valid Andrew account users using the @andrew.cmu.edu e-mail address (example: johndoe@andrew.cmu.edu). If you choose to use an alternate e-mail address (i.e. @yahoo; @gmail, , etc), then you should forward your @andrew.cmu.edu e-mail to your preferred/alternate e-mail address to ensure that you receive all official university communications.

    The University Registrar's Office also has a GRADUATE STUDENT ENROLLMENT GUIDE that can be downloaded here.
  12. STUDENT INFORMATION ON-LINE (SIO)

    Student Information On-Line is where students check their enrollment data, schedules, account balances and grades.

    SIO is also where students can update their address information. Your current address information is important because information will be sent to your local address throughout the year. We also need accurate information in the event of an emergency. Please update this address information as soon as you have it. To view or update your address information, visit SIO at http://www.cmu.edu/hub/sio and select the My Info tab. You can then update your information as necessary and click the Submit button to save any changes. All address data is updated immediately within the system.

    SIO is also where you can sign up your parents to receive a copy of your student account invoice. To update your parent information, select the My Info tab and then Update Parent/Guardian Info. Select edit and make sure that you designate an emergency contact and someone to receive a copy of your invoice.

    SIO is also where you order enrollment verifications. An enrollment verification is your proof of enrollment at Carnegie Mellon. This is often requested by insurance companies wanting to verify that you are enrolled or by scholarship committees wanting to know if you have maintained a certain QPA. This SIO feature cannot be used until you are registered for courses and enrolled for classes (mid- to late-August). In the meantime, if you need a letter stating that you are expected to enroll at Carnegie Mellon, please e-mail the details of your request to uro-verifications@andrew.cmu.edu. Note that requesting a proof of enrollment to continue on private insurance does not waive a student from the university's student insurance plan. See "University Health Services" above for details on how to request a waiver from the student insurance plan.
  13. REGISTRATION

    What should you register for in the fall? You should consult with your advisor. I will register you for the first semester classes. I will automatically register you for the courses below. If you advisor wishes for you to take any additional courses, please let me know.

    08-999- COS Practicum Intro (12) units
    08-997– COS Graduate Reading & Research –Section depending on advisor (units variable)

    In the future you will register, using your Andrew ID and password, on the link following link: http://www.cmu.edu/hub/

    For starters click on “Course Information On-Line”. This will take you to all of the courses offered in the fall. If you go back to the above link, you may also click on “On-Line Registration” which will allow you to register for courses.
  14. SETTLING IN GUIDELINES
    The Settling In Guide has been written to help our various international populations adjust and get to know Carnegie Mellon University; however, it is also very helpful to ALL new students! View it here.
  15. STUDENT ID CARD & BUS STICKER
    You will be able to obtain your student ID card the week of the Immigration Course. International students will receive their CMU ID cards during the International Student Orientation. You should also see on your ID card a PAT (Public Transportation) imprint that entitles you to free public transportation.
  16. ACADEMIC CALENDAR

    View the Academic Calendar
  17. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

    Visit http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/index.cfm to fill out your I20 form

    All International Students must attend the Orientation. View the Activities and Dates page for the Orientation dates.

Fellowship Information:

  • DoD fellowships- known as "NDSEG" (National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate fellowship). More details can be found at http://www.asee.org/resources/fellowships/ndseg/
  • NASA fellowships- it's up to the grad student to work with the department's admin to write a proposal. More information available at http://www.nasa.gov/home/
  • Department of Energy has a fellowship, too. It's run through "Krell Institute". More information available at http://www.krellinst.org/
  • At the University level there is "FRAC" which is the Fellowship Resource & Advicing Center. Contact information for the FRAC staff can be found at: http://www.cmu.edu/frac/FRAC%20pages/FRAC_contact%20us.htm
  • Fellowship Resource Advising Center, Warner Hall 5th floor, cubicle 530A phone 412-268-1969 ; fax 412-268-6159

Additional Information: