The Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA: What You Need to Know

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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 Size192
Acceptance Rate28%

GMAT Median710

GPA Average3.33

Average Age29

Avg. Years Work Experience5.8 years

Diversity Women31%

Diversity Intl.56%

Pre-MBA IndustriesTechnology/New Media: 24%
Financial Services: 16%
Consulting: 15%
Health Care: 6%
Consumer Goods and Retail: 6%
Manufacturing: 5%
Government: 5%
Other: 22%

Undergraduate MajorsEngineering/Math/Physical Science: 54%
Business & Commerce/Economics: 37%
Arts/Humanities/Social Science: 7%
Other: 2%

The data above is from 2022 and represents the CMU Tepper class of 2024.
See the full report: CMU Tepper MBA Class Profile

Student Experiences

CMU Tepper MBA Employment Report & Careers

Salary Average$165,246.00

The average salary is a total of average salary + signing bonus ($134,847+$30,399)

Offers Upon GraduationDoes not disclose

Offers At 3 Mos.96%

Post-MBA IndustriesConsulting: 33.7%
Technology: 28%
Financial Services: 12.6%
Biotech/Health/Pharmaceuticals: 9.7%
Manufacturing: 5.7%
Other : 4%
Energy/Petroleum/Utilities: 2.3%
Consumer Products: 1.7%
Media/entertainment: 1.1%
Real Estate: .1%
Post-MBA LocationsUnited States: 98.3%
Mid Atlantic: 17.1%
Midwest: 13.7%
Northeast: 28.6%
South: 2.9%
Southwest: 8.6%
West: 26.9%
Non-US: 1.7%
Post-MBA Companies

Tepper MBA Recruiting Partners

Career Development Resources

CMU Tepper Career Paths

The data above is from 2021 and represents the career statistics of the CMU Tepper class of 2021*
See the full report: CMU Tepper MBA Employment Report

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 2022-2023 application:

Overcoming Adversity
The Tepper community is dynamic and unique. Each community member’s individual journey has shaped them into classmates who are collaborative, supportive and inclusive. Describe how you have overcome adversity during your journey. What did you learn about yourself and how has that shaped who you are? (upload file, maximum 350-500 words.)
Career Goals (Short-term)
Post-MBA Goals. What is your professional goal immediately following graduation from Tepper? (text box, 150 words)
Plan B Goals
Post-MBA Goals. What other role would you consider? In other words, what is your Plan B? (text box, 150 words)

Read more: CMU Tepper MBA Essays: Tips for the 2022 Admissions Cycle

Letters of Recommendation

The 2022-2023 Tepper recommender questions were as follows:

Competency ratings comment — (Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (text box, no word limit) (Short answer)
Interaction with the applicant — Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Text box, 50 words)
Performance comparison — How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Text box, 500 words)
Constructive feedback and the applicant’s response — Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Text box, 500 words)

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.

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.