Carnegie Mellon University

Through flexible, interdisciplinary curricula and study options, INI students can customize their program experience to fit their career aspirations.

All INI degree programs allow you to: 

  • Gain foundational knowledge through core courses in Systems, Networking, and Business and Policy, along with degree-specific core courses. 
  • Expand and personalize your education with electives from departments and colleges across the university, such as INI, Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), School of Computer Science (SCS), Engineering & Public Policy (EPP), Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) or Integrated Innovation Institute (III), and/or approved courses in the Heinz College or Tepper School.
Elective examples: Cloud Computing, Machine Learning, Ethical Penetration Testing
  • Select a study option that best suits your needs and goals: Join us for our 3-semester standard study option OR select the advanced study option for 4-semesters. Advanced students will focus in depth on either a research thesis, development-based project or area of concentration.

Degree Programs

Explore the curriculum* for each of the INI's degree programs

*The curricula below are organized by program cohort, which is determined by the academic year (AY) in which students start their INI program. For example, prospective students starting in AY 2023-2024 will be in the MS35 cohort and will follow the MS35 curriculum for their program. 

M.S. in Information Networking (MSIN)


M.S. in Information Security (MSIS)


M.S. in Artificial Intelligence Engineering - Information Security (MSAIE-IS)



M.S. in Information Technology-Information Security (MSIT-IS)


M.S. in Mobile & IoT Engineering (MSMITE)


Study Options

Choose from one of two study options within your INI degree 

Standard

  • 3 semesters

Advanced

  • 4 semesters

Breakdown of degree requirements by study option:

Study Option

MSIN & MSIS

MSIT-IS & MSMITE

MSAIE-IS

Standard
[123 Units]

3 Semesters

  • Core [75 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • Core [75 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • Core [96 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
Advanced*°
[159 Units]

4 Semesters

  • Core [75 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Development-Based Project or Area of Concentration [36 Units]
  • Core [75 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Area of Concentration [36 Units]
  • Core [96 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Development-Based Project or Area of Concentration [36 Units]

*Advanced Studies Options: Students will focus in depth on either a research thesis, development-based project or area of concentration (depending on their degree).

Internship as elective: An internship as an elective is allowed in the Standard or Advanced study options for domestic and CPT-eligible international students. Please pay attention to this detail if you are interested in an internship to select the right start term and/or study option. If you choose to complete an internship as an elective, you will be required to register for a three-unit internship course as an elective and pay additional tuition.

  • Students who start in Fall: International students in a Standard or Advanced study option may be eligible for CPT in their first summer and may add an internship towards elective.
  • Students who start in Spring: International students in a Standard study option are not eligible for CPT in their first summer. International students in an Advanced study option may be CPT-eligible in their second summer and can add an internship towards elective.

Students admitted prior to Fall 2023 had the following additional study options:

Study Option

MSIN & MSIS

MSIT-IS & MSMITE

MSAIE-IS

Applied
[129 Units]

3 Semesters

Required Internship
  • Core [72 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
  • Core [72 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
  • Practicum [24 units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
  • Core [96 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
Applied Advanced*°
[165 Units]

4 Semesters
Required Internship
  • Core [72 Units]
  • Electives [48 Units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Development-Based Project [36 units]
  • Core [72 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
  • Practicum [24 Units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Area of Concentration [36 Units]
  • Core [96 Units]
  • Electives [24 Units]
  • APD 1 [3 Units]
  • APD 2 [3 Units]
  • Internship [3 Units]
  • Research Thesis or Development-Based Project [36 Units]

Depending on your study option, you may have additional requirements. See curriculum pages above for more details.

Table Notes Acronyms:

MSIN = M.S. in Information Networking (Pittsburgh-Based)
MSIS = M.S. in Information Security (Pittsburgh-Based)
MSAIE-IS = M.S. in Artificial Intelligence Engineering - Information Security (Pittsburgh-Based)
MSIT-IS = M.S. in Information Technology-Information Security (Bicoastal)
MSMITE = M.S. in Mobile and IoT Engineering (Bicoastal)
APD = Academic & Professional Development

Degree-Specific Core & Restricted Electives Course Lists

Please note: Course numbers and titles may change. If you notice such changes, please notify the INI Academic and Student Services Team (ini-academic@andrew.cmu.edu) prior to enrolling in those courses.

MSIN

Download the PDF for a list of MSIN degree-specific core courses.

MSIS 

Download the PDF for a list of MSIS degree-specific core courses.

MSAIE-IS

Download the PDF for a list of MSAIE-IS degree-specific core courses.

MSIT-IS

Download the PDF for a list of the MSIT-IS degree-specific core (MS34) and restricted elective (MS35) courses.

MSMITE

Download the PDF for a list of the MSMITE degree-specific core (MS34) and restricted elective (MS35) courses.

OVERLAPPING AND COURSE SEQUENCING LIST

Download the PDF for a list of courses with overlapping content.

Download the PDF course sequence list.

If you are uncertain whether the courses you plan to take for degree requirements contain overlapping material, it is your responsibility to check with your faculty advisor and get clarification prior to enrolling.

Heinz Courses for Electives

Download the PDF for a list of Heinz College courses vetted and approved by INI faculty as accepted for INI program requirements.