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Title
Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science
Category
courses
UUID
0c709503a56b4f6c99a9270201d6a3e5
Source URL
https://ml.cmu.edu/academics/minor-in-machine-learning
Parent URL
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/academics/overview-programs
Crawl Time
2026-03-25T05:25:25+00:00
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Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Source: https://ml.cmu.edu/academics/minor-in-machine-learning Parent: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/academics/overview-programs

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Academics Undergraduate Minor in Machine Learning

Machine learning and statistical methods are increasingly used in many application areas, including natural language processing, speech, vision, robotics and computational biology. The minor in machine learning allows undergraduates to learn about the core principles of the field.

Eligibility

The Machine Learning Minor is open to undergraduate students in any major at Carnegie Mellon University outside the School of Computer Science. (SCS students should instead consider the Machine Learning Concentration.) Students should apply for admission at least one semester before their expected graduation date, but are encouraged to apply as soon as they have taken the prerequisite classes for the minor. Grades from the core courses are also welcomed with the application. An admission decision will usually be made within one month.

Requirements

Grades

All courses for the ML minor, including prerequisites, must be passed with a C or better.

Prerequisites

Double-Counting Restrictions

No course in the machine learning minor may be counted toward another SCS minor. Additionally, at least three courses (each being at least nine units) must be used for only the machine learning minor, not for any other major, minor or concentration. (These double-counting restrictions apply specifically to the core courses and the electives. Prerequisites may be counted toward other majors, minors and concentrations and do not count toward the three courses that must be used for only the machine learning minor.)

Curriculum

Core Courses — 24 units

Students must take two core courses, each being at least nine units:

And one of the following courses:\

Electives — 27 Units

The Machine Learning Minor requires at least three elective courses of at least nine units each in machine learning. Students may select one of the following options to satisfy the electives requirement:

Students should note that some of these elective courses (those at the 600-level and higher) are primarily aimed at graduate students, and so should make sure that they are adequately prepared for them before enrolling.

Graduate-level cross-listings of these courses can also be used for the ML minor, if the student is adequately prepared for the more advanced version and the home department approves the student's registration.

Principal Courses

The following principle courses are acceptable options for fulfilling the elective requirement.\

Note: Courses must come from separate lines in the list above. For example, if 10-417: Intermediate Deep Learning is used for the ML minor, 11-485: Introduction to Deep Learning cannot be used for the ML minor.

Interdisciplinary Electives

Note: Courses must come from separate lines in the list above. For example, if 36-700: Probability and Mathematical Statistics is used for the ML minor, 36-705: Intermediate Statistics cannot be used for the ML minor.

CS Senior Honors Thesis

The CS Senior Honors Thesis consists of 36 units of academic credit, usually under the course number 07-599: SCS Honors Undergraduate Research Thesis. Up to 24 units (12 units each semester) may be counted toward the ML minor. Students must consult with the Computer Science Department for information about the CS Senior Honors Thesis. Once both student and adviser agree upon a project, the student should submit a one-page research proposal to the Machine Learning Concentration Director to confirm that the project will count for the machine learning concentration.

Senior Research

Senior research consists of two semesters of 10-500: Senior Research Project, totaling 24 units and counting as two electives.

The research must be a yearlong senior project, supervised or co-supervised by a machine learning core faculty or affiliated faculty member. It is almost always conducted as two semester long projects, and must be done in senior year.

Interested students should contact the faculty they wish to advise them to discuss the research project before the semester in which research will take place. Once both student and adviser agree upon a project, the student should submit a one-page research proposal to the Machine Learning Minor Director to confirm that the project will count for the machine learning minor.

Your one-page research proposal should contain the following:

The student should email the ML Minor Director a brief update (two paragraphs) on their progress at the end of the fall semester, and will present their work at the Meeting of the Minds and submit a year-end write-up to the Minor Director at the end of senior year.

Students are encouraged to reach out to the Minor Director with questions at any time.

Administration

The ML Director of Undergraduate Studies is Professor Matt Gormley and the ML Undergraduate Studies Coordinator is Laura Winter. They can both be reached at ml-minor@cs.cmu.edu. Contact them about eligibility, curriculum and other relevant questions.

Matt Gormley is holding office hours Spring 2026 as follows:

Friday, April 10, 2:00 - 2:30 pm, GHC 8103

Friday April 17, 2:00 - 2:30 pm, GHC 8103

Laura Winter holds office hours during Spring and Fall.  Spring office hours are being held on Mondays, 10 - 11 am, in GHC 9112 You can also email Laura with any questions or to schedule a meeting outside of office hours.

The office hours aren't held when classes aren't in session (e.g., holidays and breaks).

How To Apply

Complete the Machine Learning Minor Application Google form. It asks for your contact information, basic information about your academic history, a proposed schedule of the courses you're planning to take for the Machine Learning Minor (which can be changed later), and a brief (150-250 word) Statement of Purpose describing your reasons for pursuing the ML minor. Admissions decisions are usually made within one month.

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email with an "Edit Your Response" link. Save the email for your records. The link will allow you to make changes to your application, if necessary.