Make the most of your campus experience.

Carnegie Mellon boasts over 350 clubs and organizations to serve the academic, social, physical, and spiritual well-being of our student population. CMU students are passionate about their interests, with organizations devoted to everything from athletics to business to board games and music—even origami.

The University also provides a full range of resources to support our students’ academic, financial, health, and technology needs. Check out CMU’s Student Experience for more information about life on campus, and the overview of what’s happening in Pittsburgh to get a sense of where the city is headed. Better yet, consider planning a visit to experience it firsthand.

Design thinking and practice—beyond the classroom.

Outside of your coursework, you’ll have ample opportunity to learn about what’s going on in the world of design. In and around Pittsburgh, you can visit museums like The Warhol, the Carnegie Museum of Art, Fallingwater, and the Mattress Factory. The School of Design hosts a lecture series, and additional programming across campus brings regular lectures and discussions to promote awareness and critical thinking about the most pressing design, academic, and societal issues of our time.

Carnegie Mellon’s student chapter of AIGA gives communication design students an opportunity to learn more about the design profession and form local and national connections. Activities including gallery shows, film showings, design-related fundraisers, and trips to design hotspots help members explore the profession and meet new people.

Our student chapter of IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) works to involve aspiring industrial designers in the broader professional community. Opportunities to enrich the design education experience and gain fresh perspectives on the world of design include day trips, weekend adventures, field trips to design-related attractions, and the annual IDSA regional conference.