Life at the Tepper School

Focused and friendly describes the environment that has produced nine Nobel laureates.

Small and serious-minded, our Ph.D. program assures students of close working relationships (both academic and social) with faculty, advisors and classmates. We are unapologetic about the rigor of our program. We believe the best and brightest always strive for new levels of knowledge and discovery. We encourage and support our students as they test the boundaries of theory and application.

Amidst an environment that is both intense and supportive, students are given opportunities for social and co-curricular activities, both inside and outside the school. Our twice-weekly “Afternoon Tea” is a popular gathering where students and faculty convene for an informal break filled with lively discussion. The annual picnic has been a late-summer tradition for decades and gives students an opportunity to enjoy nearby Schenley Park, a great place to explore nature or participate in sports and recreational activities.

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of our doctoral program is the open access to faculty. Our culture is defined by collaboration, and interaction at all levels of the school is expected, not simply encouraged. This culture of collaboration extends to other Carnegie Mellon schools and colleges, and our students often partner with researchers and students across campus. We understand that many of the relevant business problems lie between the intersections of disciplines, and Carnegie Mellon’s open door policy of research has resulted in path breaking research that has set records for citations and Nobel Prize recipients.