How to Use the Catalog
Finding a College/Department
There are several ways to find a college/department page in the online Undergraduate Catalog:
Search Box
The Search Box in the upper right-hand corner allows you to search for a college or department by name or keyword. Type in the name of the department (e.g. "history," "physics," "computer science," etc.) and click Go. You will be taken to a Search Results page, from which you can visit the desired college or department. You will also find a link under each department in the Search Results page to go directly to that department's Course Descriptions.
Note: Most departments also allow you to search via keywords, such as "math" for Mathematical Sciences or "biology" for Biological Sciences, in case you cannot remember the full name.
Catalog Contents
The Catalog Contents page can be viewed by clicking the "Catalog Contents" link in the grey bar near the top of each page. It features a list, grouped by college or topic, of each page in the Catalog. You can also find this list at the bottom of the Catalog Home page.
A–Z Directory
The "A–Z Directory" link in the grey bar near the top of each page will take you to an alphabetical index of all pages in the current Catalog, sorted by title. Note that many pages will begin with "Department of."
Navigation Links
Near the top of each page, just under the grey bar, you will see navigation links which go back up through the levels of the catalog page hierarchy. For example, on the Department of English page, You can go back up to the College of Humanities & Social Sciences page or all the way up to the Catalog Home page.
Finding Course Descriptions
There are several ways to find course descriptions in the online Undergraduate Catalog:
Pop-up Course Descriptions
Wherever you see a course number (e.g. 76-101 ) displayed as a link, you can click on it to bring up the course's description, number of units, the semester(s) in which it is offered, and any prerequisites. Please remember that these descriptions are accurate as of the publication of the Catalog; details for some courses, especially "special topics" courses, may change from semester to semester. You can also check the Course Schedule tab in Student Information Online for current descriptions and prerequisites.
Course Description links
The last link of the "In this section" box for each academic department will be labeled "Course Descriptions." This will take you to a page containing course descriptions, etc. for each course offered by the department. As with the pop-up course descriptions, these are accurate as of the date of publication.
Search Box
If you know the number for a course (e.g. 21-111 ) and want to see its description, you can type the number (hyphen included) into the Search box at the top-right of each page. Pressing "Go" will bring up a Search Results page that includes the following:
- The full course description, including number of units, the semester(s) in which it is offered, and any prerequisites.
- A link to the page of the department which offers the course. The department entry will also include a link to the full Course Descriptions listing for that department.
Browsing Pages
Each department's page will show a listing of their currently offered undergraduate programs, along with course requirements and elective options. Some important features are listed below:
Pop-up Course Descriptions
Wherever you see a course number (e.g. 76-101 ) displayed as a link, you can click on it to bring up the course's description, number of units, the semester(s) in which it is offered, and any prerequisites. Please remember that these descriptions are accurate as of the publication of the Catalog; details for some courses, especially "special topics" courses, may change from semester to semester. You can also check the Course Schedule tab in Student Information Online for current descriptions and prerequisites.
"In this section" Links
The tan box near the top-right corner of every page, labeled "In this section," provides quick links to major subsections of a page. Once one of these links is clicked, you will also see "Back to Top" links at the beginning of each subsection which will take you back to the top of a page.
Course Description Pages
The last link of the "In this section" box for each academic department will be labeled "Course Descriptions." This will take you to a page containing course descriptions, etc. for each course offered by the department. As with the pop-up course descriptions, these are accurate as of the date of publication.
Faculty Listing
Each department page contains a list of its current faculty, showing for each faculty member the following: official title, degree, alma mater, and the year he or she started at Carnegie Mellon University. This list is in the dark grey box on the right side of the page.
Navigation Links
Near the top of each page, just under the grey bar, you will see navigation links which go back up through the levels of the catalog page hierarchy. For example, on the Department of English page, You can go back up to the College of Humanities & Social Sciences page or all the way up to the Catalog Home page.
Browsing Catalogs from Prior Years
The "Previous Catalogs" link in the grey bar near the top of each page will take you to a page containing links to several Undergraduate Catalogs from years past (from 2004 to the present).
- All of these can be downloaded as PDFs for viewing or printing.
- Catalogs from 2010 and later can be viewed as archived webpages, with all search functionality intact. You will see a note at the top of each page to note that you are viewing an archived Catalog, along with a link to the current Catalog.