The new BRIDGE Program aims to prepare students to transition into Ph.D. degree programs. It provides a fully-funded master's degree with research experiences and training, networking opportunities, and internships with Department of Defense national laboratories.

The first cohort of admitted students in the BRIDGE Program will start in June of 2022 with tuition funding plus stipend. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required.

The BRIDGE Program

with M.S. in Mechanical Engineering — Research degree

The BRIDGE (Boosting Research-Experiences for Increasing Doctorate Graduates in Engineering) Program is a fully-funded master's program specifically designed to prepare students who have completed bachelor's degrees to transition to doctoral programs.

It aims to increase participation in higher education among individuals historically underrepresented in science and engineering.

Students discusses a research poster

Graduate students present their work during poster sessions like MechE's annual Graduate Research Symposium.

Funded by the National Defense Education Program, the BRIDGE Program combines our M.S. in Mechanical Engineering—Research degree with enrichment and training including:

  • A summer kickstarter experience including workshops and laboratory rotations
  • Programming with the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Bioengineering
  • Networking and internship opportunities with Department of Defense national laboratories
  • Funding to cover tuition plus a stipend to cover other costs
  • A choice of focus in:
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Autonomous systems
    • Neural engineering
    • Robotics
Two students discuss research at a poster.

Graduate students receive feedback on their research presentations from faculty, collaborators, and other students.

The Bridge Program is a collaboration between:

  • Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
  • Department of Defense Research Labs

Students with a bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline, who are from racial, ethnic, and disadvantaged backgrounds, and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are encouraged to apply.

Apply here!

Want more information? Contact the program coordinators:

Doug Weber, Carnegie Mellon University: dougweber@cmu.edu

Gelsy Torres-Oviedo, University of Pittsburgh: gelsyto@pitt.edu