CMU's new MS in CS is NOT a research program. It is course-based only. Applicants to the PhD program in CS would not get bumped to this as this is NOT a PhD track MS program. Carnegie Mellon does not have an MS in CS that is research focused and leads to the PhD program. This MS is solely for those people that want to take some random classes in CS (there is no specific curriculum) and walk away with the CMU CS brand on a degree certificate. It is NOT considered to be the same quality as the PhD program. You don't even need a bachelor's in CS to apply for this program and if you are lacking in some skills you can take bridge courses (it says this on their website). On-campus this program is generally seen to be a money-maker for the CS dept. Some faculty have even expressed concerns on the quality of this particular program (and dilution of the brand). Generally speaking the more specialized programs at CMU have the reputation for which CMU is known (MS Robotics, HCI, Software Engineering, Information Networking, Security, etc). I guess it realy just depends on your goals though and what you want.
krok got a reaction from victor.s.andrei in MS CS Admission Stats (Particularly CMU)