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Master of Medical Management for Physicians Application Process

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MMM Program Update

The Master of Medical Management program leadership is currently conducting an assessment of the program, and will pause new enrollments beginning in Spring 2026. Please direct any questions to David Eber in our Office of Admissions and Financial Aid: deber@cmu.edu.

The Master of Medical Management for Physicians (MMM) program is designed exclusively for physicians, and nearly all specialties have been represented since the program's inception in 1998.


To apply, you must be a physician (MD/DO or equivalent foreign medical degree) and have a minimum of five years of post-residency professional experience. Although previous management experience is not required, most students have some experience in large health care organizations, group practices, insurance companies, rural clinics, or solo practices. Most successful applicants are currently working as practicing physicians and/or as physician administrators, consultants, or advisors.

Application Deadline: April 1

The regular deadline to submit an online application and required supporting materials is April 1.

Before you start your application, you will find it helpful to review all information below. Heinz College does not charge an application fee.

Apply Early for an Early Decision

The admissions committee will review submitted applications after all required supporting materials have been received. The required supporting materials are two (2) recommendations, official transcript(s) as described below, and official English exam scores (if applicable). Review the application checklist below for more details.

You may expect to receive your admission decision within two to four weeks of the date your application is submitted and we have received all required supporting materials. The earlier you apply, the earlier you will receive a decision from us.

After the deadline, we will continue to accept applications if seats remain available in the class. The availability of some scholarships may be limited after the deadline.

Contact Bridget Jakub in Heinz College's Office of Admissions with any questions (jakub@andrew.cmu.edu).

How to Submit Your Application

You will complete these steps to submit your application:

  • Review the Application Checklist to understand the materials you must submit.
  • Answer all required questions within the online application form.
  • In the application, tell us which prerequisite courses you have taken (or plan to take).
  • Upload your required essay and résumé/C.V.
  • Register each recommender's name and email address.
  • If applicable, enter the test date and registration number for your English proficiency exam.

Applications are reviewed after all required materials have been received. Heinz College does not charge an application fee.

You can expect to receive your admission decision after you have submitted your application and we have received all required supporting materials. The earlier you apply, the earlier you will receive a decision from us.

Work Required Prior to the Start of the First Semester

If you are admitted and you choose to enroll in the MMM program, you will begin "pre-work" prior to your first on-site session in September.

This pre-work is separate from prerequisite coursework in finance and professional communication that must be completed by September 1.

Application Checklist

Before you begin the online application process, please carefully review the list of application requirements and admission criteria for the Master of Medical Management for Physicians (MMM) program.

The Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and we will begin the review of your application after we have received all of your application materials.

You must submit a completed application form via our online application system to be considered for admission to Heinz College. Heinz College does not charge an application fee.

Physicians who earned a Bachelor's degree prior to starting medical school must have an official transcript of their undergraduate studies submitted directly to Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College by their undergraduate university. Foreign medical school graduates who were not required to earn a Bachelor's degree prior to starting medical school are not required to submit this documentation.

All MMM applicants must have earned a degree of MD, DO or equivalent foreign medical degree. You are required to have an official medical school transcript (or equivalent documentation) sent directly to Heinz College from one of the following three organizations: the degree-granting institution itself, the FSMB (FCVS report) or via the ECFMG Credential Service (different from your ECFMG certificate).

If you have questions regarding the MMM application process, please contact Bridget Jakub at the Heinz College Office of Admissions at jakub@andrew.cmu.edu.

If your native language (mother tongue) is not English, you are required to submit an official score report from the TOEFL, IELTS, or the Duolingo English Test. The only exceptions are for:

  • students who have worked or studied for five or more years in Australia, Botswana, Canada, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and/or Zambia.
  • students who studied for four years of their undergraduate education in the United States and earned their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US school (students are encouraged to provide unofficial copies of the English Language Proficiency exam they used when they applied to their undergraduate institution as part of their application to Heinz College).

Students who are required to submit test scores must have the scores reported directly to Heinz College by the testing service. When required, we strongly recommend that you take the exam at least one month prior to the application deadline.

You are required to have two (2) recommendation forms submitted on your behalf. Recommendations should be submitted by professional colleagues who can comment on your background, goals and potential. At least one (1) of your recommendations should be submitted by a physician who knows you in a professional setting. You may opt to register up to three (3) recommenders. If you register three recommenders, note that only two must be submitted.

Please note: Recommendations from friends, family members or acquaintances, and other sources not able to evaluate applicants on an academic or professional basis, will not be accepted.

Letters of recommendation must be written in or translated into English. Your recommendations must be submitted electronically through the online application system by your recommenders. We do not accept recommendations submitted on paper.

Learn more about submitting recommendations.

You are required to upload your updated CV or résumé to the application system. Physicians applying to our MMM program are not required to reformat their CV into a professional résumé.

Your CV or resume should include all employment, academic training, and practical training (including internships, residency and any fellowships). For all professional employment, please list the organization, location, starting date, and ending date (if applicable). MMM applicants may also include details regarding research activities, publications, continuing education, teaching appointments, professional associations/memberships, conference presentations, relevant volunteer/community service, etc.

Please consider using the "Optional Essay" to address the reason for any "gap" in your résumé or CV, if applicable.

Your résumé should contain only true information and your own, original content. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false or plagiarized material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.

You are required to submit an essay (approximately 1,000 words) describing the professional experiences which motivated you to seek leadership training and how the MMM program will help you achieve your goals. You will upload your essay to your online application.

Some applicants may find it helpful to think of the essay as a detailed "cover letter" for the MMM application.

Your essay should contain only true information and your own, original content. You should not use artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, to write any portion of your essay. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized, AI-generated, and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false, plagiarized or AI-generated material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.

You may choose to submit an essay in which you comment on any item(s) in your application that you consider worthy of further explanation. We are mostly interested in having you address any gaps in your professional experience, or anything you would consider a weakness that could have an impact on your admission status. Please limit optional essays to no more than 250 words.

Your essay should contain only true information and your own, original content. You should not use artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, to write any portion of your essay. If you include a quote or text written by any other person or published in any printed or online format, you must surround the copied text in quotation marks (") and indicate the original source of the text. Information reported on your résumé is subject to verification. The Heinz College Office of Admissions utilizes several methods to identify plagiarized, AI-generated, and falsified content in uploaded documents. Submission of false, plagiarized or AI-generated material as part of the application for admission may result in automatic denial of admission to any degree program.

Heinz College is committed to ensuring the integrity of our admissions process and the reputation of our educational programs. We also want to protect and enhance the value of the degrees that we confer. As an enrolling student, you will be required to successfully complete a verification process of your admission application materials. The verification process will be completed by an outside, independent contractor hired by Heinz College and Carnegie Mellon University.

The purpose of this background check is to protect all stakeholders of the program (students, faculty, staff, and alumni) from those who would falsify their backgrounds to gain an unfair advantage in the admissions process. We believe that this verification will support our efforts to ensure integrity throughout the program. Upon admission, you will receive more details about this process from the Office of Admissions.

Carnegie Mellon University seeks authorization, licensure, or exemption, as applicable, in various U.S. states and territories in compliance with U.S. Federal and State regulations that govern the offering and delivery of distance education programs and courses in those states and territories. Information is provided concerning the University’s current authorizations, licensures, and exemptions for the offering and delivery of distance education programs and courses.

For important information regarding Distance Education, please view the University’s Consumer Information website.

Inquiries regarding state authorizations may be directed to: Director of Enrollment Services, Carnegie Mellon University, Warner Hall A19, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, Telephone: 412-268-5399, Email: krieg@andrew.cmu.edu

If you have questions regarding the MMM application process, please contact Bridget Jakub at the Heinz College Office of Admissions at jakub@andrew.cmu.edu.

Due to student visa regulations requiring full-time enrollment and physical presence, Carnegie Mellon University cannot issue visa documents for students in part-time or on-line programs. Full-time enrollment is a U.S. federal requirement for F-1 or J-1 status. The MMM program is not available for full-time study.

We are not aware of a visa that works specifically for the Master of Medical Management (MMM) program.

If you hold a visa for another purpose that allows part-time study, you may be able to participate in the program while in that visa status; however, there is not a status specifically available for this program.

Individuals who have U.S. sanctions levied against them or who are ordinarily resident of U.S. sanctioned countries or expecting to live in certain U.S. sanctioned countries while participating in the program as a student are not eligible for admission to all or certain programs at Carnegie Mellon University due to U.S. legal restrictions or prohibitions.

Applications from these individuals or residents of these countries will, if restricted or prohibited, not be accepted. If a non-sanctioned individual is admitted to a program while ordinarily resident or living in a non-U.S. sanctioned country and his/her status, residency or country in which he/she is then living while participating in the program subsequently changes during the program to one of the countries listed, continued enrollment in the program may be terminated and/or restricted due to U.S. legal restrictions and/or prohibitions and the individual may not be able to complete his/her degree.

Required Prerequisite Coursework


Prior to enrolling, all MMM students must complete approved course work in finance and professional communication. Applicants are encouraged to begin (or complete!) this course work prior to applying. Time permitting, prerequisite courses may be completed between receiving an admission offer and starting MMM classes.

You have several pre-approved options available:

The following education providers offer courses that satisfy the finance prerequisite for MMM. If it has been more than five years since you completed a prerequisite course, please contact us to learn if the course you completed meets our current requirements.

The following education providers offer courses that satisfy the professional communication prerequisite for MMM. If it has been more than five years since you completed a prerequisite course, please contact us to learn if the course you completed meets our current requirements.

  • American Association for Physician Leadership: Completion of both of the following courses will satisfy the communication prerequisite (including completion of final assessment/exam):
    • Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Communication - and -
    • Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Influence
  • Crucial Learning: Online course Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue is approved to satisfy the communication prerequisite (on-demand or live online format).
  • Society of Hospital Medicine's Leadership Academy: Either one of the following programs will satisfy the communication prerequisite:
    • Influential Management - or -
    • Mastering Teamwork
  • Other Coursework? Please contact Rebekah Apple, MMM Program Director, to learn if other professional communication coursework you may have completed will satisfy our prerequisite for MMM.

If you complete 90.5 hours of the American Association for Physician Leadership's Master's Program prerequisite coursework (required courses listed below), you will qualify for a $3,000 tuition discount ($600 per semester) for the MMM program and you will satisfy the prerequisites for admission to the MMM program.

  • Fundamentals of Physician Leadership (Communication, Finance, Influence, Quality, and Negotiation)
  • Managing Physician Performance
  • Essentials of Health Law
  • Resolving Conflict
  • Practical Principles of Change Management
  • Transforming Healthcare Through Quality Improvement
  • Financial Skills for Executive Decision Making

Students are NOT required to complete Leading Innovation in Healthcare Organizations or Building a Path to Leadership Excellence to qualify for the $3,000 tuition discount for MMM.

If you do not complete all of the courses specified above with the American Association for Physician Leadership, you will not be eligible for the tuition discount. Minimum courses required to satisfy our MMM prerequisites offered by the American Association for Physician Leadership are listed above under "Finance" and "Professional Communication".

If it has been more than five years since you completed a prerequisite course in finance or communication, please contact us to learn if the course you completed meets our current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Didn't find what you were looking for on this page? Check out our Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information on any of the topics or processes outlined above.


 

Admissions FAQ