senior thesis cmu

Popular Searches

• Master’s of AI Engineering
• Engineering Magazine
• graduate programs
• Manufacturing Futures Institute
• student organizations
• Rethink the Rink

Social Media

• @CMUEngineering
• CMUEngineering
• College of Engineering
• Undergraduate studies
• Undergraduate research

Honors research program

The College of Engineering honors research program was started in 1980 to give talented undergraduates an opportunity to work closely with faculty on research projects much like graduate-level research. The goal of the program is to recognize the research initiatives of our honor students, as well as create a forum for students to present their research and findings to their peers and faculty.

• Modes of in vivo cartilage recovery
• Generative AI for protein design
• Autonomous Synthesis of Materials (ASyMo)
• Assessment of undergraduate engineering education outcomes
• Sustainable Hydroelectric Management
• Adapting Human and Artificial Intelligence for Safe, Sustainable, and Adaptive Operations of Commercial Vehicle Fleets

Biomedical Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Chemical Engineering

• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Engineering & Public Policy

Materials Science & Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Interdisciplinary opportunities

How the process works

• College of Engineering juniors who have an accumulated QPA of at least 3.5 receive an invitation to participate in the program in the spring semester.
• The list of Honors Research topics for the coming year is posted by department to the below.
• Honors Research participants review the topics to decide which project best suits their interests and skills. Students should contact the Faculty Advisor associated with the project to discuss the research and the position. Confirm with the Faculty Advisor that you will be working on the project.
• Fill out the honors research approval form .   This form gets emailed directly to Kourtney Bandish in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, who will register you for the desired number of units (9-24) of 39-500 for the fall semester. There is no set deadline for submitting the form, although during fall registration week in April is preferred.
• Work on your project over the course of your senior year, completing a minimum of 18 units, maximum 24 units under 39-500.  Remember to receive the College of Engineering Honors at commencement, you must have a minimum of 18 units on the same research topic.
• Write and submit a 1-page executive summary of your research thus far in April.
• Present your research findings at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, "Meeting of the Minds" in May. Although “Meeting of the Minds” is open to any undergraduate research initiatives occurring on campus, it is a requirement for College of Engineering Honors Research students.

If you have any other questions, discuss them with your project’s faculty advisor or contact the assistant dean for undergraduate studies.

Current available projects

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Scs undergraduate research, independent study and honors undergraduate research thesis.

SCS undergraduates generally participate in research projects in two ways: as independent study or as an honors undergraduate research thesis. (Often, in fact, the former leads to the latter.)

You can start your research journey by exploring faculty research projects on the SCS Research Portal and comparing how they align with your own goals and interests. You can also examine our list of undergraduate thesis topics and advisors from previous years to understand what's possible at the undergrad level. Finally, you can check out the university's Meeting of the Minds during the spring semester, when students present the results of their work.

SCS also hosts summer research programs designed to give undergrads the chance to gain valuable research experience while considering their plans after graduation.

Explore Summer Research

Learn About the Honors Thesis

• Concentrations
• Undergraduate Research
• Dean's List

Get To Know Us

• Meet Our Dean
• Read Our News

Machine Learning - CMU

Undergraduate concentration in machine learning.

Machine learning and statistical methods are increasingly used in many application areas including natural language processing, speech, vision, robotics, and computational biology. The Concentration in Machine Learning allows undergraduates to learn about the core principles of this field. The Concentration requires five courses (two core courses and three electives) from the School of Computer Science (SCS) and the Department of Statistics & Data Science. The electives primarily focus on core machine learning skills that could be broadly applicable to either industry or graduate work. A CS Senior Honors Thesis or two semesters of Senior Research may be used to satisfy part of the electives requirement, which could provide excellent research experience for students interested in pursuing a PhD.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this concentration, students should be able to:

• Formulate real-world problems involving data such that they can be solved by machine learning
• Implement and analyze existing learning algorithms
• Employ probability, statistics, calculus, linear algebra, and optimization in order to develop new predictive models or learning methods
• Select and apply an appropriate supervised learning algorithm for problems of different kinds, including classification, regression, structured prediction, clustering, and representation learning
• Describe the the formal properties of models and algorithms for learning and explain the practical implications of those results
• Compare and contrast different paradigms for learning

Eligibility

The School of Computer Science offers concentrations for SCS students in various aspects of computing to provide greater depth to their education. Information can be found in the Undergraduate Course Catalog . Students outside SCS are not eligible for the Machine Learning Concentration and should instead consider the Machine Learning Minor .

Requirements for the Concentration

Prerequisites:.

• CS background:   15-122
• Math background: 15-151, 21-127, or 21-128
• Probability & statistics background:  36-218, 36-219, 36-225, 36-235, 15-259, or 21-325

Double Counting Restrictions:

At least 3 courses (each being at least 9 units) must be used for only the Machine Learning Concentration, not for any other major, minor, or concentration. (These double counting restrictions apply specifically to the Core Courses and the Electives. Prerequisites may be counted towards other majors, minors, and concentrations and do not count towards the 3 courses that must be used for only the Machine Learning Concentration.)

Core - 2 Courses:

Students must take two core courses, each being at least 9 units:

• 10-315 Introduction to Machine Learning
• 10-403Deep Reinforcement Learning & Control
• 10-405 Machine Learning with Large Datasets 
• 10-414  Deep Learning Systems: Algorithms and Implementation
• 10-417 Intermediate Deep Learning 
• 10-418 Machine Learning for Structured Data 
• 10 - 422  Foundations of Learning, Game Theory, and Their Connections

Electives  - 3 Courses :

Students need to take three courses from the following list, each being at least 9 units. Students may substitute one of these courses with one semester of an SCS Senior Honors Thesis or equivalent senior research credit.

• 10-403/10-703 Deep Reinforcement Learning & Control
• 10-405/10-605 Machine Learning with Large Datasets  or 10-745 Scalability in Machine Learning
• 10-414/10-714 Deep Learning Systems: Algorithms and Implementation
• 10-417 Intermediate Deep Learning  or 11-485 Introduction to Deep Learning  or 10-707 Topics in Deep Learning
• 10-418 Machine Learning for Structured Data  or 10-708 Probabilistic Graphical Models

10-422 Foundations of Learning, Game Theory, and Their Connections

• 10-423 Generative AI
• 10-425/625 Introduction to Convex Optimization   or   10-725 Convex Optimization
• 10-613/713 Machine Learning Ethics and Society
• 10-735 Responsible AI
• 10-777 Historical Advances in Machine Learning
• 36-401 Modern Regression

Important Notes:

• To avoid excessive overlap in covered material, at most one of the core Deep Learning courses may be used to fulfill concentration course requirements: 10-417, 10-617, 11-485, 10-707. In general, students are discouraged from taking more than one of these.
• 15-281 Artificial Intelligence covers several topics (i.e. reinforcement learning and Bayesian networks) that are complementary to 10-315. While not part of the ML Concentration curriculum, this course is also one to consider.
• Students should note that some of these elective courses (those at the 600-level and higher) are primarily aimed at graduate students, and so should make sure that they are adequately prepared for them before enrolling. Graduate-level cross-listings of these courses can also be used for the ML Concentration, if the student is adequately prepared for the more advanced version and the home department approves the student's registration.
• Please be aware that not all graduate-level courses in the Machine Learning Department may be used as electives. In particular, 10-606/10-607 Computational Foundations for Machine Learning may not be used as electives for the Machine Learning Concentration.

SCS Senior Honors Thesis

The SCS Senior Honors Thesis consists of 36 units of academic credit for this work. Up to 12 units may be counted towards the ML Concentration. Students must consult with the Computer Science Department for information about the SCS Senior Honors Thesis. Once both student and advisor agree upon a project, the student should submit a one-page research proposal to the Machine Learning Concentration Director to confirm that the project will count for the Machine Learning Concentration.

Senior Research

Senior Research consists of 2 semesters of 10-500 Senior Research Project, totaling 24 units. Up to 12 units may be counted towards the ML Concentration.

The research must be a year-long senior project, supervised or co-supervised by a Machine Learning Core Faculty member. It is almost always conducted as two semester-long projects, and must be done in senior year. Interested students should contact the faculty they wish to advise them to discuss the research project, before the semester in which research will take place.

Once both student and advisor agree upon a project, the student should submit a one-page research proposal to the Machine Learning Concentration Director to confirm that the project will count for the Machine Learning Concentration. 

Your one-page research proposal should contain the following:

• A working title, your name, and your advisor's name
• Abstract   (100 to 500 words)
• Motivation   (why your research problem is important)
• Contributions   (bulleted list of your research contributions)
• Related Work   (brief mention of most relevant existing work)
• Expected Results   (short description of likely outcomes)
• Timeline   (detailed list of milestones over the next year)
• Bibliography
• The signature of your research advisor, signifying endorsement of the project and willingness to supervise and evaluate it.

The student  should email the ML Concentration Director a brief update (two paragraphs) on their progress at the end of the Fall semester, and  will present the work at the Meeting of the Minds  and submit a year-end write-up to the Concentration Director at the end of Senior year.

Students are encouraged to reach out to the Concentration Director ( [email protected])  with questions at any time.

Administration

The ML Director of Undergraduate Studies is Professor Matt Gormley and the ML Undergraduate Studies Coordinator is Laura Winter. They can both be reached at [email protected] . Please contact them about eligibility, curriculum, etc.

Laura Winter holds office hours during Spring and Fall. 

Fall office hours are being held on Thursdays, 2-3 pm in GHC 9112.  You can also email Laura at [email protected] with any questions, or to schedule a meeting outside of office hours.  

The office hours aren't held when classes aren't in session (e.g., holidays and breaks).  

How To Apply

The Machine Learning Concentration is only open to students in SCS Majors. Students can apply beginning in Sophomore year, after they have completed the pre-requisites, and are encouraged to apply at least one semester before graduating.

Complete the Machine Learning Concentration Application Google form. It asks for your contact information, basic information about your academic history, a proposed schedule of the courses you're planning to take for the Machine Learning Concentration (which can be changed later), and a brief (150-250 word) Statement of Purpose describing your reasons for pursuing the ML Concentration. Admissions decisions are usually made within one month.

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email with an "Edit Your Response" link. Save the email for your records. The link will allow you to make changes to your application if necessary. 

• Email ML Concentration Director
• Apply for the ML Concentration

• Thesis Oral Defense Process

Checklist for document preparation, thesis defense, final semester, and degree certification. The final milestone for your doctoral degree!

Producing Your Document & Setting a Defense Date

Thesis oral defense presentations should be scheduled only during academic periods -- not during holidays or weekends. They should be scheduled during normal university business hours. 

Graduating doctoral candidates should work with the Doctoral Programs Manager, CSD Student Payroll Manager, and their advisor(s) to navigate defense, certification, and departure from Carnegie Mellon.

Please remember all committee members are required to attend your thesis defense and that at least three thesis committee members (the Chair and two additional members) must be physically present.

• Exceptions must be approved by the Director of the Ph.D. Program.
• Refer to the PhD Talks Scheduling Calendar for department process deadlines, blocked days, and available times & days for talks to be scheduled.

Thesis process checklist (downloadable PDF):

Document Format Detail

• Obtain the LaTeX thesis document template from Catherine Copetas.
• Please use the department approved title page layout as provided below. 
• Request a Technical Report (TR) number from Catherine Copetas.

Confirm research funding citations (grants your advisor may have had which supported your work) to properly credit them on your title page. Contact Todd Seth ([email protected]) or Ann Stetzer ([email protected]) who do grant management for your advisor.

**CSD thesis title page layout**

CMU-CS-[YR]-XXX ** Certification Month  & Year ( not defense date)  

Computer Science Department School of Computer Science Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Thesis Committee: [Name], Chair [Name] * [Name] [Name] (in parentheses - external affiliation spelled out in full)    Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy   Copyright © [year] [student name] This research was sponsored/supported in part by ... [see Ann Stetser or Todd Seth for appropriate wording]

Published example with Co-Chairs

NOTES:  No affiliation for CMU faculty **See Catherine Copetas for technical report number Keywords should be included on the bottom of the second page of your document  

2) Scheduling Your Oral Defense

You should notify [email protected] if there are any committee member changes to your thesis committee since your proposal. 

A copy of the complete thesis document should be provided to the whole thesis committee a minimum six weeks in advance of any proposed date for the defense. Significant deviations from this rule must be approved by the Director of of the Ph.D. Program.

• The talk date should be finalized at least one month in advance to allow time for final review by your advisor , comments by the committee, and to reserve an appropriate room.
• Check the PhD Talks Scheduling Calendar to make sure there is not another proposal or defense scheduled at your preferred time.
• Students should coordinate the date of their talk with their committee members.
• 30 minutes setup time
• 90 minutes for presentation, questions, & thesis committee discussion
• 30 minute post presentation cushion to accommodate overrun & clean-up
• Thesis orals and proposals will not be scheduled to overlap but there can be more than one presentation per day. 
• Once you have settled on a date and time email CSD PhD Support to finalize the date.
• The room scheduled must be available to the public and must accommodate a reasonably large number of people (~30). Smaller rooms are strongly discouraged.
• Be sure you arrange time to check the A/V in the room and that you are comfortable setting up your own Zoom or other remote access for any external committee member who may not travel to attend in person or for streaming your talk.

Once the Doctoral Program Manager confirms your date, time, and location you should plan to provide the information needed for the poster, calendar and email announcement of your talk. 

A minimum of seven days in advance of your talk you should send the following information to [email protected] so Marcom can prepare the appropriate announcements for your talk:

• Your name as it will appear on your published document (this should match what will be on your diploma)
• Thesis Title
• Date, start time, and location of your oral defense presentation (for confirmation we have it correct for announcement)
• Thesis Committee Member names in the following format * :      Name (Chair) or (Co-Chair)      Name (Co-Chair)      Name      Name      Name (external affiliation fully spelled out)
• Thesis Summary of 350 words or less , describing the thesis. This can be provided as email body content or text attachment (.txt) and is utilized for your talk announcements.
• Your Zoom link & Live Streaming form if you will have remote audience attendance (please see In-person & Remote Information ).

We will announce your talk on the SCS and CSD calendars and send email to the appropriate CSD D-lists.

* Affiliation is not included for CSD/SCS committee members other than stating Chair or Co-Chair.

REMINDER: 

Remember that all committee members are required attend your thesis defense and that at least three thesis committee members (the Chair and two additional members) must be physically present.

The department does not record thesis oral defense presentations.

• Please set up your own Zoom link for remote committee member(s). 
• Once your advisor(s) join the Zoom you should make them co-host(s). 
• A Live Streaming form is not needed if the only remote attendee(s) will be external thesis committee member(s). 

You are welcome to have remote audience attend.

• The Live Streaming form is only needed if you will be allowing CMU community or external attendees to remotely attend your defense. 
• Please fill out the form and have your advisor sign it.
• Send the form to [email protected] along with your talk announcement information 7-10 days in advance of your talk. This way we know to include your Zoom link in the announcement.

Your presentation should be approximately 45-50 minutes (with clarification questions only) followed by questions from the committee, questions from the audience, a private meeting of the committee concluding with a private meeting with the speaker.

The Doctoral Program Manager will prepare the three copies of the signature page which will be signed by your advisor the day of your talk. This is held until your degree is certified and will be dated with your certification date to be included with the physical print copy of your document.

Submitting Your Thesis

When your final copy is ready the following items MUST be completed before your degree will be certified with the Registrar:

• This should filed only AFTER your thesis is edit-complete, approved by your advisor and ready for certification. 
• Ideally it should be done the day you intend to turn in your final document -- NOT on or around your defense date.
• The department will file the final copy of your dissertation with the library. Please DO NOT FILE a copy yourself. 
• Dissertation Checklist for Electronic Submission : This checklist form is required by the university for graduation. Please fill it out and send it along with your final copy to [email protected] to be processed.
• Fill out the CSD PhD Online Exit Form .
• Registering with Proquest is completely optional.

Send CSD PhD Support and CSD Student Payroll :

• Your intended last day (this should be your intended certification date and match the date on the Survey of Earned Doctorates) and complete the CSD PhD Online Exit form .

Send CSD PhD Support and Catherine Copetas :

• The .pdf of your final thesis - edits completed and approved by your advisor.
• The Survey of Earned Doctorates Certificate.
• The Completed Library Dissertation Checklist.  

When the required thesis forms are filled out and turned in along with your final thesis document, the Doctoral Program Manager will acquire the appropriate signatures on your Final Semester form, file it with the Registrar, and certify your degree in S3.

Official Graduation Dates:

• University documents will show May, August, or December as your official graduation date. 
• If you need a document verifying the date your degree was officially certified, please request an early completion verification letter. 
• The form is available on the Registrar's Early Completion Verification page along with instructions to file the request.

May Commencement Timing Consideration:  

If you plan to graduate in the spring and attend the current May commencement & doctoral hooding:

All paperwork and your final thesis document must be turned in to the program by the Wednesday before spring semester DSR to allow time to gather advisor, department head, and dean's signatures to enter your certification into S3 by the Friday before commencement.

Please refer to the PhD Talks Scheduling Calendar for department deadlines for processing certifications to meet payroll (see ending stipend) and university deadlines. 

Graduates certified in the two week certification window after May commencement but before certification reopens for summer semester are considered a May graduate and will be invited to attend the next year's commencement. 

Before You Leave

Doctoral student payroll needs to be notified of your end date. 

NOTE: Doctoral students are paid semi-monthly. Pay is distributed on the 15th and the last working day of each month - the CMU Payroll Calendars will provide you more complete timing details.

Please keep this in mind when planning your final day for certification. If you are certified between the 15th and the end of the month a return request for over-payment of stipend will be required. 

Email the  Disposition of Movable Asset Form  to us only if you are taking your original department-issued computer with you when you depart and the computer was $5,000 or more at the time of purchase . 

• If the asset form does not open properly for you, you may need to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader .
• The original issued department asset tag is available by searching equipment in the SCS database: https://computing.cs.cmu.edu/help-support/equip-registration . 
• Select "Search, Update and Remove Equipment Support". Under "Contact Username" It will either be your andrewID or your SCS WebISO ID (no @andrew or @cs... just the ID)
• The department code is 15 (like our course numbers).
• If you are not taking your computer (laptop or desktop) please email  [email protected] , provide the asset information on the Exit Form and to arrange to drop it off with PhD Support.  

Congratulations on reaching your final milestone for your doctoral degree!

Please be sure you have filled out the CSD PhD Online Exit Form ! 

Be sure to read the information about what happens to your Andrew account and how to set up and use your alumni email account .

Remove all of your belongings, turn your office key in to the Doctoral Program Manager, and please leave the space clean for new student occupancy.

• Current Semester Courses
• Upcoming Semester Courses
• Schedule of Classes
• Undergraduate Catalog
• Bachelor's Programs
• Master's Programs
• Doctoral Programs
• General Student Resources
• Bachelor's Resources
• Master's Resources
• Doctoral Breadth Courses
• Writing Skills Requirement
• Speaking Skills Requirement
• Thesis Proposal Process
• Student Ombudspersons
• Doctoral Student Service Award

• Faculty Research

Undergraduate Research

• Laboratories

Home Research Undergraduate Research

At Carnegie Mellon, our mission is to investigate questions that will have a real impact on the world. As our undergraduates engage in research, we encourage them to think about the question, “why does this research matter?” This is a hallmark of Carnegie Mellon’s approach.

Student Opportunities

Students are encouraged to participate in research during their undergraduate years. We have built a support framework for student researchers, introducing them to faculty-guided projects in their early years and exploring independent studies and senior thesis projects as they gain knowledge and experience.

Meeting of the Minds

Meeting of the Minds began at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1995 as a unique type of research symposium. We wanted to open up the world of research to the public, so the wider community can see the questions our students are asking. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar has continued this tradition. Each year, students present their work to an audience of faculty, students, family, and members of the community, as well as a judging panel of industry experts and faculty members.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship course is an opportunity for students to earn course credit while working on a faculty-led research project. SURA is for students in any major with little or no research experience, and is an excellent introduction to the research process.

Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences

First-year biological sciences students can take an exciting course in the spring of their first year. In this course they investigate a current biology problem by reading literature articles, designing hypotheses, planning and carrying out experiments, analyzing data, and designing future questions.

The Qatar Student Initiated Undergraduate Research Program awards funding to undergraduates at CMU-Q for summer research in any field of study. It is designed to help qualified students develop research skills by working on projects that are driven by their interests. QSIURP projects are often the first step in pursuing a senior honors thesis.

College Honors

The requirements for College Honors vary by program, but all College Honors recipients must successfully complete a senior honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty advisor. For many of our College Honors recipients, the senior honors thesis is the first step to pursuing careers in research.

Student research in the news

Mechanical Engineering: Find Theses and Dissertations

• Starting Point
• Find Reference Sources
• Find Books and ebooks
• Find Journals
• Find Articles
• Find Facts & Formulas
• Find Properties of Materials
• Find Patents and Trademarks
• Find Technical Reports
• Find Theses and Dissertations
• Find Conferences
• Track a Citation
• Writing & Citing
• Associations and Societies
• Guidance for Authors of ASME Literature

About Theses and Dissertations

A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for a degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.  (International Standard ISO 7144: Documentation — Presentation of theses and similar documents ).

For most universities in the U.S., dissertation is the term for the required submission for the PhD, and thesis refers only to the master's degree requirement.

Other Universities

T he best source to find theses is ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis Global .  Policies regarding theses and dissertation collections largely vary between universities.  So check the library website of the university of interest.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon theses are now ONLINE and can be searched through the ProQuest database Dissertations & Theses @ Carnegie Mellon University that enables access to citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses, as well as the fulltext in PDF format.  Scroll down and select Dissertations & Theses, then do a regular search. Print versions are also available in the libraries collection.

The Carnegie Mellon Library catalog , uses the term THESIS to denote both masters' theses and dissertations.  However, the number of master's theses is limited.  Within the libraries, theses are located in designated areas and are shelved in alphabetical order by the author's last name.  The catalog treats theses and dissertations like books and they can be borrowed as such.  Theses may be in print, microfiche, or microform.

• In the catalog use the Advanced Search :  search by author, title, or keyword limiting to type THESIS.
• For a list of theses from a specific department, use Advanced Search to combine a keyword search for the name of the department with location THESES.  E.g., search for "Dept. of Computer Science" with THESES as the location.
• For a reasonably complete list of theses at Carnegie Mellon, use Advanced Search to search Carnegie Mellon University Dissertations in the Subject line.  

Other Countries

Center for Research Libraries:  Foreign Doctoral Dissertations CRL has more than 800,000 cataloged foreign doctoral dissertations from more than 90 countries and over 1200 institutions.

• << Previous: Find Technical Reports
• Next: Find Conferences >>
• Last Updated: Aug 10, 2024 1:15 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/meng

New York New York State

Miami beach coast guard station florida state, boston massachusetts, chicago illinois, kursk oblast weather.

• Today, September 14
• Tomorrow, September 15
• Monday, September 16
• Tuesday, September 17
• Wednesday, September 18
• Thursday, September 19
• Friday, September 20
• Saturday, September 21
• Sunday, September 22
• Monday, September 23
• Tuesday, September 24
• Wednesday, September 25
• Thursday, September 26
• Friday, September 27
• Early morning
• During the morning
• During the afternoon
• During the night

Dietrich College Majors 

Additional majors, multiple degrees, bachelor of arts & bachelor of science , curriculum requirements, course categories, dietrich college senior honors program, community engagement fellowship, humanities scholars program, quantitative social science scholars program, student-defined program, student success, academic advisory center, experiential learning, study abroad funding, dietrich college internship opportunity grants, dietrich college pittsburgh summer internship program, internships-for-credit, carnegie mellon university washington semester program, graduation requirements, double-counting courses,  dietrich college credit policy for non-carnegie mellon courses, course overloads, physical education and stuco* courses, dietrich college dean's honor list, transferring into dietrich college, course failures and course repetitions, academic actions, undergraduate catalog, the marianna brown dietrich college of humanities and social sciences.

Richard Scheines, Bess Family Dean Sharon Carver, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs Joseph E. Devine, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Kelli Maxwell, Associate Dean for Student Success www.hss.cmu.edu

The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of undergraduate programs in English, History, Information Systems, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and Decision Sciences, and Statistics & Data Science, as well as those offered by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Security and Technology. Dietrich College also offers a student-defined major option, numerous interdepartmental majors, the intercollege Bachelor of Humanities and Arts program, and honors and pre-professional programs.

The college embodies one of the most varied groups of students, faculty, staff and alumni in the Carnegie Mellon University community, all united by a common goal: confronting and solving society’s most complex problems. We learn through experience, and we work without silos or walls. Our students and faculty work across traditional boundaries, collaborating with other disciplines to pursue the thrill of discovery. Dietrich College is a place to explore different points of view. And a place to do work that matters.

At Dietrich College, we approach education differently. We mash up the traditional liberal arts with analytical and computational approaches. Beginning in their first year, our undergraduates confront real-world problems like democracy and data, racism or environmental justice through Grand Challenge Seminars  that are co-taught by faculty from disciplines across the college and university. In addition, students are required to take General Education  courses tied to specific learning goals. These courses help students to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills that are essential to their careers, citizenship and life. In addition to the required courses, students’ schedules also allow for broad  exploration of our majors and minors . Experiential learning programs – like internships, undergraduate research, study abroad and community service – enhance our students’ undergraduate education.

Dietrich College students develop deep disciplinary knowledge — but that’s just the beginning. Students learn how to work on teams involving many disciplines. The knowledge landscape changes rapidly, and what students learn today may be outdated tomorrow. At Dietrich, students “learn how to learn,” discovering how to communicate, think and understand the world in ways that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Dietrich College alumni report that the skills they learned while in college have helped them land opportunities in a highly competitive job market. Just as importantly, those skills helped graduates follow their passion and succeed in new endeavors outside a more traditional career path. Among the 90% of the Dietrich College class of 2022  reporting, 94% found employment, entered graduate school or pursued other interests, like volunteering or military service.

Degree and Program Options

Dietrich College offers a wide range of majors and minors. In addition, there are a number of special programs which add breadth and enhance a student’s overall experience.

Offered jointly by the Undergraduate Economics Program and the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Security and Technology

Offered jointly by the Undergraduate Economics Program and the Department of Statistics and Data Science

Offered jointly by the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Mellon College of Science

Offered jointly by the Departments of History and Philosophy

Offered jointly by the Departments of English, Modern Languages and Philosophy

Offered jointly by the Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition

Offered jointly by the Departments of Psychology and Biological Sciences

Offered jointly by the Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Department of Computer Science

Offered jointly by the Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Department of Mathematical Sciences

Offered jointly by the Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Departments of Psychology and Biological Sciences

Dietrich College students may pursue additional majors and/or minors in the college, as well as in other Carnegie Mellon colleges. An additional major refers to the completion of the requirements for a second major while also completing the requirements for the primary major and degree.

Most Dietrich College majors are also available as additional majors; two (Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Health Humanities ) are available only as additional majors. Students from outside Dietrich College can pursue additional majors offered by the college, and would be required to complete only those courses in the college's general education program that are prerequisites to courses required for the Dietrich College major in question.

Minors are like majors in that they consist of coherent programs of study in a department, or across departments. Minors differ from majors in the number of the courses required and in the breadth and depth of the curriculum in the minor's area(s) of study. Dietrich College students can also pursue minors offered and made available by other Carnegie Mellon colleges and departments.

There are two types of minors in Dietrich College: departmental minors, which are housed in a single Dietrich College academic department; and interdepartmental minors, which are sponsored by more than one academic department and administered through the faculty advisor's academic department. The college's minors are available to students from all colleges in the university.

"Multiple degrees" is defined as more than one undergraduate degree granted by the university (whether simultaneous or sequential). One diploma is awarded for each degree; each degree has one primary major associated with it, and the possibility of an additional major and/or minor.

Dietrich College undergraduate students who wish to earn an additional undergraduate degree with a primary major also from Dietrich College must:

• Satisfy all requirements for the primary major to be linked to the additional degree.
• Complete at least 90 units beyond the total number of units required for the first degree. If the major associated with the additional degree requires less than 90 units, the student would earn additional elective units to reach the 90-unit minimum. If the major associated with the additional degree requires more than 90 units, the student would perforce exceed the 90-unit minimum in order to fulfill all of the requirements for the additional degree’s primary major.
• Comply with Carnegie Mellon's Statute of Limitations Policy: All units required for an undergraduate degree, whether earned in residence, transferred from another institution or granted via advanced placement, must have been earned within eight (8) years prior to the date on which the degree is granted.

Non-Dietrich College undergraduate students at Carnegie Mellon who wish to earn an additional undergraduate degree with a Dietrich College primary major must complete all of the requirements listed above, plus any portion of the Dietrich College general education program not already fulfilled by prior undergraduate course work.

Some Dietrich College majors lead to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and others lead to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree option. In some majors students may choose between a B.A. and a B.S. degree.  B.A. degree programs usually require less course work in technical and/or quantitative disciplines, and more depth and breadth in various humanities and social science fields, and (in some cases) the arts. In contrast, B.S. degrees are offered in majors requiring more technical, quantitative or scientific competencies.

Dietrich College General Education Program 

*For students entering prior to Fall 2021, click  here  for the catalog description of the General Education Requirements.

For students entering Fall 2021 and later*

www.hss.cmu.edu/gened

The Dietrich College General Education curriculum (GenEd) provides robust training and knowledge that complements and strengthens the skills learned in a student’s primary major. The GenEd program contains several unique features including: 1) the anchoring of the curriculum on an explicit set of measurable learning outcomes; 2) a focus on creative multi and interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems; 3) the integration of instruction in core competencies like writing and data science across the entire four-year curriculum; 4) ensuring holistic advising is available to every Dietrich student; 5) the expansion of experiential learning opportunities through research and creative inquiry, paid internships opportunities, study abroad, and community engagement; and 6) the commitment to iterative program-level assessment that includes direct measures of student learning.

The GenEd is built on the foundation of 15 high level learning areas and nearly 50 specific student learning outcomes that guide the program. More information about the learning areas can be found on our GenEd website ( www.cmu.edu/dietrich/gened ).

The GenEd curriculum requirements total just above one third of a student’s overall degree requirements:

Foundations (54 units total)

There are six (6) foundations requirements, designed to teach both competencies that transcend disciplinary boundaries and the foundational knowledge and skills particularly important for Dietrich College students to acquire.

The Communication requirement may be satisfied through one of the following options:

• 76-101 (Interpretation and Argument) or 76-102 (Advanced First-Year Writing)
• Choose 2 mini courses: 76-106 (Writing about Literature, Art, and Culture), 76-107 (Writing about Data), or 76-108 (Writing about Public Problems).

The Data Analysis requirement must be satisfied through the completion of 36-200 (Reasoning with Data). Advanced Standing (AP, IB, Cambridge, Transfer) credit will be accepted for this requirement.

A list of courses for each of the above requirements can be found on the GenEd website .

2. Disciplinary Perspectives (42 units total)

There are five (5) disciplinary perspectives requirements, designed to provide a broad reflective understanding of disciplines both within and outside of the College.

3. Special Seminars and Topics (27 units total)

The Special Seminars and Topics offer opportunities for students to engage in high impact learning practices to ensure transformative and integrative learning.

* For undergraduates whose chosen major does not require an individual or small group capstone project, the General Education’s senior capstone is strongly recommended, but not required. To fulfill the 9-units, those students should first explore capstone options with their academic advisor and Dietrich’s capstone coordinator before proposing an alternative requirement that showcases their best senior year work.

College Services and Programs

The educational programs in Dietrich College are complemented by a number of services, special programs, centers, and computing facilities.

Joseph E. Devine, Director and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Location: Baker Hall 154F www.hss.cmu.edu

From its inception in 1982, the Dietrich College senior honors program has provided outstanding undergraduate students with the opportunity to work individually with faculty members throughout the college on original research and creative projects. The honors program is a senior-year program. Admission is based on achievement of a cumulative QPA of at least 3.50 in one's major and 3.25 overall, endorsement of a thesis proposal by the faculty member who will serve as thesis advisor, and department head approval. Honors students enroll in an honors thesis course sequence for both semesters of the senior year (9 units per semester). Upon successful completion of the honors thesis, a student qualifies for graduation with Dietrich College Honors, and will have this designation as well as the thesis title noted on the final transcript.

Students have found the honors program to be a challenging and enriching experience in allowing for focused, individualized work on a sustained independent project. In the opportunity it provides to demonstrate one's capacity for independent and original work, the senior honors program experience helps significantly in developing the ability to present one’s intellectual or creative self to others, including prospective employers or graduate and professional school programs.

The  Honors Research Scholarship Program  i s an optional component for students who have applied and been accepted into the college’s Senior Honors Program. Scholars spend the summer before their senior year undertaking early-stage research and development of their thesis topics. Financial support through a stipend and related funds for research-related expenses allows scholars to apply themselves full-time to their projects during these summer months. This in turn enables scholars to build a strong foundation and momentum for their honors thesis as the fall semester of the senior year gets underway, and ultimately leading to completion of the project by the end of the spring semester. Students apply for this scholarship program in the spring of the junior year, simultaneous with submission of an application and thesis project proposal for the Dietrich College Senior Honors Program. 

Kimberly Piatt, Director of Experiential Learning Location: Baker Hall 160 https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/students/undergraduate/programs/community-engagement-fellowship/index.html

The Dietrich College Community Engagement Fellowship was launched in Fall 2022 and provides students with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills while also learning how to create positive change in their communities. The program spans 5 semesters - Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring during which students complete a combination of coursework and experiential learning activities. The program curriculum includes: 

• 66-148 (3 Units): Fall Semester: Introduction to Community Engagement
• 66-214 (6 Units): Spring Semester: Connecting with the Pittsburgh Community
• 66-300 (6 Units): Fall Semester: Using Collective Leadership to Pursue Community Goals
• 66-4XX (6-9 Units): Spring Semester: Community Engagement Fellowship Capstone Course

At the end of the fellowship, students will engage in a capstone project during which they connect their specific area of passion to what they have learned through the fellowship. This project is flexible and will depend on the student. Students will be expected to present their capstone project to a panel of stakeholders. 

Students in the fellowship receive exclusive access to courses and are able to build fruitful relationships with a cohort of peers and community leaders. Students also receive $3,000 to support their involvement in the community. Additional opportunities, like board membership, conference attendance and others are also offered as part of the experience. 

The application process for each 12-student cohort occurs in the Spring. Any student with a primary major in Dietrich or those pursuing a BHA degree may apply. Students should be in good academic standing but students may request an exception by speaking with the Director of Experiential Learning. Students interested in applying must have at least 2 years as an undergraduate student remaining so that they are able to complete the full sequence of courses.

Therese Tardio, Director Location: Posner Hall 252 www.cmu.edu/dietrich/hsp

Since 2001, the Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) has provided an opportunity for students to use the tools of humanistic inquiry to describe, analyze and engage with the world.  While the university is broadly known for its technological prowess and its interdisciplinary ethos, the humanities at Carnegie Mellon are also a vital part of the intellectual ecology of the university:  humanities faculty have joint appointments in virtually every other college, school, or department on campus, and they collaborate across disciplines in the arts, engineering, and the sciences.  At Carnegie Mellon, the Humanities Departments (English, Modern Languages and Cultures, History, and Philosophy) are integrated into the university’s broader academic environment to an unprecedented extent.  Interdisciplinary work with technological, scientific, and artistic programs across campus are frequently the nexus by which new scholarly approaches and programs emerge in a changing intellectual landscape. For example, philosophers and computer scientists develop models of artificial intelligence, historians and engineers record emerging environmental patterns and solutions, linguists and cultural theorists help demarcate the patterns of recorded thought.

The Humanities Scholars Program invites a small cohort of students – usually no more than twenty – to work together to investigate the issues that confront contemporary society.  The director helps select candidates in collaboration with the Academic Advisory Center and its Associate Dean during their first year at Carnegie Mellon, and they then start the program during their sophomore year with a series of two academic seminars that draw upon the expertise of humanities faculty and the broader intellectual depth of the campus.  The Humanities Scholars Program sponsors campus-wide programs, often in collaboration with other programs, such as the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the College of Fine Arts, and the Institute for Politics and Strategy.  The Humanities Scholars experience culminates in a student’s senior year with a capstone project.  Students have the ability to use the resources of the program to further their own research, engage with the community, and develop their own areas of expertise.  The program is supported by endowment funding from the university as well as from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations in order to support outstanding undergraduate research in the humanities at the university.

For further information, students should contact the Director, Therese Tardio [email protected]

Mark Patterson, PhD Director Location: Porter Hall 223 B www.cmu.edu/hss/qsss

The Quantitative Social Science Scholars Program (QSSS) offers a unique opportunity in undergraduate education at Carnegie Mellon. In recent years, advances in computing power, increasingly powerful models of human behavior, and the exponential growth of data sets recording human economic and social activity have created exciting new possibilities for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and scholars seeking insight into human social behavior. Firms throughout the economy can now use data analytics to identify new markets, avoid errors, and improve efficiency. Policymakers can use the same techniques to shape the direction and expand the impact of social policies designed to promote the public good. Social scientists can also use these techniques to create a broader and deeper scientific understanding of human behavior that serves as the foundation upon which both entrepreneurs and policymakers can build.

The QSSS program is designed to help outstanding undergraduates impact society through the use of these techniques. It does so by laying out a structured program of training in advanced quantitative techniques that can be broadly applied across a range of social science disciplines and topics. Students combine this methodological training with more traditional coursework in a Dietrich College major of their choice. The program equips students to undertake sophisticated analysis of their own, and features an integrative senior thesis project that applies their methodological training to a research question of their own choosing.  Students may apply for entry to the QSSS program during the spring of the first year.  Applications consist of a student transcript, and statement of interest.

The QSSS program is not a freestanding major or a minor, per se. It is a program designed to be taken in conjunction with a social sciences or humanities major in Dietrich College.  In addition to two seminars completed in the sophomore year, students complete coursework in a concentration area of their choice, selecting specialization in econometrics, statistics and regression, choice modeling, quantitative policy analysis, computational modeling, or psychometrics and measurement.  Concentration areas typically consist of 3-4 courses each.  Finally, in the senior year, students complete a two-semester senior thesis paper working in collaboration with a faculty member of their choice.

The program recruits students with a range of interests across the social sciences to create a cohesive interdisciplinary learning community. Majors that could fit well with this program include (but are not limited to) economics; behavioral economics, policy and organizations; decision science; policy and management; international relations and politics; statistics; statistics and machine learning.

Joseph E. Devine, Director and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Location: Baker Hall 154 www.cmu.edu/dietrich/undergraduate/student-defined-majors.html

For students whose educational goals cannot be as adequately served by the curricula of existing programs, the college provides the opportunity to self-define a major or minor. The procedure for establishing such a major centers on a written proposal, submitted to the college dean's office. This proposal consists of two parts:

Program description and rationale: A description of the components of the proposed program of study; a presentation of the objectives of the program of study, why it represents a coherent and (given available faculty, courses, and other resources) viable course of study, and the reason(s) why these objectives cannot be accomplished within one or more of the college's existing programs.

The curriculum: Presentation of a complete outline of all courses that will comprise the requirements for the major or minor, categorized according to that component of the major program to which each belongs (e.g., mathematics prerequisites; research methods; theoretical perspectives; etc.), and second, a semester-by-semester outline that indicates when each course is to be taken (or, for any already taken, when taken). The minimum requirement for graduation is, as with all majors in the college, 360 units of credit.

Proposals and curricula are evaluated for clarity of focus, coherence and depth in related areas, and viability within the context of the college and university offerings. Proposals should generally be developed no later than the sophomore year, and approved majors begin their program generally no later than the junior year.

As with all other Dietrich College majors, Dietrich College student-defined primary majors must fulfill all of the college's general education requirements.

Student Success & Experiential Learning

Kelli Lammie Maxwell, Associate Dean for Student Success Location: Baker Hall 160

Dietrich College is committed to ensuring students have the programs, opportunities, and resources necessary to reach their personal and academic goals. We view a college education as more than a major or job training, but as an opportunity for a broad-based development of mind and character, and as an opportunity to build a strong foundation for students’ lives and careers. We work to ensure equitable and transparent policies and procedures for students as well as opportunities for students to connect with faculty and staff throughout the College. Through the Academic Advisory Center and major departments, we provide four-year holistic advising that assists students with academic choices, career development, opportunities outside of the classroom, as well as physical and mental well-being; and through Experiential Learning, we also offer a number of Dietrich College-specific and university-wide opportunities and programs to ensure students have access to high-impact experiences outside of the classroom, like internships, community service, undergraduate research, and study abroad.

Andrew Ramey, Director of Advising Location: Baker Hall 160 https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/advisory-center/

The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Advisory Center (AAC) is responsible for advising and monitoring the progress of undeclared Dietrich students prior to and through major declaration. The AAC provides an accessible, welcoming environment where students can seek information and advice, and counsel about planning  semester course schedules, fulfilling the college's general education program requirements, and exploring the various majors and minors available. Advisors help students learn to successfully navigate the Carnegie Mellon environment, become self-motivated and independent learners, and make viable, informed and confident academic and personal decisions.  This kind of relationship is vital to a student’s ability to progress, grow and thrive in a new and demanding educational environment. Additionally, the AAC serves as the office of student records for Dietrich College.  Acting on behalf of the College Council, the Center Director oversees adherence to university and college academic policies and procedures.

Kimberly Piatt, Director of Experiential Learning Location: Baker Hall 160

https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/students/prospective/undergraduate/experiential-learning.html

Experiential Learning occurs when a student participates in an opportunity that allows them to apply what they are learning in the classroom to a real-world context. This may include internships, undergraduate research with a faculty member, community engaged learning, study abroad or work-based learning through structured consulting projects. All Dietrich College students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one high-quality Experiential Learning activity during their time at Carnegie Mellon University. To support these efforts, the college has a variety of resources available which can be found online , by talking to an academic advisor or by connecting with the Director of Experiential Learning.

Funding support for study and travel abroad is available through several sources, many administered by the university, and many others available externally. The Office of International Education is the first place to look for information about funding opportunities for study or travel abroad.

Two programs housed in Dietrich College are part of this portfolio of study/travel abroad funding programs:

The Department of Modern Languages Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship Program offers scholarships to undergraduate students for accredited study abroad programs, limited in some instances to students who are majoring or minoring in a modern language and in other instances to students studying a particular language. Scholarship funds can be applied to tuition, room, board, airfare to the host country and book expenses.

The Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program provides support for both traditional study abroad programs, and for non-study abroad experiences such as service learning opportunities, internships, research, or conference travel.  The program uses a rolling application schedule for its grant funds, and works closely with the University’s Office of International Education in advising students about eligible programs and potential funding sources, completing applications, and preparing for the intended program abroad experience.

www.cmu.edu/dietrich/students/undergraduate/resources/internship-opportunity-grants.html

Dietrich College encourages students to pursue interesting and professionally relevant internship opportunities. Often, however, the very positions that provide students with the most challenging and high-quality work experiences are either unpaid or modestly paid. To help compensate students for taking on work experiences that will be invaluable in helping them define and move toward their career goals, the Dietrich College  Internship Opportunity Grant Program seeks to make it more financially possible for students to take advantage of such worthwhile internship opportunities.

Undergraduates with primary majors in Dietrich College, as well as BHA students, are eligible and encouraged to apply. Current sophomores and juniors receive preference. NOTE:  Graduating seniors are not eligible.

Students are expected to find their own internships. There are many resources available to help in finding internships, including the Career and Professional Development Center's internship database. Preference for grants is given to students who find positions in the public sector or non-profit agencies.

For more information, including application timeline and instructions, see: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/students/undergraduate/resources/internship-opportunity-grants.html

www.cmu.edu/dietrich/students/undergraduate/programs/summer-internship-program.html

The Dietrich College Pittsburgh Summer Internship Program is designed for undergraduates who have not yet had a meaningful internship and are seeking to engage and connect with non-profit organizations and start-ups in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh-area companies and organizations host Dietrich College students for a 10-12 week summer internship, working around 20 hours per week. Students that secure an internship through the program receive a $3,000 stipend provided by the college

Because of the program’s strong local focus, all interns are required to work in the City of Pittsburgh during the summer, not remotely, so as to ensure that they get the most out of this experience. Participants are also required to attend professional development workshops hosted by the program and focused on a variety of topics including communication, professional etiquette, giving/receiving feedback, and networking.

An internship-for-credit is a supervised, professional work experience with clear links to a student's academic program, performed primarily or totally outside of a regular course structure, and for which a student earns academic credit. Students doing an internship for academic credit must be registered through the academic department of the faculty member supervising the internship, and must register for the internship course during the term (including the summer) when the internship work is being performed. There is no additional tuition charge for credit-bearing internships that are taken during the academic year as part of a normal, full-time course load. Students registered for internships during the summer will be billed for tuition at the per-unit rate set by the university.

To receive academic credit, the internship:

• must conform to the criteria for internships-for-credit set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the U.S. Department of Labor
• requires the involvement of a Carnegie Mellon faculty sponsor and an on-site supervisor in the design, oversight and evaluation of the internship;
• must include regular or periodic meetings between the student, the faculty sponsor, and/or the internship site supervisor to monitor progress and offer feedback on student performance;
• requires an end-product for submission to the faculty sponsor. This usually takes the form of a paper, but may also include a presentation, or some other approved form;
• may be taken for a regular letter grade or pass/no credit as per the policy of the department through which the internship course is taken. With department approval, the internship may be counted toward program requirements.
• can vary from 3-18 units in any one semester, and is limited only by the college rule of a maximum of 27 units of internship credit that can be applied to graduation requirements.

Additional policies and practices regarding internships-for-credit vary among the college's academic departments. Departments are not obligated to allow internship credit for its majors, and are free to determine whether an internship may be used to fulfill requirements or serve only as an elective. An internship-for-credit is a graded experience. Each department will determine appropriate criteria for the grade if an internship is approved for credit.

Credits for internships are generally earned according to the following scale:

• 9 units = the equivalent of 1 day (9-12 hours) per week during a full semester
• 18 units = the equivalent of 2 days (12-20 hours) per week during a full semester

A Dietrich College student may not earn more than 18 units of internship credit during a single semester or count more than 27 units of internship credit toward fulfillment of graduation requirements.

In instances when the internship sponsor requires that a student receive academic credit from the home institution, the student should contact the Dietrich College Director of Experiential Learning for information and advice about available options.

Audrey Kurth Cronin, Director, Trustees Professor of Security and Technology [email protected] , Posner Hall 385A

Emily Half, Deputy Director [email protected] ; 412-268-7082, Posner Hall 391

Ashley Barnes, Washington Program Manager [email protected] ; 202-608-8316, 100 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20002

www.cmu.edu/cmist

The Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP), sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Security and Technology (CMIST), is a semester-long program in which students live, intern, and take CMU classes in Washington, DC.  Full-time undergraduates from any course of study at the university may participate in the program. Students earn forty-eight units for the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program, interning about twenty-four hours per week in any sector or field of interest within Washington, DC, while taking classes taught by Carnegie Mellon faculty. 

From embassies to nongovernmental organizations, think tanks to advocacy organizations, government agencies to congressional offices, and consulting firms to media outlets, Washington, DC, is the center for many political, international relations, and public policy activities. Students in the program come into direct contact with political, business, and community leaders and learn about the most pressing policy issues of the day.

Through this experiential learning program, CMU/WSP participants develop professional and networking skills, explore how coursework connects to the real world, learn to give and receive constructive feedback in the workplace and classroom, and intentionally reflect on their learning and growth. Every CMU/WSP student is paired with a Washington, DC-based alumni mentor to share career advice and tips about life in DC. CMIST also sponsors events and policy-oriented opportunities in Washington for students participating in the program to further enrich their experience and enhance their understanding of how Washington functions as a hub of international and policy decision making. 

Students should contact the Washington Program Manager to discuss the specifics of the program and the deputy director to discuss how the CMU/WSP may fit into their curriculum.   Students who participate in the CMU/WSP may qualify for a minor in Politics and Public Policy .

Applications are accepted on a rolling admission basis with a final deadline of October 1, for spring semester participation, and March 1, for fall semester participation. 

Students who are admitted to the CMU/WSP will be enrolled in the 3 unit (pass/no pass) course  84-215 Tomorrow's Professionals  in the mini semester directly preceding their time in DC.

During the semester in Washington, all students enroll in the following core seminars (24 units).

Students must enroll in 24 units from the below list of elective seminars.  Offerings vary by semester.

Academic Standards, Regulations and Protocols

• satisfy all Dietrich College general education requirements,
• satisfy all course requirements in a Dietrich College primary major,
• achieve a cumulative quality point average of at least 2.00 for all courses taken (or, alternatively, for all courses taken after the 1st year),
• earn at least 360 units with a minimum of 180 units taken at Carnegie Mellon University,
• be recommended (certified) for graduation by the faculty of the student's primary major department,
• meet all financial obligations to the university, and
• qualify for graduation within eight years of matriculation as a degree candidate.

The college reserves the right to modify these academic standards, regulations, and protocols.

Dietrich College students who achieve an overall QPA of at least 3.50 will be recommended for graduation with University Honors.

Students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis under the auspices of the Dietrich College Senior Honors Program qualify for graduation with Dietrich College Honors.

Double-counting refers to instances when a course taken to fulfill one requirement counts simultaneously toward a requirement in another major or minor program. While the college encourages study in complementary areas where majors and minors frequently share requirements in common, it also wants to keep clear the meaning and integrity of the labels “major” and “minor.” To preserve the integrity of these definitions, double-counting is permitted in Dietrich College on a very limited basis, and only in those instances when the course(s) in question represent only a small portion of the second program.

The college and its departments have developed program-specific guidelines for this practice that appear throughout the Dietrich College section of this catalog, and particularly in the case of major and minor programs that students frequently pursue in combination.

The following policies govern the practice of Dietrich College undergraduates taking courses elsewhere and requesting that credits for these courses transfer to their Carnegie Mellon University academic record. Courses taken elsewhere will be considered for transfer credit if the institution offering them is fully accredited, and if the courses in question are judged to be acceptable for the purposes proposed by the student.

Dietrich College undergraduates who wish to take courses at another institution and request that credits for these courses transfer to their Carnegie Mellon University record should familiarize themselves with Dietrich's  transfer credit policies  . Students must receive approval before taking any courses at another institution in order to guarantee that they will receive transfer credit upon successful completion of the course(s).

Undergraduate students may a maximum of 180 units and transfer these back for credit toward the Carnegie Mellon degree.

These limits do not apply to courses and credits taken through cross-registration via  the Pittsburgh Consortium for Higher Education (PCHE), and approved study abroad or exchange programs. Exceptions to these restrictions may be made only by way of written petition to the Dietrich College Office of Undergraduate Studies.

In general, approved courses taken elsewhere will transfer as elective credit, unless otherwise approved by the college or relevant academic department.

Courses taken elsewhere must be taken for a regular letter grade (not pass/no credit or pass/fail) in order to be granted transfer credit. As a matter of college policy, Dietrich College students must earn a final grade of at least "C" in order for the credit to transfer. A “C-” grade is not transferable when its equivalency is below a 2.00 on a 4.00 scale, or 70%. In cases when courses proposed for transfer credit are to apply to requirements in a Dietrich major or minor program, the program's department may set a higher minimum final grade in order for credit to transfer. Only units, not grades, transfer for courses taken elsewhere, and thus do not affect a student's Carnegie Mellon QPA. Ungraded or pass/fail courses may receive credit if the transcript key indicates that the mark represents a grade of C or better. Students should consult their academic advisor before taking courses at another institution for which they want to receive transfer credit.

External Transfer Students

For students entering Carnegie Mellon and Dietrich College as external transfers, the same 180-unit limit on transfer credit applies.. A candidate for the bachelor's degree must complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time study, or the equivalent of part-time study, comprising at least 180 units of coursework at Carnegie Mellon. If a degree has already been obtained at another institution, courses that count toward that degree may not be used again as transfer credit toward a Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate degree.

Internal Transfer Students

This policy applies retroactively to students who enter Dietrich College through internal transfer. Courses previously approved for transfer credit may be re-evaluated for consistency with relevant Dietrich College or program policies and standards.

Students on Academic Suspension

Subject to the college's policy limiting transfer course credit, students on academic suspension from Dietrich College will be permitted to receive transfer credit for no more than three non-CMU courses per semester while on suspension. Approval to take these courses for transfer credit is to be obtained in advance.

While on academic suspension, students are considered to be on a mandatory "leave of absence" and are governed by  College and University policies concerning leaves of absence .

Eligibility to overload based on QPA does not automatically allow the student to register for an overload. Rather, students must complete an overload petition, and meet with their primary academic advisor to discuss the proposed overload. If approved, the academic advisor will increase the student's unit maximum for the relevant semester.

The first opportunity to register for a course overload is after registration week for the proposed overload semester. Registration week for the spring semester is usually the third week in November; for the fall semester, it is usually the third week in April. Consult the official university academic calendar for the exact dates.

If as a result of final grades for the current semester a student approved to overload for the next semester falls below the QPA overload eligibility criteria, the academic advisor may withdraw the overload permission. Students thus affected are responsible for resolving this in consultation with their academic advisor.

A maximum of nine units of credit for any combination of Physical Education (69-xxx) and StuCo (98-xxx) courses may be counted as credit toward graduation requirements. Physical Education and StuCo courses are not included when calculating a student's QPA or when calculating units to determine eligibility to carry a course overload.

* StuCo  refers to "student-led courses" — i.e., courses designed by students, and approved to be offered for academic credit.

• must conform to the  criteria for internships-for-credit  set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the U.S. Department of Labor

In instances when the internship sponsor requires that a student receive academic credit from the home institution, the student should contact the Dietrich College Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies for information and advice about available options.

Each semester the college recognizes those students who have attained outstanding semester quality point averages by naming them to the Dietrich College dean’s honor list.

Students who complete at least 45 factorable units and attain a semester QPA from 3.50 through 3.74 are named to the Dean’s List, with Honors; if the semester QPA is 3.75 or higher, students are named to the Dean’s List, with High Honors.

Students who complete at least 36 or up to 44 factorable units and attain a semester QPA of 3.75 or higher are named to the Dean’s List, with Honors.

In addition, it is generally the case that students are not eligible for the dean's list who receive one or more "Incomplete" grades at the time when final semester grades are recorded.

Undergraduate students in other Carnegie Mellon colleges who wish to transfer to Dietrich College apply through the college's Academic Advisory Center , located in Baker Hall 160. If approved, the transfer is into the college first and then into a primary major. Decisions regarding transfer requests will be based on evidence of adequate prior academic performance and on the applicant's prospects for success in the college and intended major.

The earliest point when undergraduates are considered for transfer into Dietrich College is after mid-semester grades are available in the second semester of the first year. Students interested in transferring to Dietrich College should begin the process well before the course registration period for the upcoming semester. Prior to submitting a transfer application, students are encouraged to meet with representatives in the department where they are hoping to pursue a primary major.

Students who fail a required course must repeat and pass it (or take and successfully complete another approved course that fulfills the requirement). If a failed course is a prerequisite to more advanced course work within a particular course sequence, the failed course must in general be repeated before moving on to the higher level course.   Exception:  Dietrich College students who do not successfully complete their first-year seminar will be registered for another first-year seminar where  space is available.

Failed courses that are repeated and passed, or courses that are passed but repeated in order to obtain a higher grade, remain on the student's record and are included in calculating the student's QPA. Students who repeat a course that they have already passed will not be able to apply the second set of units for the course toward graduation requirements.

In order to maintain good academic standing, Dietrich College students must attain at least minimum quality point averages for each semester (as well as cumulatively), and also make and maintain adequate progress toward completing their degree  requirements. Minimum quality point averages for good academic standing are 1.75 in the first year and 2.00 thereafter. “Adequate progress towards graduation” generally means that students are successfully completing 36-52 units per semester so that at the end of eight semesters they will have accumulated the minimum of 360 units required for graduation, have a cumulative QPA of at least 2.00, and fulfilled all college General Education and primary major course requirements.

When a student fails to meet minimum performance criteria, it normally results in an “academic action.” Depending on the circumstances, one of the following actions is taken: academic warning, academic probation, continued probation, suspension, or drop. 

Academic Warning

Academic Warning serves to alert the student that the college is concerned about one or more actions they have taken or have failed to take despite meeting the college's minimum QPA threshold to maintain good standing. A student receives an academic warning when they meet any of the following criteria: repeatedly failing to attain minimum-level passing grades in prerequisite courses; earning a QPA between a 1.75 and a 1.99 in the first year; failing to complete the first-year general education requirements by the end of the student’s fourth semester; failing to complete C@CM by the end of the first semester; falling off pace to graduate in 8 semesters;  failing to make sufficient progress through their declared primary major; or the general education program; having two consecutive semesters failing to complete a minimum of 36 units per semester; receiving multiple Incomplete grades in a semester; receiving Incomplete grades over two consecutive semesters; or taking leaves of absence in each of two consecutive semesters. 

Academic Probation

A student is placed on academic probation when performance fails to meet the minimum standard. The term of academic probation is one semester, and signifies to the student the college's insistence that academic performance return to at least the minimum acceptable level, and concern that a student has failed to do so. A student is removed from academic probation and returned to good academic standing when both the semester and cumulative quality point averages meet at least the stated minimum, and when adequate progress toward completing degree requirements is being made.  A student who has had one semester on probation and is not yet meeting minimum requirements but is making significant progress in this regard may be continued on academic probation.

Academic Suspension

Academic suspension is the usual action taken when a student fails to meet the minimum semester or cumulative requirements for two consecutive semesters. In general, a first-year student will be suspended if the semester and overall QPAs are below 1.75; for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, if these are below 2.00. Failure to maintain adequate progress toward graduation may also be a contributing factor in such decisions.

The minimum period of academic suspension is normally  two semesters (not including summer), during which a student on academic suspension is expected to reflect on the circumstances leading up to the suspension, identify the issues that prevented them from achieving academic success, and take actions that address these issues and demonstrate sufficient readiness to return to the university and successfully resume their studies. These actions could include a work or internship experience, academic course work at another college or university, and/or other supportive services as appropriate.

Midway through the semester before a suspended student is eligible to return to the university, the student will be contacted via email by the Associate Dean for Academic Success or designee with detailed instructions about the process for requesting approval to return and re-enroll.

Once cleared to return from academic suspension, the Enrollment Services office will be notified and the student will be eligible to enroll.  While on academic suspension, students are considered to be on a mandatory “leave of absence,” and are governed by college and university policies concerning such leaves. See subsequent discussions of “Leave of Absence and Withdrawal from the College.” Students returning from academic suspension do so on final academic probation.

Academic Drop

A student is dropped for academic reasons from the college and the university, and is not permitted to re-enroll when a student, already on final academic probation, continues to perform at levels below the minimum set by the college for good academic standing, and shows no indication of being able to reach an acceptable level of performance or maintain steady progress toward completing graduation requirements.

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.

Download Page (PDF)

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Search form

• Publications
• Get Involved
• Planned Giving

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 13, 2024

Angelica Evans, Nicole Wolkov, Kateryna Stepanenko, Davit Gasparyan, and Frederick W. Kagan

August 13, 2024, 9:30pm ET  

Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report.

Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of Ukraine. Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly recommended for using this data-heavy tool.

Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline. ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly.

Note: The data cut-off for this product was 1:30pm ET on August 13. ISW will cover subsequent reports in the August 14 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment. [NOTE: Russian sources are currently shifting much of their reporting to cover the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and as a result are not providing the same level of detail about the situation along the frontline in Ukraine. ]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials provided updates about the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and outlined several Ukrainian objectives of the operations in the area.  Zelensky stated on August 3 that Ukrainian forces "control" 74 localities in Kursk Oblast.[1] It is unclear if Zelensky meant that Ukrainian forces are operating in 74 settlements or if he was referring to another type of geographic administrative units. ISW has observed claims and geolocated footage indicating that Ukrainian forces are operating in or near roughly 41 settlements in Kursk Oblast as of August 13, although there are many extremely small settlements and localities within this area that ISW has not included in this count.  Discrepancies between Ukrainian official reporting and ISW's observed claims and geolocated footage are not a refutation of Ukrainian official reporting but rather are a result of the inherent limitations of ISW's open-source methodology and commitment to using only publicly available information.  ISW does not assess that Ukrainian forces control all of the territory within the maximalist extent of claimed Ukrainian advances according to the definition of "control" that ISW uses. Zelensky also stated that Ukrainian forces continue to advance in Kursk Oblast and grow Ukraine's "exchange fund," likely referring to Russian military personnel taken as prisoners of war (POWs).[2] Zelensky stated that Russian forces had conducted almost 2,100 artillery strikes from Kursk Oblast against Sumy Oblast since June 1, 2024, and that Ukraine's operations into Kursk Oblast are intended to secure Ukraine's borders from the Russian military.[3] Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi stated on August 13 that Ukraine is not interested in seizing territory in Kursk Oblast.[4] Tykhyi stated that Ukraine needs to protect itself from Russian strikes and push Russian forces away from Russian border areas that Russia uses to strike Ukraine. Tykhyi also noted that Ukrainian operations into Kursk Oblast prevent the Russian military from transferring additional military units to Donetsk Oblast and complicate Russian military logistics.

Tykhyi emphasized that Ukraine is not violating international law and is within its rights to defend itself from Russian aggression, and US officials reiterated a similar sentiment on August 12 and 13. US National Security Spokesperson John Kirby and US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stated on August 12 and 13 in response to questions about Russia's reactions to Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast that Russia is conducting a war of aggression against Ukraine and that a quick solution to the Ukrainian incursion into Russia would be for Russian forces to leave Ukraine.[5]

Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces continue to advance in Kursk Oblast amid Russian attempts to stabilize the frontline in the area.  Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces have not completely stabilized the situation in Kursk Oblast despite ongoing efforts to stabilize the frontline and repel Ukrainian attacks.[6] A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced in the fields north of Snagost (south of Korenovo), and geolocated footage published on August 13 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced northeast of Korenovo.[7] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and other Russian sources claimed that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks near Obshchy Kolodez (northeast of Korenevo and 30 kilometers from the international border) and Alekseevsky (northwest of Korenovo and 27km from the international border), and geolocated footage published on August 13 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced northeast of Alekseevsky.[8] Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces continue attacking Koronevo and Tolpino (just north of Koronevo).[9] Russian milbloggers also claimed that Ukrainian forces seized Pogrebki (north of Sudzha and 17km from the international border).[10] A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces attempted to gain a foothold near Bolshoye Soldatskoye (northeast of Sudzha and 27km from the international border).[11] Geolocated footage published on August 12 shows Ukrainian forces operating in eastern Plekhovo (south of Sudzha), and Russian milbloggers claimed that fighting was ongoing in the settlement as of the evening of August 12, although a milblogger later claimed that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian forces from the settlement on August 13.[12] Geolocated footage published on August 12 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced east of Giri (southwest of Sudzha), although ISW cannot confirm a Ukrainian presence in Giri at this time.[13] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian attack in Giri, however.[14] Geolocated footage published on August 12 and 13 showing Ukrainian forces operating well within the maximalist claimed limit of Ukrainian advances indicates that Ukrainian forces continue operating closer to the international border in Kursk Oblast and within Sudzha.[15] Russian milbloggers claimed on August 13 that Russian forces continued to repel Ukrainian attempts to cross the Kolotilovka border checkpoint in Belgorod Oblast (on the international border southeast of Sudzha and northwest of Belgorod City).[16]

The Russian military command may be pulling select elements of Russian irregular units from Donetsk Oblast to address the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.  Russian sources claimed as of August 12 and 13 that elements of the Russian "Pyatnashka" Brigade's "Sarmat" Battalion and the Russian Volunteer Crops recently transferred to Kursk Oblast.[17] ISW has recently observed claims that elements of the "Sarmat" Battalion and other elements of the "Pyatnashka" Brigade and Russian Volunteer Corps are operating in the Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk directions in Donetsk Oblast.[18] Russian milbloggers previously claimed that elements of the "Dikaya Division of Donbas," the "Pyatnashka" Brigade, the "Arbat" Separate Guards Special Purpose Battalion, and the "Night Wolves" drone detachment responded to the incursion and quickly redeployed to Kursk Oblast, and ISW had previously observed these units purportedly operating throughout Donetsk Oblast.[19] Irregular battalions such as the "Sarmat" Battalion are almost never fully staffed to the doctrinal end strength and even when deployed in full are still largely comprised of relatively small units. Some elements of these irregular units likely remain in the Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk directions as these are the Russian military's assessed priority sectors of the frontline in Ukraine and the Kremlin and Russian military command are unlikely to pull entire units actively engaged in combat operations from these priority sectors to address the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast.[20]

The Russian military command could also be redeploying units that were previously intended to relieve or reinforce frontline units from rear areas in Donetsk Oblast to Kursk Oblast, and such a redeployment could affect the tempo of Russian offensive operations in the Russian military's assessed priority sectors over time. ISW would likely not observe confirmation of such re-deployments in the open source and is not prepared to offer assessments about the tempo of Russian operations in those sectors at this time.  A prominent Russian milblogger and former Storm-Z instructor claimed on August 9 that the Russian military command is redeploying operational reserves from the Kharkiv direction and other unspecified directions where Russian forces have achieved "limited successes" in recent months.[21] The Russian military command may have re-deployed unspecified units that were previously intended to relieve or reinforce frontline Russian units from rear areas of the Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, or Pokrovsk directions, which could affect Russia's ability to sustain the tempo of its offensive operations in western Donetsk Oblast in the medium-term. It is unlikely that such redeployments would immediately affect the tempo of Russian offensive operations, however, and recent reports that Russian forces are struggling to make further advances in the Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk directions are not likely indicative of such redeployments.[22] It is not uncommon for Russian offensive operations to stall in one sector before intensifying in another as Russian forces have historically struggled to conduct simultaneous large-scale offensive operations and are prone to conducting offensive operations in "pulses" along different sectors of the front.[23] Russian forces may be entering a brief lull before renewing offensive operations in one of these three sectors, and it would likely take several weeks to observe any possible impacts of such redeployments on Russian operations in Donetsk Oblast. Russian authorities will likely remain extremely averse to pulling Russian military units engaged in combat from the Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, or Pokrovsk directions and will likely continue deploying limited numbers of irregular forces to Kursk Oblast due to concerns about further slowing the tempo of Russian operations in these higher priority directions.

Russian authorities appear to be largely relying on Russian conscripts, and elements of some regular and irregular military units pulled from less critical sectors of the frontline to address the ongoing Ukrainian incursion, however.  Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian Federal Security Service [FSB] border guards, Russian conscripts and reserves, and elements of the Chechen "Akhmat" Spetsnaz responded to the Ukrainian incursion on August 6 and 7, and Chechen "Akhmat" Spetsnaz forces, including elements of the "Aida" Battalion, have continued to engage Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.[24] Elements of the Chechen "Akhmat" Spetsnaz are also reportedly operating throughout the frontline in Ukraine, including in Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts.[25] Elements of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) and two unspecified airborne (VDV) battalions have also reportedly redeployed from the Kherson direction to Kursk Oblast, and ISW has also observed recent claims that elements of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade were recently operating near Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast.[26] The Russian MoD confirmed on August 13 that artillery elements of the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces were redeployed from northern Kharkiv Oblast to Kursk Oblast following previous Russian and Ukrainian reporting about such redeployments.[27]

Two Ukrainian military observers recently stated that elements of the Russian 38th and 64th motorized rifle brigades (both of the 35th Combined Arms Army [CAA], Eastern Military District [EMD]) recently re-deployed to Kursk Oblast, and unspecified elements of the 38th and 64th motorized rifle brigade were recently reportedly operating near Hulyaipole (western Zaporizhia Oblast).[28] The Ukrainian military observers also stated that elements of the Russian 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (47th Tank Division, 1st Guards Tank Army [GTA], Moscow Military District [MMD]) and elements of the 488th Motorized Rifle Regiment (144th Motorized Rifle Division, 20th CAA, MMD) recently redeployed from the Kupyansk direction to Kursk Oblast, which is consistent with recent claims about these units' locations.[29] Russian conscripts, including conscripts of the Russian 488th Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 1428th Motorized Rifle Regiment (150th Motorized Rifle Division, 8th CAA, Southern Military District [SMD]), have also reportedly engaged Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.[30] ISW cannot independently verify any of these reports. Redeployments of conscripts, elements of the Northern Grouping of Forces, and select units from less critical frontline areas in Ukraine would suggest that the Russian military command has determined that possible disruptions to the offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast and other less-critical frontline areas are an acceptable risk to adequately respond to the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly appointed Russian Presidential Aide Alexei Dyumin to supervise Russia’s “counterterrorism operation” in Kursk Oblast on August 12.[31]  Russian State Duma Deputy from Kursk Oblast Nikolai Ivanov claimed that his unnamed sources confirmed that Putin entrusted Dyumin with overseeing the counterterrorist operation in Kursk Oblast after inviting him for an evening meeting on August 12.[32] Dyumin was the only non-cabinet member not connected with the military or security services who was present at Putin‘s meeting with Russian military, security, and federal and regional government officials about the situation in Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts on August 12.[33] Kremlin-affiliated milbloggers and Russian insider sources similarly claimed that Dyumin assumed full powers to address the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast, but the Kremlin did not publish an official confirmation of Dyumin’s assignment.[34] One insider source claimed that Putin directed Dyumin to coordinate all agencies involved in repelling Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.[35]One Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that he had seen a state media report announcing that Dyumin became the commander of the Russian Sever (northern) direction in Ukraine, but later claimed that he received information to the contrary.[36] Dyumin is a trusted official within Putin’s close circle who is Putin’s former bodyguard and former Tula Oblast governor and reportedly played a decisive role in negotiations to end the Wagner Group armed rebellion in June 2023.[37] Dyumin’s appointment is not inherently noteworthy as it is likely part of Putin’s efforts to ensure that his agencies are actively working in a coordinated fashion and under the direct control of his presidential administration to address the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and that he remains apprised of the situation.

Dyumin’s alleged appointment sparked widespread speculation among Russian milbloggers and political commentators about Putin’s disappointment in Russian security agencies and speculations about an upcoming military-political reshuffling. Several Kremlin-affiliated milbloggers claimed that Dyumin’s appointment was a sign that “Putin’s team” was taking full control over the situation in Kursk Oblast after Russian security forces failed to resolve the situation without Moscow’s direct intervention over the past week.[38] Several milbloggers also suggested that Dyumin’s appointment means that Putin seeks to find out why and how he was deceived about the real situation in Kursk Oblast, and many speculated that Dyumin’s report will determine the fate of several high-ranking Russian officials and commanders.[39] Some milblogggers and political commentators continued to speculate that Dyumin is preparing to become the next defense minister.[40] This speculation is not new, however, given that some Russian milbloggers have long advocated for Dyumin’s to become defense minister.[41]

Russian officials continue to undermine a long-standing Kremlin information operation that falsely portrays Ukraine as unwilling to engage in legitimate, good-faith negotiations and places the onus for peace negotiations on Ukraine.  Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Dmitry Polyansky claimed on August 13 that Ukrainian authorities chose "escalation" and further military operations when Ukraine began its incursion into Kursk Oblast.[42] Polyansky claimed that Ukraine deserves nothing but "total defeat and unconditional capitulation" in response to its incursion. ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin is only interested in a negotiated settlement that results in complete Ukrainian capitulation and that any Russian statements to the contrary are intended to delude the West into making pre-emptive concessions on Ukraine's sovereignty and territory integrity.[43]

Russian authorities fined Telegram and WhatsApp four million rubles ($44,000) each for failing to remove "prohibited" content on August 13.[44]  Moscow’s Tagansky District Court fined Telegram four million rubles in November 2023 for failing to remove false information about the Russian Armed Forces and information aimed at destabilizing Russia.[45]   ISW has previously observed reports that the Russian government is considering stricter measures to directly censor critical voices on Russian social media as part of its efforts to cement control over the Russian information space. This includes requiring applications such as Telegram to develop new rules for user verification and content moderation.[46]

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials provided updates about the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and outlined several Ukrainian objectives of the operations in the area.
• Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces continue to advance in Kursk Oblast amid Russian attempts to stabilize the frontline in the area.
• The Russian military command may be pulling select elements of Russian irregular units from Donetsk Oblast to address the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.
• Russian authorities appear to be largely relying on Russian conscripts, and elements of some regular and irregular military units pulled from less critical sectors of the frontline to address the ongoing Ukrainian incursion, however.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly appointed Russian Presidential Aid Aide Alexei Dyumin to supervise Russia’s “counterterrorism operation” in Kursk Oblast on August 12
• Russian officials continue to undermine a long-standing Kremlin information operation that falsely portrays Ukraine as unwilling to engage in legitimate, good-faith negotiations and places the onus for peace negotiations on Ukraine.
• Russian authorities fined Telegram and WhatsApp four million rubles ($44,000) each for failing to remove "prohibited" content on August 13.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar and southwest of Donetsk City, and Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Siversk direction and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) continues to use the Army-2024 International Military-Technical Forum in Moscow to expand its international defense ties.

We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting. We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas. We utterly condemn Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports.

• Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine (comprised of three subordinate main efforts)
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and encircle northern Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #3 – Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis
• Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign
• Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts
• Russian Technological Adaptations
• Activities in Russian-occupied areas
• Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Efforts

Russian Information Operations and Narratives

• Significant Activity in Belarus

Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Kharkiv Oblast   ( Russian objective: Push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City)

Russian forces continued offensive operations north and northeast of Kharkiv City on August 12 and August 13 but did not advance. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that battles continued north of Kharkiv City near Hlyboke and Lyptsi and northeast of Kharkiv City near Tykhe and Vovchansk on August 12 and 13.[47] The Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces reported that Russian forces are committing elements of the 11th Tank Regiment (18th Motorized Rifle Division, 11th Army Corps [AC], Leningrad Military District [LMD]) to the Hlyboke area to replenish manpower losses.[48] The Kharkiv Group of Forces added that Russian forces replaced combat guards at Russian positions near Starytsya (west of Vovchansk) and carried out evacuations of personnel. The Kharkiv Group of Forces observed Russian forces setting up new evacuation points for elements of the Russian 138th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (6th Combined Arms Army [CAA], LMD) in Vovchank and noted that Russian forces continued assaults in the high-rise buildings area in Vovchansk.

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Luhansk Oblast  (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast)

Fighting continued along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on August 13, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline. A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces advanced near Tabaivka (southeast of Kupyansk), but ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim.[49] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted attacks northeast of Kupyansk near Synkivka and Petropavlivka; southeast of Kupyansk near Andriivka, Kruhlyakivka, Stelmakhivka, Berestove, Tabaivka, Hlushivka, and Novoosynove; northwest of Kreminna near Makiivka, Druzhelyubivka, Novoyehorivka, Nevske, Novosadove, and Terny; west of Kreminna near Torske; and south of Kreminna in the Serebryanske forest area on August 12 and 13.[50]

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #3 – Donetsk Oblast  (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)

Ukrainian forces recently regained positions southeast of Siversk amid continued Russian assaults in the Siversk direction on August 13. Geolocated footage published on August 9 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced west of Spirne (southeast of Siversk).[51] Russian forces continued offensive operations northeast of Siversk near Bilohorivka; east of Siversk near Verkhnokamyanske; and southeast of Siversk near Spirne on August 12 and 13.[52] Elements of the Russian 106th Guards Airborne (VDV) Division reportedly continue operating in the south of Siversk, in the Soledar direction.[53]

Russian forces recently made advances in the Chasiv Yar direction amid continued offensive operations on August 13. Geolocated footage published on August 12 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced near Klishchiivka (southeast of Chasiv Yar).[54] Fighting continued near Chasiv Yar, near Bohdanivka (northeast of Chasiv Yar) and Bila Hora (southwest of Chasiv Yar) on August 12 and 13.[55] Elements of the Russian 98th VDV Division reportedly continue operating in the Chasiv Yar direction.[56]

Russian forces continued offensive operations near Toretsk on August 11, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline on August 13. Russian milbloggers claimed on August 12 and 13 that Russian forces advanced south of Zalizne (southeast of Toretsk), in Niu York (south of Toretsk), within Pivnichne (southeast of Toretsk); and southwest of Toretsk near Panteleymonivka.[57] Fighting continued near Toretsk, Zalizne, and near Niu York on August 12 and 13.[58] Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets stated that elements of the 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade (41st Combined Arms Army [CAA], Central Military District [CMD]) are operating near Pivnichne; elements of the Russian 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade (1st Donetsk People’s Republic Army Corps [DNR AC]) and 35th Motorized Rifle Brigade (41st CAA, CMD) are operating in the direction of Niu York; and elements of the 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade are also operating near Sukha Balka (southwest of Toretsk). [59]

Russian forces recently advanced east of Pokrovsk amid continued ground attacks on August 13. Mashovets and a Russian milblogger stated that Russian forces advanced in Ivanivka (east of Pokrovsk) on August 13, indicating that Russian forces likely seized the settlement.[60] Russian milboggers claimed on August 13 that Russian forces advanced near Hrodivka (northeast of Pokrovsk), Serhiivka (southeast of Pokrovsk), Zhelanne (southeast of Pokrovsk), and Svyrydonivka (east of Pokrovsk).[61] Russian forces continued offensive operations near Malynivka (northeast of Pokrovsk); near Vozdvyzhenka, Zelene Pole, Novooleksandrivka, Kalynove, Yelyzavetivka, and Hrodivka (all east of Pokrovsk); and near Novozhelanne, Skuchne, Ptyche, and Zhelanne (all southeast of Pokrovsk) on August 12 and 13.[62] Elements of the Russian 30th and 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade (2nd CAA, CMD) are operating near Ivanivka (east of Pokrovsk); elements of the Russian 27th Motorized Rifle Division (2nd CAA, CMD) and elements of the Russian 144th Motorized Rifle Brigade (40th Army Corps, 18th CAA, SMD) are operating near Novohrodivka (southeast of Pokrovsk)[63]

Russian forces recently advanced southwest of Donetsk City. Geolocated footage published on August 12 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in eastern Kostyantynivka (southwest of Donetsk City).[64] Additional geolocated footage published on August 13 shows Ukrainian forces repelling a platoon-sized Russian mechanized assault south of Kostyantynivka.[65] A Russian milblogger claimed that fierce fighting is ongoing south of Vodyane (southwest of Donetsk City) near an unspecified section of the T-0524 Kostyantynivka-Vuhledar highway.[66] Russian forces conducted offensive operations near Kalynove (northeast of Donetsk City); near Krasnohorivka and Heorhiivka (both west of Donetsk City); and near Pobieda, Kostyantynivka, Paraskoviivka, and Vodyane (all southwest of Donetsk City) on August 12 and 13.[67] Drone operators of the Russian "Kaira" Detachment (39th Motorized Rifle Brigade, 68th AC, Eastern Military District [EMD]) are reportedly operating near Kostyantynivka.[68]

Russia forces continued ground attacks in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, including near Vuhledar (southeast of Velyka Novosilka), on August 12 and 13.[69]

Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis  (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes)

Ukrainian forces recently made marginal advances in western Zaporizhia Oblast amid continued fighting on August 13. Geolocated footage published on August 11 indicates that Ukrainian forces marginally advanced northwest of Verbove (east of Robotyne).[70] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that fighting continued near Novoandriivka (north of Robotyne) on August 12 and 13.[71] Elements of the Russian 247th Airborne (VDV) Regiment's (7th VDV Division) 3rd Battalion are reportedly operating in the Orikhiv direction.[72]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on August 13 that it cannot confirm the cause of the August 11 fire at the Enerhodar and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).[73] Russian Acting Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Roman Ustinov stated on August 13 that Russia is unsatisfied with the IAEA’s inability to provide a concrete assessment on the ZNPP fire and that he hopes that the IAEA will condemn Ukraine for allegedly causing the fire.[74] Russian sources claimed on August 11 and 12 that Ukrainian forces conducted a drone strike against the ZNPP's cooling system and caused a fire at the plant on August 11.[75]

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks in the east (left) bank Kherson Oblast on August 12 and 13.[76]

Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign  (Russian Objective: Target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure in the rear and on the frontline)

Russian forces launched a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on August 12 to 13. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 type from Voronezh Oblast and 38 Shahed-136/131 drones from Kursk Oblast and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai.[77] Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 30 Shahed drones over Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy oblasts. Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command specified that Ukrainian forces shot down 15 Shahed drones over southern Ukraine.[78] The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian forces launched an unspecified ”air missile strike” against infrastructure facilities in Sumy City on August 13.[79] The Russian MoD amplified footage purportedly showing the aftermath of the Russian Iskander missile strike against Myrhorod Air Base in Poltava Oblast, but ISW cannot independently verify the authenticity of this footage.[80] Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office clarified those Russian forces used either a KN-23 or KN-24 missile (also known as Hwasong-11) in a missile strike on Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Oblast on August 12.[81]

Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts  (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization)

The Russian MoD continues to use the Army-2024 International Military-Technical Forum in Moscow to expand its international defense ties. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov met with representatives from Vietnam, Laos, Mali, Myanmar, and the Central African Republic (CAR) at the forum on August 13 and signed a military cooperation agreement with Laos.[82] The Russian MoD claimed on August 12 that Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport will sign international agreements with international companies present at the forum.[83] Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev announced on the sidelines of the “Army-2024” forum that Russia is revoking licenses from foreign repair companies to repair Soviet military equipment.[84] Shugaev stated that this measure would help Russia counter the international transfer of Soviet equipment to Ukraine. A prominent Kremlin-affiliated Russian milblogger claimed that Russian defense industrial base (DIB) enterprises are working exclusively to fulfil the Russian government's defense order to equip the Russian military in Ukraine and that output from increasing DIB production volumes will still go to the Russian military instead of foreign exports. The milblogger claimed that the Russian defense industry's opportunities for earning money through foreign contracts are limited to maintaining and modernizing previously sold Russian and Soviet military equipment.[85]

The Russian government continues to propose new initiatives aimed at incentivizing volunteer recruitment among Russians facing criminal charges. The Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reported on August 13 that the Russian Supreme Court prepared a bill that will allow Russian officials to release individuals from criminal liability during a trial in the event that these individuals are called up for military service during mobilization or voluntarily sign contracts for military service in the Russian Armed Forces.[86] The Russian Supreme Court is considering extending a similar legal mechanism to convicts who were sentenced but did not have their sentences enter into the legal force – including at the appeal stage.

Russian federal subjects are reportedly struggling to meet recruitment rates to raise the necessary manpower to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.  Bloomberg  reported on August 13 that, according to three sources close to the Kremlin and Russian MoD, the Russian military is unable to maintain an even personnel replacement rate since Russian losses are at their highest since the start of the full-scale invasion.[87] An individual familiar with the matter told  Bloomberg  that Russian regional officials are, on average, unable to fill over a third of their recruitment quotas. Russian opposition outlet  Verstka , citing a source in the Moscow Mayor’s Office, reported that Moscow recruited over 26,000 volunteers in 2024.[88] The source revealed that around 90 percent of volunteers who had signed contracts for military service in Ukraine with the Russian MoD have financial problems and that most recruits do not volunteer to fight out of ideological reasons. The source added that most of the recruits in Moscow are residents of other Russian regions and that Moscow and Moscow Oblast residents only make up 20 percent of all recruits. The source observed that 10 percent of new recruits are foreigners, mostly from Central Asian countries. The source noted that interest in voluntary military service decreased from over 3,000 recruits in Moscow in August 2023 to barely 1,000 interested recruits in June 2024.[89] Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed on August 13 that 43,000 Muscovites are currently fighting in Ukraine and that another 23,000 Muscovites will deploy to Ukraine as volunteers by the end of 2024.[90] Sobyanin claimed that tens of thousands of Muscovites have signed military service contracts with the Russian MoD or otherwise volunteered to fight in Ukraine and that Moscow Oblast has one of the largest groups of servicemembers fighting in Ukraine. Sobyanin claimed in July 2023 that 10,000 Muscovites were signed up for contract service with the Russian MoD and that another 20,000 were already fighting in Ukraine.[91]

Russian independent outlet  Mozhem Obyasnit  (We Can Explain), citing data published by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), reported on August 13 that the number of bribery cases in Russia has increased 1.5 times since 2021 due to increases in corruption cases in the army and the Russian defense industrial base (DIB).[92]  Mozhem Obyasnit  compared registered bribery crimes data between January through June 2021, 2023, and 2024, and concluded that there were 55 percent more cases of someone accepting a bribe in the first half of 2024 than in 2021.  Mozhem Obyasnit  reported that there was a 51 percent increase in cases of individuals giving bribes over the same period.  Mozhem Obyasnit  cited a report by Transparency International – Russia, which concluded that corruption in the Russian defense sector is several times higher than in other fields.[93]  Mozhem Obyasnit  noted that corruption in the military and the DIB throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine are likely driving up corruption statistics in Russia. A Russian lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told  Mozhem Obyasnit  observed that these corruption cases may be explained by the ongoing Russian efforts to hold accountable corrupt officials, including recent arrests of senior Russian MoD officials.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on August 13 that it detained an unnamed Southern Military District (SMD) employee on suspicion of treason and transferring information to the Ukrainian military and published footage of her arrest.[94]

Russian Technological Adaptations  (Russian objective: Introduce technological innovations to optimize systems for use in Ukraine)

A representative of the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (part of the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec’s High-Precision Complexes holding) announced during the “Army-2024” forum on August 13 that the bureau developed the “Kh-BPLA” (Kh-UAV) missile that can be launched from drones to destroy light armored vehicles.[95] The representative claimed that the missile has a range of four to eight kilometers and that the warhead weighs six kilograms. The representative clarified that Russian forces could aim the missile with a laser and illuminate the target using a mechanism that is similar to the Krasnopol semi-automatic laser guided artillery weapon system.

Ukrainian Defense Industrial Efforts  (Ukrainian objective: Develop its defense industrial base to become more self-sufficient in cooperation with US, European, and international partners)

ISW is not publishing coverage of Ukrainian defense industrial efforts today.

Activities in Russian-occupied areas  (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems)

ISW is not publishing coverage of activities in Russian-occupied areas today.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) continued amplifying an information operation aimed at undermining the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.[96] The SVR absurdly claimed on August 13 that “US elites” are scheming to replace Zelensky with a “more manageable” official and that former Ukrainian Minister of Interior Affairs Arsen Avakov is a suitable replacement for Zelensky. The SVR claimed that Zelensky’s replacement would allow the West to begin preparations for “peace” negotiations with Russia, despite the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on August 12 that Russia is not interested in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.[97] The SVR’s claims are in line with the Kremlin’s ongoing ”Maidan 3” information operation which seeks to portray the Ukrainian government as illegitimate.[98]

Significant activity in Belarus  (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus)

Head of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense's (MoD) Main Directorate for Ideological Work, Major General Leonid Kasinsky, and Head of the Iranian General Staff's Mass Media Department, Colonel Mojtaba Abdolmaleki, met on August 13 to discuss Belarusian-Iranian media cooperation.[99]

Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source, uses only publicly available information, and draws extensively on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports. References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update.

[1] https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1823389309333819546 ; https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1823389316980121687

[2] https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1823389309333819546 ; https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1823389316980121687

[3] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/12/operacziya-na-kurshhyni-maye-zahystyty-sumshhynu-vid-obstriliv-rosijskoyi-armiyi-prezydent/; https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/11349

[4] https://suspilne dot media/812559-mzs-ukraina-ne-zacikavlena-tomu-sob-zabrati-teritoriu-kurskoi-oblasti/

[5] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/08/12/on-the-record-press-gaggle-by-white-house-national-security-communications-advisor-john-kirby-21/ ; https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-august-12-2024/#post-578484-RUSSIAUKRAINE

[6] https://t.me/dva_majors/49638 ; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/13841

[7] https://t.me/motopatriot/26148 ; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6371; https://t.me/BOBRMORF/765

[8] https://x.com/seanders_geo/status/1823347347599798618; https://x.com/99Dominik_/status/1823354677099888792 ; https://t.me/warriorofnorth/2055 ; https://t.me/mod_russia/42102

[9] https://t.me/wargonzo/21539 ; https://t.me/rybar/62724

[10] https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/178992; https://t.me/dva_majors/49604

[11] https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/178992 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49604

[12] https://x.com/Bielitzling/status/1823128393275035697; https://t.me/zogrussia1/686 ; https://t.me/rybar/62724 ; https://t.me/rybar/62742 ; https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/178992 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49604

[13] https://t.me/zogrussia1/686; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6369; https://x.com/GermanObserver1/status/1823196872896368642; https://x.com/GermanObserver1/status/1823196875895279737; https://x.com/GermanObserver1/status/1823196879523570140; https://x.com/GermanObserver1/status/1823196884497842350; https://x.com/GermanObserver1/status/1823196888444669996

[14] https://t.me/rybar/62723 ; https://t.me/rybar/62724 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49638 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74642

[15] (Sudzha City) https://x.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1823283851344351561; https://x.com/Grimm_Intel/status/1823234527738654879; https://x.com/PStyle0ne1/status/1823228500918043052; https://t.me/exilenova_plus/1591

(Zaoloshenka) https://x.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1823305812418158690; https://www.tiktok.com/@ua_sever_ua/video/7402470554822774022

(Novoivanovka) https://x.com/DrazaM33/status/1823078882280628247; https://x.com/franfran2424/status/1823335867273842732; https://t.me/control_sigma/33030

(Sverdlikovo) https://x.com/TOGAjano21/status/1823420107810377894; https://x.com/99Dominik_/status/1823426220870021315 ; https://x.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1823404254083592413; https://x.com/Grimm_Intel/status/1823324576811487368; https://x.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1823324377502433449; https://www.tiktok.com/@momento_mori137/video/7402431452983364870

[16] https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11164 ; https://t.me/rusich_army/16483 ; https://t.me/vchkogpu/49894

[17] https://t.me/sarmat_pyatnashka/190 ; https://www.kp dot ru/daily/27620/4971345/ ; https://t.me/sashakots/48369 ; https://t.me/sashakots/48354

[18] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-25-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-21-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-2-2024 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-23-2024 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-11-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-9-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-25-2024 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-2-2024 ;

[19] https://isw.pub/UkrWar080824 ; https://t.me/sarmat_pyatnashka/189 ; https://t.me/sarmat_pyatnashka/185 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-25-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-30-2024

[20] https://isw.pub/UkrWar081024

[21] https://t.me/philologist_zov/1198

[22] https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2118 ; https://t.me/rusich_army/16476

[23] https://isw.pub/UkrWar073024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar051824 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar051724 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar042724

[24] https://isw.pub/UkrWar080624 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar08072024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar080824 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49648

[25] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-4-2024 ; https://www.iswresearch.org/2024/06/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment_7.html ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-21-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-11-2024 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-22-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-14-2024

[26] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-22-2024 ; https://x.com/OSINTua/status/1803094339687514293 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74655 ; https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/13/rosijski-poloneni-z-kurshhyny-duzhe-prosyat-obminyaty-yih-na-azovcziv/ ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49641 ; https://t.me/osetin20/9015 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-10-2024

[27] https://t.me/mod_russia/42120 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar080924 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar081024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar081124

[28] https://isw.pub/UkrWar081124 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar081024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-15-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-10-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-25-2024 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-3-2024

[29] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-19-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-2-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-30-2024

[30] https://isw.pub/UkrWar081024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar080924

[31] https://rtvi dot com/news/v-gosdume-podtverdili-naznachenie-dyumina-kuratorom-kto-v-kurskoj-oblasti/; https://www.themoscowtimes dot com/2024/08/13/putin-appoints-ex-bodyguard-dyumin-to-oversee-defense-of-kursk-region-lawmaker-says-a86008; https://t.me/wargonzo/21539; https://t.me/rybar/62729 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49654 ; https://t.me/istories_media/7255 ; https://t.me/milinfolive/128298; https://t.me/arbat/1861 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49659; https://t.me/dva_majors/49628; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11162 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49670; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/13833 ; https://x.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1823194667178942603; https://t.me/wargonzo/21538; https://t.me/wargonzo/21542; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2121 ; https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02DiaK7JPed4cSZzWcAVqBZMMjxCkEEDxnqN2WsRhTBp6S3j6WA7asweqZZyjFk1mGl; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11154; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11160; https://t.me/Alekhin_Telega/11216

[32] https://rtvi dot com/news/v-gosdume-podtverdili-naznachenie-dyumina-kuratorom-kto-v-kurskoj-oblasti/

[33] http://en.kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74856; https://www.themoscowtimes dot com/2024/08/13/putin-appoints-ex-bodyguard-dyumin-to-oversee-defense-of-kursk-region-lawmaker-says-a86008

[34] https://www.themoscowtimes dot com/2024/08/13/putin-appoints-ex-bodyguard-dyumin-to-oversee-defense-of-kursk-region-lawmaker-says-a86008; https://t.me/wargonzo/21539; https://t.me/rybar/62729 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49654 ; https://t.me/istories_media/7255 ; https://t.me/milinfolive/128298; https://t.me/arbat/1861 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49659; https://t.me/dva_majors/49628; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11162 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49670; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/13833 ; https://x.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1823194667178942603; https://t.me/wargonzo/21538; https://t.me/wargonzo/21542; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2121 ; https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02DiaK7JPed4cSZzWcAVqBZMMjxCkEEDxnqN2WsRhTBp6S3j6WA7asweqZZyjFk1mGl; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11154; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11160; https://t.me/Alekhin_Telega/11216

[35] https://www.themoscowtimes dot com/2024/08/13/putin-appoints-ex-bodyguard-dyumin-to-oversee-defense-of-kursk-region-lawmaker-says-a86008; https://t.me/satirkka/3901

[36] https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11154 ; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11160; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11162

[37] https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2023/07/is-prigozhins-mutiny-the-nail-in-the-coffin-for-putins-golden-boy-dyumin?lang=en; https://www.russiamatters.org/analysis/world-according-dyumin-putins-former-bodyguard-and-his-potential-successor; https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kremlin-dyumin-promotion/32970315.html; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-2-2024

[38] https://t.me/rybar/62729 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49654 ; https://t.me/istories_media/7255 ; https://t.me/milinfolive/128298; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11154; https://t.me/vizioner_rf/8972

[39] https://t.me/arbat/1861 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49659; https://t.me/wargonzo/21542; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/11154; https://t.me/Alekhin_Telega/11216; https://t.me/vizioner_rf/8972

[40] https://t.me/vizioner_rf/8972; https://t.me/madam_secretar/40288

[41] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-25-2023; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-21-2023; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-12-2024

[42] https://tass dot ru/politika/21596155 ; https://www.kp dot ru/online/news/5944445/ ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266106 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266109 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266114

[43] https://isw.pub/UkrWar072524 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar072424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar071924

[44] https://t.me/tass_agency/266032 ; https://t.me/moscowcourts/4290 ; https://www.vedomosti dot ru/media/news/2024/08/13/1055447-sud-oshtrafoval ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266058

[45] https://t.me/moscowcourts/1912 ; https://www.vedomosti dot ru/society/news/2023/12/05/1009435-telegram-oshtrafovali-4-mln-rub ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-5-2023

[46] https://isw.pub/UkrWar071924 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar071224 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar032924

[47] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l;

[48] https://t.me/otukharkiv/726

[49] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/13829

[50]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[51] https://t.me/gorb_squad/177; https://x.com/Bielitzling/status/1823140534967284063

[52]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[53] https://t.me/mod_russia/42080

[54] https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6374; https://t.me/ptashkaDoDo/569

[55]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[56] https://t.me/ves_rf/4360; https://t.me/rusich_army/16477

[57] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74628 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/133476

[58]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677

[59]https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2117; https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02xt7DxVaJQeJEy3saqmjNv8SXJz5ot56aEim2TkPiJNnjrk1FmnjCMaZ9EGwPiZM5l

[60] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2117

[61] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/133454; https://t. Me/voenkorKotenok/58193 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27612; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74677

[62]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[63] https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/2117; https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02xt7DxVaJQeJEy3saqmjNv8SXJz5ot56aEim2TkPiJNnjrk1FmnjCMaZ9EGwPiZM5l

[64] https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6368; https://t.me/odshbr79/286

[65] https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1823336609405718929; https://x.com/Spider18Actual/status/1823349185917378695; https://x.com/Spider18Actual/status/1823352576881860672

[66] https://t.me/rybar/62739

[67]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[68] https://t.me/voin_dv/10248

[69]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[70] https://x.com/moklasen/status/1823102080774488112; https://t.me/ZA_FROHT/32030

[71]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl

[72] https://x.com/moklasen/status/1823102080774488112; https://t.me/ZA_FROHT/32030

[73] https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-243-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine

[74] https://t.me/MID_Russia/44107

[75] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-12-2024

[76]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid01TcpX9xzNRPBv3WaazuB17cpvTymtMJSSFy85CLgKsvQeLJmpCyguf9nMyMsDyWEl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0S9N2XNBT8do7GXZR6xtkGDTVexBeFTSBFPfVr6AxNNmBAycexuhvFtqc3eAcjUopl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02HatjPacjVeNDYQk2MtdTiBvqv3DyArqqZGxKma6dVzZ7c8QQW3fXK9wkeUCid5u5l

[77] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0F2hJPnLj8MuaTKSLpELF9hPB3xqUuLDKgkk8947GwKrc4FVEikFb1FnY77VVA6oRl ; https://t.me/ComAFUA/381 ; https://t.me/astrapress/61846

[78] https://t.me/SJTF_Odes/10914

[79] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/13/rosiya-nanesla-raketno-aviaczijnyj-udar-po-sumah-poshkodzheno-infrastrukturu/; https://t.me/Sumy_news_ODA/28912

[80] https://t.me/mod_russia/42101 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/49667 ; https://t.me/epoddubny/20706

[81] https://t.me/prokuratura_kharkiv/18051 ; https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/13/rosiya-atakuvala-bogoduhiv-raketoyu-kndr-iz-semy-postrazhdalyh-chetvero-dity/

[82] https://t.me/tass_agency/266125 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266126 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266128

[83] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-12-2024

[84] https://www.gazeta dot ru/army/news/2024/08/13/23675845.shtml?updated

[85] https://t.me/rybar/62733

[86] https://www.rapsinews dot ru/legislation_news/20240813/310164095.html; https://t.me/severrealii/26659 ; https://t.me/istories_media/7254 ; https://t.me/sotaproject/85143 ; https://t.me/astrapress/61852

[87] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-13/ukraine-kursk-incursion-exposes-russia-troop-shortage

[88] https://t.me/svobodnieslova/5442

[89] https://t.me/svobodnieslova/5439

[90] https://www.gazeta dot ru/politics/2024/08/13/19564957.shtml ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/74692 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266110

[91] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-26-2023

[92] https://t.me/mozhemobyasnit/18636

[93] https://t.me/mozhemobyasnit/18636; https://ti-russia dot org/blog/war_and_corruption/

[94] https://t.me/tass_agency/266022 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266036 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266026

[95] https://tass dot ru/armiya-i-opk/21589581

[96] https://t.me/tass_agency/266003 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266005 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/266006

[97] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-12-2024

[98] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-2-2024

[99] https://t.me/modmilby/41039