Graduate Studies

Application Deadlines
Term of Admission Deadline
Fall Term (September) January 5 (Financial aid consideration), May 1 (General admission)
Winter Term (January) October 1

Applications and Admissions

Prospective students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in the Mechanical Engineering Department must complete a Rackham Graduate School online application. To view a list of additional application materials required, please see the How to Apply link below. The statement of purpose, personal statement, recommendation letters, and curriculum vitae can be submitted online. Please see the FAQ link below for questions regarding preparation of these additional materials.

Your application materials will undergo a comprehensive review by the ME Gradute Admissions Committee, a faculty group that decides who is admissable to the ME Program. After this recommendation, the University of Michigan's Horace H. Rackham Graduate School verifies your credentials as they relate to compliance with University policies and contacts you with their final admission decision. For detailed information on Rackham admissions criteria and application procedures, click here.

The ME Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to analyzing your application. Admission decisions are based on the quality of a combination of factors, including academic degrees and records, the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and research and relevant work experience. Also considered is the match between your research goals and those of the ME faculty. You are encouraged to contact ME faculty to discuss research opportunites. In addition, consideration may be given to how the applicant's background and life experience would contribute significantly to an educationally beneficial mix of students in the department.

Master Program
The Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree requires applicant's to have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field and typically have a grade point average >3.4 and GRE scores > 80th percentile. If a bachelor's degree is in progress, the applicant will be asked to forward a final transcript once the degree is complete. For additional information regarding the program degree options and requirements, click here. We also encourage applications from students with undergraduate education in a related scientific subject and from industry engineers seeking further educational training. At this point, departmental fellowships are not offered to MSE applicants.

Doctoral Program
The Ph.D. degree is the highest degree awarded in Mechanical Engineering, and is primarily recommended for students who are interested in a career in teaching and/or research. There are two options for entering the Doctoral program: (1) students entering with a MSE degree may apply to the PhD Program (2) students entering with a Bachelor's Degree may apply to the Direct PhD Program (these students earn their Master's degree while completing a doctoral degree.). Admission to the doctoral program is much more competitive than admission to the MSE program. A student admissible to the MSE program may not necessarily be admissible to the Ph.D. program. All Doctoral program applicants are considered for departmental fellowships and every effort is made to admit only those applicants in whom the faculty members show interest and willingness to commit financial support. Click here to view the financial aid options. Additional information is located on our Doctoral program web page.

  • How to Apply

  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • All qualified prospective students seeking admission to graduate programs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering should know that the University of Michigan is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.