Graduate Admissions

Application Deadlines


Fall Term 2010 Admission (September):

  • For Ph.D. applicants: December 15th
  • For MSE applicants: January 15th
  • For SGUS applicants: January 15th

Winter Term 2010 Admission (January):

  • For MSE applicants:  August 1st
  • For SGUS applicants:  August 1st

Note:  The ME department is not accepting Ph.D. applications for Winter term.

Applications and Admissions

 

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

Application materials undergo a comprehensive review by the ME Graduate Admissions Committee, a faculty group that decides who is admissible to the ME Program. After this recommendation, the University of Michigan's Horace H. Rackham Graduate School verifies applicants' credentials as they relate to compliance with University policies and contacts them with their final admission decision. For detailed information on Rackham admissions criteria and application procedures, please visit the Rackham Admissions web page.

The ME Graduate 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. The applicant's background and life experience may also be considered in determining how it would contribute significantly to an educationally beneficial mix of students in the department. In addition, consideration is given to the match between applicants' research goals and those of an ME professor. Applicants are encouraged to contact ME faculty to discuss research opportunities.

 

Application Requirements:

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV/Resume)
  • Online application
  • Letters of recommen dation (a minimum of 2 for Masters; 3 for SGUS;  3 for Ph.D.)
  • Statement of Purpose ( The Academic Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how this graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.)
  • Personal Statement   ( How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan?  For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.)
  • Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
  • GRE scores
  • TOEFL scores

 

Master Program

 

The Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree requires applicants to have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field. Successful applicants 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, please visit our Master Program web page. We also encourage applications from students with undergraduate education in a related scientific subject and from industry engineers who are seeking further educational training.

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 research and/or teaching. There are two options for entering the Doctoral program: (1) students entering with a MSE degree may apply to the Ph.D. Program (2) students entering with a Bachelor's Degree may apply to the Direct Ph.D. Program (these students will complete the academic requirements for the MSE(ME) degree.). 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 those applicants with whom professors show research interest. For more details, please visit our graduate Financial Aid web page. Additional information is located on our Doctoral program web page.

 

** 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, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.