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Graduate Student Services

Graduate students in Mechanical Engineering (ME) will find that degree requirements exist on two levels. There are requirements which are ME program specific and requirements from the Rackham Graduate School (Rackham). In order to successfully complete a graduate degree in ME, students must be aware of, understand, and adhere to the policies and guidelines on both levels. Because this can sometimes be difficult, the ME Graduate Coordinator (me-grad-coordinator@umich.edu) and the ME Academic Services Office (ASO) is here to provide students with the resources they need to succeed in the program. The Graduate Coordinator and ASO help students navigate the policies and guidelines and serves to provide clarity and structure to the policies.

School HierarchyRackham determines the overarching structure for graduate programs, determining minimum requirements for all departments (i.e. GPA, course credits, enrollment, etc.). In some instances, the College of Engineering or ME may impose stricter guidelines. If a requirement in ME is stricter than one from Rackham, the ME requirement will be upheld. Rackham has the official word on whether or not a student has completed all the degree requirements for graduation but will adhere to any ME policy stricter than their own.

The Rackham Graduate School is responsible for:

  • Enforcing University regulations for all departments on campus
  • Approving petitions specific to Rackham
  • Informing the department when a student is not maintaining minimum requirements
  • Awarding fellowships

The College of Engineering assists with graduate recruiting efforts for the ME department with the Recruit at Home program and the Engineering Graduate Symposium. The Engineering Graduate Symposium is hosted every fall in order to introduce prospective graduate students to ongoing research in the College of Engineering. In addition, the College of Engineering hosts award competitions in which ME participates.

The ME Graduate Coordinator (me-grad-coordinator@umich.edu) and the Academic Services Office (ASO) in Mechanical Engineering (2380 GG Brown) is responsible for:

  • Advising related to degree progress and academics
  • Admitting graduate students
  • Processing petitions and forms specific to ME
  • Processing information regarding degree progress to the Rackham Graduate School for approval
  • Maintaining student records and confidentiality
  • Fellowship and Award management specific to ME
  • Administering Qualifying Examinations
  • Interfacing with the Rackham Graduate School on petitions

In cases where the Graduate Coordinator nor the ASO is able to provide information, students will be referred to the appropriate University organizations. You can reach the Graduate Coordinator at me-grad-coordinator@umich.edu.

Please note that our office becomes quite hectic in September due to new student arrivals and from January through March due to application processing, which has strict deadlines. Though we will endeavor to help you in a prompt and efficient manner with any requests you may have, we greatly appreciate your patience during these time periods and encourage you to email with simple requests.

The Main Office in Mechanical Engineering (2370 GG Brown) is responsible for processing employment paperwork for GSRAs, Graders, and GSIs. They also oversee the scheduling of ME conference rooms via the email address MEConferencerooms@umich.edu.