Master’s Degree Admissions Process

Home » Admissions » Master’s Degree Admissions Process

Application Materials and Admissions Process for All ISD Master’s Degree Programs

The sections below cover all application materials and admissions processes to apply to any ISD Master’s degree program. Use the list below to jump to a specific section:

For questions about the application process, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Graduate Coordinator of the program in which you are interested, or email isd-questions@umich.edu.

Admissions Prerequisites

All ISD programs have their own set of prerequisites for admissions

Automotive Engineering Prerequisites

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related science.
  • At least two years of college engineering mathematics and science (including calculus, physics, differential equations, chemistry).
  • Undergraduate coursework in at least three of the core areas of automotive engineering (power and propulsion, dynamics and controls, aerodynamics and structural mechanics, and electronics).
  • The equivalent of 18 months of full-time industrial engineering experience at the start of the program and understanding how organizations work from a business perspective.
    • Co-op programs are considered, work study is not
    • Participation in school type activities are not equivalent (e.g., SAE Baja team or Formula 1 team or solar car)
    • Hobby activities do not count
    • SUGS, UM undergraduates and domestic Bachelor of Science in Engineering students with exceptionally strong Auto related undergraduate records are encouraged to apply; these candidates will be considered for admission with a waived work requirement.

Design Science Prerequisites

  • Applicants must have bachelor’s degree in a relevant design field such as engineering, business, psychology, industrial design, architecture, music, computer science, information, etc.
  • An aspiring Design Science Master’s student will be expected to have strong mathematical skills; it is likely (but not necessary) that the typical student will have a BS in either engineering, in the physical/ mathematical sciences or business with a strong mathematical background. Non-engineering students will be admitted to the program with a record of appropriate math studies, such as statistics, probability or calculus, in their undergraduate degree in order to pursue the scientific methods taught in this Master’s program. If there is a strong candidate without the appropriate mathematical record, they may be requested to take the appropriate courses before enrolling.
  • GRE is not required, but strongly encouraged especially for students in non-engineering or non-science-related bachelor degrees to demonstrate their mathematical skills.

Energy Systems Engineering Prerequisites

  • Entrance requirements are similar to other Master of Engineering degree programs in the College of Engineering. They include:
  • Undergraduate degree in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, or mathematics.

Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Prerequisites

  • A bachelor’s degree in Engineering (a bachelor’s degree of technology or engineering technology is not accepted) or Physical Sciences (Physics, Biophysics, Applied Mechanics, Environmental Sciences) from an ABET-accredited institution in the US (or the international equivalent) with at least two years of college engineering mathematics.
  • Degree must have been completed in good standing (generally defined as a US GPA of B (3.0/4.0) or higher).
  • An accumulation of one year of industrial relevant work experience is required for applying to the Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering program.

Manufacturing Prerequisites

  • A bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline such as Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering (a bachelor’s degree of technology or engineering technology is not accepted) from an ABET-accredited institution in the US (or the international equivalent).
  •  At least two years of college engineering mathematics including probability and statistics. Degree must have been completed in good standing (generally defined as a US GPA of B (3.0 or above) or higher.
  • Applicants should have relevant industry-related working/internship experience by the beginning of the first semester of enrollment. 

Systems Engineering + Design Prerequisites

  • 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Physical Sciences with a good grade point average.
Return to Top

Where to Apply

With application submissions open year-round for ISD’s fall, winter and spring/summer terms, you can submit your application today. We look forward to hearing from you!

Return to Top

Deadlines

Admissions deadlines vary by semester and applicant type. Review our admissions deadlines to see early, regular, and extended application dates. Be sure to submit by the regular admission deadline to be considered for the ISD Scholarship.

Non-Refundable Application Fee

The application fee for domestic students is $75 and $90 for international students.

No changes can be made to your application once you’ve paid the application fee and submitted it.  Any changes that must be made after that point will require you to start a new application and pay another application fee.

Return to Top

Graduate Coordinators Can Help With Application Questions

ISD Graduate Coordinators can help answer any questions you have about our application process and programs. See what coordinator oversees your program of choice below:

Return to Top

Financial Considerations

Detailed information about U-M tuition and fees for academic programs is available at the Office of the Registrar. The U-M Board of Regents sets tuition for the upcoming academic year at its annual June meeting. Please note financial aid opportunities for graduate students are limited. More information on these opportunities and the cost of attendance is available on the Financial Aid and Scholarships webpage, the U-M College of Engineering’s website on financial aid, and the University of Michigan’s general Financial Aid website, we encourage you to perform detailed research on these costs before you begin the application process. 

Return to Top

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for all ISD graduate degrees. 

Your recommenders should submit their letters of recommendation for you through the application process. You will find instructions for recommenders when you are completing your online application. Letters must come from a professor, supervisor, or manager. Applicants cannot be their own recommender.

In the application itself when you arrive at the Recommenders section, you will enter their email addresses into the area noted and the recommenders will receive an email from CollegeNet’s application portal asking them to upload their letters of recommendation. We recommended that you select Letters of Recommendation to be submitted confidentially on the application form.  If your recommenders are having technical difficulties, contact the CollegeNet helpdesk using this link.

Return to Top

GRE Score

The GRE is encouraged but not required for all ISD Programs.

Information about the GRE including test dates and locations can be found at http://www.ets.org

If submitting GRE scores, ISD requires ETS to have an official score report sent to the University of Michigan (institution code 1839, department code Engineering Other, 69).

While each application is evaluated individually, typical GRE scores can average around 153 verbal and 163 quantitative.

Please note, GRE scores must be less than five years old as of the application deadline to be used for consideration.

Return to Top

Resume / Curriculum Vitae

Your resume or curriculum vitae must be submitted online when completing your online application.

Return to Top

Academic Statement of Purpose

An academic statement of purpose is required when completing your online application.

This statement should be a concise, well-written essay about your background, your career goals, and how the program to which you are applying will help you attain your career and educational objectives. The recommended word count is 500 words.

Return to Top

Personal Statement

A personal statement essay is required when completing your online application.

The personal statement should describe how your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree.

For example, if you grew up in a community where opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests.

Please do not repeat your academic statement of purpose. The recommended word count is 500 words.

Return to Top

Official Transcripts

All applicants are required to provide: 

Step 1: During Application Process

  • At the time of application, you will need to upload a copy of an official transcript from all universities and community colleges attended. Make sure to include the front and back of the document. This copy is used for initial review of your application.  Please do not submit an unofficial academic records sheet that you access and print from your academic institution(s). 
  • All students who attend Non-US academic institutions are required to complete a Scholaro GPA Calculation Reports for each non-US institution(s) attended.  Scholaro GPA report(s) must be uploaded and match the corresponding transcript(s) course information and GPA which is also uploaded with the application.  For more information see: https://academicservices.engin.umich.edu/ordering-a-gpa-report-for-michigan-engineering-meng-deng-graduate-programs/ 

Step 2: After Admission Offer

Once you are offered an admission you will be required to submit an official final transcript directly from your university to the College of Engineering. Please see your formal offer letter from the College of Engineering for the instructions on submitting your official final transcript documents. 

For additional information please see:

All documents submitted will not be returned. If the application is unsuccessful, all documents will be destroyed. Applicants are required to provide true, accurate and complete information in support of their applications. Any misrepresentation in the documents and information provided will result in disqualification of their applications and subsequent enrollments in the University.

Design Science Program Applicants

Please note that the Design Science program is administered by the Rackham Graduate School, and any materials for Design Science applicants should be sent to Rackham.

Design Science students must apply for and start the program in the fall term, with classes only available on campus. Also, note that application deadlines for interested Design Science students differ from other ISD programs. 

Return to Top

English Proficiency Test for International Applicants

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency and are required to provide one of the official score reports in the table below. If you received a bachelor’s degree from a college or university where the language of instruction is exclusively English, the English proficiency requirement MAY be waived. In some cases, we may require students to take courses at the English Language Institute. See below for full list of exceptions.

TOEFL scores are sent electronically from ETS directly to the University of Michigan (Institution Code 1839). U-M does accept TOEFL IBT Home edition. Official IELTS scores are sent electronically to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (select “University of Michigan-Ann Arbor from drop-down menu).

Official ECPE and MELAB scores must be mailed directly to the College of Engineering Graduate Professional Programs Office from the testing agency. Design Science scores should be mailed to the Rackham Graduate School.

Test scores are valid two years from the test date and must be received by the application deadline.

Please use your legal name as stated on your passport when registering for the TOEFL and in submitting the online application. If your name does not match exactly, there will be a delay in matching your test scores to the application data. In addition, your birthdate should be in month/day/year format (e.g., 09/19/1983).

Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores will not be accepted.

Minimum score requirements for admission consideration are indicated in the table below.

Only the tests listed below are accepted by U-M; no other language proficiency tests are accepted.

IBT TOEFL Including TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
  • Assessment Provider: Educational Testing Service
  • Speaking Test: Yes
  • Minimum Overall Score: 84
  • Submission of Test Scores: TOEFL scores are sent by ETS electronically to institution code: 1839; department code: Engineering Other, 69
Revised Paper Delivered Test (For tests taken July 2017 or later)
  • Assessment Provider: Educational Testing Service
  • Speaking Test: No
  • Minimum Overall Score: An overall score is not provided for this test. Minimum section scores: Reading = 23; Listening = 23; Writing = 21
  • Submission of Test Scores: TOEFL scores are sent by ETS electronically to institution code: 1839; department code: Engineering Other, 69
MET
  • Assessment Provider: Michigan Language Assessments
  • Speaking Test: Yes
  • Minimum Overall Score: 4-Skill test; minimum Overall score = 59
  • Submission of Test Scores: Scores are mailed directly to CoE from the testing agency. Mailing address: Graduate Professional Programs, College of Engineering Office of Student Affairs, 145A Chrysler Center, 2121 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122
IELTS Including IELTS “At Home”
  • Assessment Provider: Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Speaking Test: Academic version
  • Minimum Overall Score: 6.5
  • Submission of Test Scores: Official IELTS scores are sent electronically to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
ECPE
  • Assessment Provider: Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments
  • Speaking Test: Yes
  • Minimum Overall Score: Certificate of Proficiency
  • Submission of Test Scores: Scores must be sent directly to CoE from the testing agency. Mailing address: Graduate Professional Programs, College of Engineering Office of Student Affairs, 145A Chrysler Center, 2121 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122
English Proficiency Test Exceptions

You qualify for an exemption from taking an English proficiency examination if one of the following criteria are met:

  • You are a native speaker of English.
  • You completed all of your undergraduate education and earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only. Undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
  • You completed all of your graduate education and earned a graduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only.Graduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
  • A one year graduate degree does not meet an English exemption.
  • If you completed a Master’s degree that was strictly research and no academic classes, that degree does not meet the exemption. This type of Master’s degree is generally awarded at a non-U.S. institution.
  • You are a current U-M student.
Return to Top