Take Engineering Master's Courses Without Enrolling | ISD

Try out a Program Before Applying

Students who have a unique learning need might find the right fit with ISD’s Non-Candidate for Degree (NCFD) status. Credit earned from these courses may be used toward other degrees at U-M as well as other institutions (pre-approval required).

Non-Candidate for Degree (NCFD) is a temporary status whereby new students can be introduced to online learning courses and earn transferable academic credit from the University of Michigan. NCFD students pay the same tuition rate as degree-seeking students, and may take up to 2 ISD courses within one academic year; either 2 ISD courses in one semester, or 1 ISD course per semester. NCFD status is discontinued after the completion of 2 ISD courses and cannot be repeated.

NCFD Status May Appeal to the Following Groups:

Students enrolled in other universities who are interested in earning transferable academic credit from U-M
Professionals interested in taking 1-2 courses as part of professional development
Anyone who wants to take 1-2 courses as a precursor to seeking formal admission into a degree-seeking program later
Graduates of ISD programs who wish to take additional courses
Students from other U-M programs who wish to take an online course while not enrolled in any other U-M course during a semester

NCFD Admissions Deadline

Applicants must submit the required application materials no later than three weeks before the first day of classes for the semester

NCFD Admissions Process

Online application*
Non-refundable application fee
All applicants are required to provide one official transcript or certified credentials from all universities and community colleges attended.
Statement of purpose: Applicant must review ISD degree program information and indicate which ISD degree program most closely aligns with their interest, including intended ISD courses.

NCFD applicants do not need to submit a personal statement, resume, letters of recommendation, or GRE scores. In some cases, an English proficiency test may be required.

Official Transcript Requirements

Please refer to the document below for information about what constitutes an official transcript, as well as official transcript submission information.

Rackham Official Transcript Information
U-M College of Engineering Official Transcript Information
Please contact engin.pro.prgms@umich.edu with any questions related to official transcripts

If your academic credentials are in a language other than English, your institution must submit both the original document and a certified English translation. International credentials should include a certified copy of the diploma if awarded.

English translations must be literal, word-for-word translations in the same format as the original academic record. If your academic institution does not supply an official translation, we will accept an official translation prepared by a professional licensed translation service or from an Education USA office in your region.

An evaluation provided by a credential service, for example, Educational Credentials Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES), is not accepted.

Ordering a Scholaro GPA Report for Non-U.S. Institutions

International Students who completed education at non-U.S. institutions must complete a Scholaro GPA Report to convert their international average grade point to a U.S. Four Point GPA.

English Proficiency Test

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.

Degree Admissions Process After Completing 2 ISD Courses as NCFD

If NCFD students are interested in becoming degree-seeking students in an ISD program, they must submit an application and all required materials by the application deadlines. (Please note that successfully completing 2 NCFD courses does not guarantee acceptance into an ISD program). Admissions decisions are sent appropriately 6-8 weeks after the application deadline.

Submit a new online academic program application and all required materials by the stated deadlines. Select the specific ISD academic program you are applying for. Refer to the table below for specific program prerequisites; and see our Master’s Degree Admissions Process.

Prerequisites to move to a Master’s Degree Program from NCFD

NCFD Students interested in admission to an ISD Master’s degree program must meet a minimum grade in all NCFD courses.