Graduate Admissions

All mechanical engineering graduate students apply online through the Rackham Graduate School. Please view Rackham’s Checklist for Completing Your Application. We accept applications for fall only, with the exception of Change of Program and SUGS applicants (see left). Please refer to the menu on the left for more information regarding required documents.

If you have any questions about Mechanical Engineering Graduate Admissions, please contact us at
[email protected] .

Graduate Application Deadlines (Ph.D., MSE, SUGS, JI-SUGS)

The ME Department accepts external Ph.D. and Masters applications during the Fall term only. Applications for the Fall term will open in early September. If you are NOT a current U-M student and apply for the winter term, your application is not eligible to be evaluated and your application fee is not refundable.

*Students applying for Fall PhD admission are strongly encouraged to submit their application by December 1st. Applications received slightly after Dec. 1st will be reviewed, but with potentially lower priority.

Decision Deadlines

We ask that all applicants allow us to provide decisions within the time frame listed below. The ASO will inform the Rackham Graduate School of all application decisions for the Mechanical Engineering (ME) graduate program. Rackham provides the final application decision via e-mail to applicants who were recommended for admission by the Mechanical Engineering Department.

• If recommended for admission by Mechanical Engineering, the Rackham Graduate School will notify applicants to submit the Affidavit of Financial Support along with required financial documents (e.g., bank statement).
• Please do not submit any financial documents until requested by Rackham. Financial documents and immigration documents will not be kept if they were submitted during the application period.
• Financial document deadlines: May 15 for the Fall term and November 15th for the Winter term. If financial documents are not received by these dates, Rackham will withdraw offers of admission.

Visit Rackham’s website for information regarding:

• Minimum Requirements to Apply
• Application Fees and Waivers
  • The Fall 2025 PhD application fee is currently waived for all U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents.
  • The Statement of Purpose should be about 1 to 3 pages in length.
  • Personal Statements may be up to 2 single-spaced pages in length, and the 500-word limit does not apply.
  • UM ME does not require the GRE for the Ph.D. application. GRE scores will not be used during the application review process.
  • UM ME will not require the GRE for the Fall 2025 Master’s application. GRE scores will not be used during the application review process.
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL/IELTS) is required of all non-native speakers. The University of Michigan requires a minimum TOEFL score for admission: 84 for the Internet Based TOEFL. (For other English test minimum scores, please refer to the Rackham web site.)
  • Step 1: Upload a Scanned Copy of the Official Transcript to ApplyWeb
    • All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.
    • If you are attending or have graduated from a Non-U.S. institution, review the Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions for requirements by country.
    • An official transcript must be submitted to Rackham only after an offer of admission is made.
    • See Rackham’s detailed instructions on how to submit transcripts/academic records to the Rackham Graduate School.

    Deferrals

    Deferrals are available for up to one year under special conditions. Typically, circumstances such as employment, enrollment at another institution, funding, or indecisiveness regarding enrollment are not appropriate justifications for requesting deferred enrollment.

    To request a deferral, send an email to [email protected] . International students cannot defer admission to Spring or Spring/Summer terms. There are not enough credits to maintain the F1 visa status.