How to Apply
Congratulations on your decision to apply to a graduate program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn!
The University of Michigan-Dearborn values building a diverse learning community and seeks dedicated students for its rigorous graduate programs. We serve highly motivated candidates, evaluating prospective students on academics, career objectives, and overall suitability for their selected program. Review the available graduate programs and certificates and choose one aligned with your background and goals. Consult directly with the academic unit for advice on program fit.
Admission requirements and application deadlines differ by program, and not all programs admit for every term. It's important to be familiar with the admissions processing timelines to know what to expect as you move through the process.
- The details itemized below are for graduate certificate and degree-seeking (master's, specialist, doctoral) applicants.
- Students already enrolled in a graduate degree program at UM-Dearborn may declare a Graduate Certificate to supplement their primary field of study or area of expertise. Rather than completing the Online Application, submit a completed Declaration of Certificate Form and return it to the academic unit which supports the certificate.
- Graduate Non-Candidate for Degree (NCFD) and Guest Applicants who plan to enroll in graduate courses at UM-Dearborn without competing a course of study must follow specific Graduate Non-Degree Application Procedures.
- Students who started their graduate program at UM-Dearborn but have not been registered in courses here for over a year should contact the admitting department directly for readmission.
Apply Online!
To apply, create a login with a valid email address using the provided link and follow the prompts. You can save your progress since the system allows you to return and finish your application later with your login information. Former applicants and current UM-Dearborn students may need to reactivate your portal account via [email protected] if your account appears disabled.
Submission requires a $60 application fee, but UM-Dearborn offers limited application fee waivers on a first-come, first-serve basis. The fee is nonrefundable and can't be applied towards tuition or other fees.
Applicants can apply to one program at a time and may apply to a second program after a decision on the first is made, but must submit a new application and fee with coordination from Graduate Studies.
If you have any questions during the admissions process, please connect with the Office of Graduate Studies. We're here to support you every step of the way.
Supplemental Application Materials
As part of the application process, various supplementary documents are required to complement your online application to create a comprehensive admissions profile. Certain materials must be uploaded directly into the Online Application before submission. It is important to note that post-submission, the application portal does not permit additional uploads; the guidelines below provides submission options by requirement.
Tips:
- Any name discrepancies from supporting documents should be reported to the Office of Graduate Studies to ensure they are matched to your application. You can disclose previous names within your application.
- If you need to make changes to your application, reach out to the Office of Graduate Studies via email instead of submitting a new application. A staff member can either provide guidance or update that information for you.
- If there are any further documents to submit that are not explicitly listed, please submit each requirement as a separate PDF files to [email protected].
- It is important to familiarize yourself with our Application Deadlines to ensure all materials are submitted on time for consideration.
Required Within Online Application
Some items require direct upload in the Online Application in order to submit. If these items require updates after submission, they can be sent via PDF to the Office of Graduate Studies at [email protected].
Degree-seeking applicants are required to upload a statement of purpose. Your statement should provide insight into your post-graduation career plans, the alignment of your educational and experiential background with these aspirations, and the role of the graduate program in achieving your goals. Preferred length is around 500 words.
Essays must be uploaded within the online application in order to submit.
Program-Specific Requirements
Select programs have specific requirements for the supplemental statement(s):
- Clinical Health Psychology (MS) candidates must submit an additional statement briefly describing events or experiences you consider to be evidence that you will be an effective health care professional. This could include work or school experience, life experiences, personal philosophy, or other information.
- Education (EdD) candidates are to provide a letter of intent in lieu of a traditional statement of purpose and address an additional writing sample prompt related to a current education issue, with any references in APA format.
- PhD candidates should articulate their intended field or fields of research in the academic statement of purpose, as well as submitting a personal statement describing their unique background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges that motivate the decision to pursue a PhD at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
- DEng candidates should include a research topic and corresponding plan within their statement of purpose. It is also strongly recommended to identify a potential faculty advisor at the application stage, which is a prerequisite for enrollment following admission.
Your resume/CV should contain details about your educational background; work experience; experiences in research, teaching, or internships; professional memberships; volunteer work; community engagement; and any relevant honors or awards received. Master's applicants are limited to a two-page submission, while doctoral or specialist applicants may submit up to four pages.
Your resume must be uploaded within the online application in order to submit.
Supporting recommendations are required for degree-seeking applicants. The number of recommendations required by college is listed below. If you do not know where your program of interest is housed, please review our graduate programs offered by college. Appropriate recommenders are generally current or former professional supervisors, research supervisors, or faculty instructors. Additional questions about whether or not a potential recommender can be used should be directed to the academic program.
| College | Required Recommendations |
|---|---|
| College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) | 3 for Clinical Health Psychology 2 for all others |
| College of Business (COB) | 1 |
| College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) | 2 |
| College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) | 2 for master's level 3 for doctoral level |
There are some exceptions to the above for current UM-Dearborn undergraduate students applying to an 4+1/accelerated option:
| 4+1/Accelerated Program | Recommendation Requirement |
|---|---|
| Accounting | Waived |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 1; UM-Dearborn faculty |
| Applied & Computational Mathematics | 2; MATH/STAT faculty |
| Bioengineering | 2; BENG/ME faculty |
| Criminology & Criminal Justice | 1; CCJ faculty |
| Instructional Design & Learning Technologies | 1; Learning Tech faculty |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2; BENG/ME faculty |
| Public Administration & Policy | 1; UM-Dearborn faculty |
Requesting Recommendations
In the online application, you are required to enter your recommender(s) name and email address. An automated notification will be sent by the application system. We highly recommend reaching out to your recommender prior to completing this section of the application. Additionally, you will select whether or not you waive the right to review the recommendations if you are admitted and enroll in courses.
After submitting your application, you can monitor the status of received recommendations.
Required College/University Transcripts
You must provide transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (colleges/universities) attended, including transferred credits. All must be reported within the Online Application, including attendance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Academic records must include course names, grades earned, and your institution's grading scale.
A four-year U.S. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent* is required for consideration, though you may apply before degree completion if it will be finished before classes start. *Some degrees, including certain three-year bachelor's from India, Australia, or certain other countries, are not considered equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's as standalone degrees. However, additional credentials earned, such as post-graduate diplomas or graduate degrees, may make you eligible to apply. For questions about your degree's equivalency, you are encouraged to obtain an Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) course-by-course evaluation, which is aligned with our equivalency guidelines.
For additional information specific to current/previous UM-Dearborn students and applicants with international records, please be sure to read through the accordions below.
If you are a current or prior student of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, your transcript(s) on record will be transferred to your graduate admission application during processing post-submission.
Required Documents
Applicants must submit comprehensive academic records, including a detailed list of courses, grades, and evidence of degree completion, such as diplomas or degree certificates. For documents not originally issued in English, applicants are required to provide both the original and an official English translation, which must be a precise, word-for-word rendition maintaining the format of the original document. If your institution does not offer an official translation, a professional licensed translation will be acceptable. Documentation verifying degree conferral must be presented, whether indicated on the transcript or via a separate certificate. All documentation received becomes the property of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and will not be returned.
For candidates from certain countries, additional documentation tailored to the region, such as diploma supplements (Bologna Process) or individual semester marksheets for all attempts (South Asia), may be required. In instances where semester marksheets are required and institutions will issue only consolidated marksheets, an official statement confirming this practice, on institutional letterhead and signed by an authorized official, must be provided.
Transcript Evaluation
Non-U.S. academic records require an evaluation for institution accreditation validation, U.S. equivalency determination, and grade conversion to the 4.0 scale. Applicants have two options to meet this requirement.
Option 1: While not required by UM-Dearborn, applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain a course-by-course evaluation from an accepted vendor, in order to expedite the application process.
For students admitted and enrolled with UM-Dearborn, you will receive a reimbursement of up to $200 toward the cost of the evaluation, credited to the first term's bill after the add/drop registration period has ended and final enrollment is confirmed.
Accepted Providers:
- Educational Credential Evaluators preferred
- Designate University of Michigan-Dearborn - Graduate Studies in ECE Dispatch
- International Education Evaluators
- Our custom UM-Dearborn link above auto-selects the correct evaluation type for a discounted rate of $145
- The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran) (Course Analysis)
- Our custom UM-Dearborn link above auto-selects the correct evaluation type for a discounted rate of 10% off
- World Education Services (Course-by-Course ICAP)
- Designate University of Michigan-Dearborn - Graduate Studies in Access WES
- Educational Perspectives
Course-by-course evaluations from other providers may also be submitted. Reports must include accreditation status, degree equivalence, and GPA conversion. Evaluation service providers that are not members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), such as Scholaro, will not be accepted.
Teaching (MAT) applicants must provide an approved third-party course-by-course evaluation in order to develop a plan of study.
Option 2: Applicants who forgo a third-party evaluation can request an internal UM-Dearborn evaluation within the Online Application, exclusive for institutional assessment and not disclosed to the applicant. If electing this process, be sure to include your transcript legend/grading scale with your document submission to prevent delays in completing your evaluation and receiving an admission decision. This internal assessment does not begin until all other required materials have been received and extends the admissions timeline by an additional 4-6 weeks for programs with rolling admissions. For programs with hard deadlines, provided all materials are submitted by the posted date, the internal evaluation will be expedited to align with internal review deadlines. Familiarity with your program's deadline is strongly recommended.
Applicants can upload unofficial academic records (evaluation reports, transcripts and/or marksheets, grading scales, etc.) in the Online Application for admission consideration. Admission offers based on unofficial or incomplete records are conditional on final, official records' submission by the end of your first enrollment term.
You can also submit documents outside of the Online Application but your application will not be reviewed for admission until we have received all necessary materials. Please be sure to read through the required documentation noted above to ensure you submit all necessary materials.
Submit academic records in one of the following ways:
- Upload with your online application; these are considered unofficial as they are not provided directly to UM-Dearborn from the issuing institution. Uploaded documents are reviewed post-application submission and marked as received after processing is complete.
- Email official or unofficial records to [email protected]. Records sent from the institution's Registrar through an institutional domain, or approved third-party services (e.g., Parchment, National Clearinghouse, ECE Dispatch), are considered official. In cases where the service has an account for us, our separate University of Michigan-Dearborn account that distinguishes us from Undergraduate Admissions often notes one of the following: Graduate, Graduate Studies, Graduate Admissions.
- Mail to the Office of Graduate Studies: 1055 Administration Bldg (AB), 4901 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, MI 48128
Guidelines for Unofficial Records:
- Document has been issued by the institution/evaluation service
- Student name and Institution name are posted on the document
- Detailed course names and grades
- Transcript legend/grading scale (often back page of transcript or in a diploma supplement)
- One compiled PDF per institution with pages in order; please do not include syllabi, extracurricular certificates, or non-academic documents
Failure to meet guidelines with unofficial records may require an official transcript.
Required Test Scores
All test scores must be valid to be added to an admissions file. GRE and GMAT scores are valid for five years from the test date. English language proficiency scores are valid for two years from the test date. Expired test scores will not be added to your admissions file.
Notify the Office of Graduate Studies if there are any discrepancies in your name reported for your test scores and your online application. If your name does not match exactly, there will be a delay in matching your test scores to your application data.
Our graduate programs do not require the GRE or GMAT. If received, they will be linked to your application file and weighed at the discretion of the review committee during decision review. As part of our holistic admissions process, the admissions committee may ask some applicants to submit scores if additional information is necessary to help demonstrate readiness to succeed in a graduate program. Official scores are required if submitting GRE or GMAT scores.
GRE Scores
Our ETS Institution Code for GRE registration is 1861. Individual department codes are not necessary for the GRE. As long as the institution code is used, your scores will be electronically delivered to us.
GMAT Scores
Our GMAC Institution Code for GMAT registration varies by program.
- Accounting (MSA): 1V5-HP-06
- Business Administration (MBA): 1V5-HP-19
- Business Administration (MBA) - Online: 1V5-HP-50
- Business Analytics (MS): 1V5-HP-93
- Finance (MS): 1V5-HP-12
- Information Systems (MS): 1V5-HP-38
- Marketing (MS): 1V5-HP-80
- Supply Chain Management (MS): 1V5-HP-71
- Dual Degree: Accounting (MSA)/Finance (MSF): 1V5-HP-22
- Dual Degree: Business Administration/Industrial & Systems Engineering (MSE): 1V5-HP-45
- Dual Degree: Business Administration (MBA)/Finance (MSF): 1V5-HP-58
- Dual Degree: Business Administration (MBA)/Health Services Administration (MHSA): 1V5-HP-56
- Dual Degree: Business Administration (MBA)/Information Systems (MS): 1V5-HP-40
- Dual Degree: Business Administration (MBA)/Supply Chain Management (MS): 1V5-HP-87
Any applicant whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency in one of the following ways:
- Submit official scores from an approved English language proficiency exam
- Meet the criteria for an exemption from taking an English language proficiency exam
English Language Proficiency Exams
Accepted English language proficiency exams are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo English Test (DET), Michigan English Test (MET). Applicants only need to take one of these test options. Achieving the minimum score does not guarantee admission, only consideration. You may take any of the exams more than once, but only your most recent score will be considered. Scores must be no more than 2 years old.
Please see below for minimum required scores for each proficiency test. We do not have sub-score requirements.
- IELTS
- IELTS (Academic): 6.5
- IELTS scores are received electronically to University of Michigan, Dearborn - Graduate Studies. An institution code is not required.
- TOEFL
- IBT Internet-Based Test: Most programs have a minimum score of 79; Select programs noted below require a minimum score of 84
- Ph.D., Ed.D., Ed.S. and Clinical Health Psychology (MS) programs: 84
- Our ETS Institution Code for TOEFL registration is 1861. Individual department codes are not necessary to match scores to your application.
- We do not utilize TOEFL MyBestScore to meet our English language proficiency requirement. We require the posted overall minimum score for an individual test.
- IBT Internet-Based Test: Most programs have a minimum score of 79; Select programs noted below require a minimum score of 84
- Duolingo English Test
- Duolingo: 105
- Scores should be sent electronically to University of Michigan, Dearborn - Graduate
- Ph.D. programs and the Clinical Health Psychology (MS) program are not accepting the Duolingo English Test to meet the English language proficiency requirement.
- Michigan English Test
- MET: Most programs have a minimum score of 57; Select programs noted below require a minimum score of 59
- Ph.D. and Clinical Health Psychology (MS)
- Scores should be sent electronically to University of Michigan-Dearborn, Graduate Studies
- MET: Most programs have a minimum score of 57; Select programs noted below require a minimum score of 59
English Language Proficiency Exemption Policy
Applicants are exempt from providing an English language proficiency score if they meet one of the following criteria.
- Applicants who have earned or will earn an accredited bachelor's or master's degree from one of the following countries: United States of America, Australia, or United Kingdom.
- Applicants who have earned or will earn an accredited bachelor's or master's degree from an institution where the language of instruction is exclusively English. Verification from the school is required. Some institutions post a designation directly on the transcript or related academic record (ex. diploma supplement). In cases where there is not a designation on the transcript, a supplemental letter from the institution may be required. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies for further details regarding verification for your case.
Online Student Disclosures and Certifications Supplemental Form
All applicants applying to a fully online program must complete a supplemental Online Student Disclosures and Certifications form that will appear in your UM-Dearborn applicant portal alongside your application checklist. This covers important Distance Education Student Information and Procedures and Export Control Regulations our campus must follow.
Post-Submission
It's important to be familiar with the admissions processing timelines to know what to expect as you move through the process.
Refer back to these instructions for more information on submitting outstanding checklist items. If there are any further documents or information to provide that are not explicitly listed, please send them via email to [email protected]. PDF files are preferred for any attachments.
If a change in start term is needed, a deferral request must be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies via the Graduate Admissions Deferral Request Form. It is recommended that the request be received by the advisory deadline for the new requested term of entry.
Applications are valid for one academic year from your initial term of application (ex. Fall 2024 is valid through Fall 2025). Deferral requests for students offered admission to hard deadline programs are always reviewed on a case by case basis by the program.
All documents previously submitted will be transferred to the new term along with your admission if you are eligible for a deferral. If you choose to attend another university in the meantime, transcripts must be submitted from that enrollment. Admitted students required to pay an enrollment deposit must pay the deposit prior to requesting a deferral.
Processing of deferral requests is completed in order of receipt, with immediate upcoming deadlines prioritized.
International Students
Deferring your admission does not automatically defer your I-20. You must work with the OIA to receive an I-20 with an updated program start-date to coincide with the semester of your arrival on campus. If you have been previously issued an initial I-20, you must submit an I-20 Deferral eForm via M-International. If you have not yet received an initial I-20, then you must submit the Initial I-20 Request eForm via M-International.
Office of International Affairs (OIA) manages I-20 and DS-2019 Form Processing. Please contact their office directly for further details or forms related to the following:
- Proof of Financial Support
- Health Insurance
- SEVIS Form DS 2019
- Transfer Clearance Form
Please note that admitted international students in need of an F or J student visa must submit certification of financial resources adequate to provide for all expenses while attending. The Financial Affidavit and Bank Certification forms are not needed for your admissions application to be reviewed.
International students are eligible to receive our generous Graduate Dearborn Scholarship with a yearly value of approximately $10,000 if you enroll full-time for fall and winter terms. Full-time enrollment is required for students sponsored on a student visa.
Our Ph.D. programs are fully-funded. Students admitted receiving full-funding in the form of an appointment as Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Research Assistant (GSRA), or a combination of both. This covers a competitive monthly stipend, health insurance, and tuition waiver.
An extended 24 month Optional Practical Training (OPT) is available for STEM-designated programs.
Student Expectations
The primary purpose of the Statement of Student Rights and Code of Student Conduct is to assist the University in providing an environment which supports the educational process and the well-being of the campus community. The responsibility for maintaining such an environment is shared by all members of the campus community including faculty, staff, current and prospective students. Therefore, any person expressing interest in enrolling at the University of Michigan-Dearborn is expected to demonstrate behavior consistent with the Code of Conduct. Behaviors inconsistent with the Code of Student Conduct will not be tolerated. The University seeks applicants that demonstrate the potential to be contributing members of the campus community and reserves the right to deny admission based upon violation(s) of the Code of Student Conduct.