Graduate Application Status
Important Office Closure
Our offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday starting Saturday, November 23rd. We will resume virtual operations on Monday, December 2nd at 8AM. Please note that messages will not be monitored during this period. Upon our return, we will resume admissions processing and respond to messages in the order they were received.
Monitor your status online for current updates.
An online application offers the convenience of accessing your application status anytime. However, please wait for a confirmation email that indicates your application has been fully processed before checking the portal for updates. It's important to understand the steps, expected timeframes, and tips provided below when monitoring your application status.
Applicants are also encouraged to be mindful of their deadline. Programs with hard deadlines strictly require the submission of all materials by the specified date. However, programs not explicitly itemized offer rolling admissions, meaning applications and materials received past the advised deadline may still be considered through the posted final day to submit. If you are unsure whether your program has a hard or rolling deadline, please reach out to us.
For inquiries on the admissions process or your application status, contact the Office of Graduate Studies. Allow for a 1-2 business day response time when reaching out by email or voicemail. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM ET.
Using UM-Dearborn's Admissions Portal
Logging In and Accessing Your Application
To access your application status, visit the Admissions Portal, log in with your username (the email used for applying), and password, and select "Sign In." Choose the right application, especially if you have multiple applications, by checking the term/Application ID. View the Checklist within your application to check progress and updates. Admission decisions, when made, will be updated in your portal.
Using Your Checklist
A "100% Complete" notice of the left means your Online Application is fully submitted, not that your admissions file is complete. The Checklist assists in getting to a complete admissions file for consideration. Uploaded items may not immediately show as complete and require a manual review for processing. Additional items may be added to the checklist based on your specific application needs.
- For application changes or updates, email the Office of Graduate Studies for assistance—no need to start a new application.
- Reference the "How to Apply" instructions for how to submit any outstanding items.
- Utilize your personalized upload URL, received via email after your submitted Online Application has been processed, to submit additional documents. If you have trouble locating this link, please connect with us at [email protected] and it can be resent.
Trouble Logging In?
Use "Forgot Password" if you have forgotten your password or experience login issues. Before admission, password-related emails go to your application email; after admission, they go to your umich email.
Reactivate your portal via [email protected] if you're a former UM-Dearborn student or if your account appears disabled.
Contact [email protected] for any other issues.
When your Online Application is submitted, we require processing time to review your submitted application and individualize your missing items checklist. We recommend the Admissions Portal (Checklist) is not monitored until you receive email confirmation that processing of your submitted application is complete. An email confirmation will be sent the day after submission with next-step information.
The following items may be processed after your application itself has been processed:
- Transcripts uploaded into the Online Application
- Materials submitted separately prior to your application being submitted
- Verification for reported TRF (IELTS) and Appointment Number (TOEFL) information
Generally submitted applications are processed within 7-10 business days (Monday-Friday) after submission. This timeline may be affected during times of high volume, especially around deadlines or campus breaks. If your application has not been submitted or items uploaded/reported in your application are not reflected in your UM-Dearborn checklist more than 10 business days after submission, please connect with our team for troubleshooting receipt or an estimated processing timeline.
Supplemental Items
Our normal processing time upon receipt is 3-5 business days (Monday-Friday) before your application summary will reflect an updated document in the portal for most document types (ex. transcripts, updated resumes, etc.). This timeline may be affected during times of high volume, especially around deadlines, though generally not more than 7-10 business days (Monday-Friday) during high volume periods.
Note that different document types have different processing procedures and can therefore update at different times, even if submitted on the same day.
IMPORTANT: The Office of Graduate Studies collects documents sent physically by mail on Wednesdays. We encourage you to account for the impact on processing time in relation or our deadlines and consider sending materials via email when possible. If you have questions, please reach out to the Office of Graduate Studies.
IMPORTANT: Items submitted separately before your application is submitted cannot be added to your file at that time and are added to a holding queue. Please connect with our team to pull these items and update your checklist once your application has been submitted.
Test Scores
Official test scores are received electronically. Upon download, we require normal processing time before the portal reflects receipt of the score(s). Processing allows us to match scores to your application after receipt.
If your portal shows an outstanding item that you submitted and it is beyond the expected processing time listed above, please contact Graduate Studies via email to troubleshoot receipt. In order to best assist you, please include the following in your message:
- Application ID
- Complete applicant name on submitted application
- Complete applicant name on submitted document/test score
- Submitted date or expected receipt date
- Method of delivery (ex. Parchment, physical mail, institution code 1861, etc.)
- IELTS: Provide your TRF number
- TOEFL: Provide your Appointment number
- Where it was sent (ex. address, email address, account, etc.)
- If applicable, screenshot of delivery confirmation
These details allow us to more effectively assist you with troubleshooting receipt errors. Any materials mistakenly sent directly to the academic unit or to undergraduate admissions offices on the Dearborn campus will need to be transferred to the Graduate Studies office for processing.
Non-U.S transcripts require an evaluation to (1) confirm institution accreditation, (2) determine U.S. degree equivalency, and (3) convert grades/CGPA to the 4.0 scale. There are two options to fulfill this requirement.
Option 1: UM-Dearborn does not require a third-party credential evaluation, however we strongly encourage course-by-course evaluations from the following services in order to expedite the application review process and aid our students in their future endeavors including U.S. job applications, other higher education institution applications, or meeting professional licensure or certification requirements:
- Educational Credential Evaluators preferred
- International Education Evaluators (discounted rate of $145 when using custom UM-Dearborn link)
- World Education Services - Course-by-Course ICAP type
- The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran) - Course Analysis type (10% off discounted rate when using custom UM-Dearborn link)
- Educational Perspectives
Course-by-course evaluations from other NACES members may be utilized on a case-by-case basis. Each organization has their own documentation requirements, costs, and turnaround times for completion.
If you are admitted and enroll with us, we will reimburse you up to $200 to help cover the cost of the course by course international evaluation. This reimbursement will be applied to your first term’s bill after the term's add/drop registration period.
Option 2: Applicants with international transcripts that do not submit an approved third-party transcript evaluation will have an internal evaluation completed. The results of the internal evaluation are for internal purposes only and will not be shared with the applicant.
This process cannot start until all other required materials have been received and generally adds 4-6 weeks to the admissions process before your file can be considered for admission for programs with rolling admissions. During times of high volume, an additional delay may be experienced as we work through the queue in order of being added. Campus closures are not included in the turnaround time. If you need an expedited decision, submitting an approved third-party evaluation is recommended.
For hard deadline programs, as long as all needed materials are in by the deadline, the internal evaluation will be completed to meet internally established review deadlines.
Applications are not sent for decision review until all required supplemental materials are received/processed.
Degree-Seeking Programs (Master's, Specialist, Doctorate)
When applying to a program with rolling admission, complete files are generally reviewed within 2-3 weeks. For files with non-U.S. transcripts that opt for the internal transcript evaluation, the file cannot be routed until the internal evaluation is complete (see section above for more information). When a decision is returned from the committee, your admission portal will be updated to reflect your admission decision. An email notification will also be sent.
When applying to a program with a hard deadline, all applications with a complete application by the posted deadline are routed to the admission review committee after the deadline has passed. A decision will not come until after the review committee has met and reviewed all complete applications. This can take several weeks to review and consider all files. When a decision is returned from the committee, your admission portal will be updated to reflect your admission decision. An email notification will also be sent.
Doctoral decisions require ample time for review and decisions are generally not released until 2 months after the deadline. Other hard deadline programs generally require 2-3 weeks to review.
Graduate Certificates
Complete files are generally reviewed within 2-3 weeks. For files with non-U.S. transcripts that opt for the internal transcript evaluation, the file cannot be routed until the internal evaluation is complete (see section above for more information). When a decision is returned from the academic unit, your admission portal will be updated to reflect your admission decision. An email notification will also be sent.
NCFD/Guest Applicants
Eligible applicants are admitted on a space-available basis for the specific course(s) requested in the Online Application. Review generally begins one month before the start of classes. Delayed decisions for NCFD/Guest applications are generally due to anticipated course enrollment from degree-seeking students. When a decision is returned an email notification will be sent. If you are experiencing a delayed review, please reach out to get an expected timeline.
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 after application submission alongside your application checklist. This covers important Distance Education Student Information and Procedures and Export Control Regulations our campus must follow.
Applicants offered admission pending final documentation must submit their outstanding materials by the end of their first term of enrollment. Summer admits will follow the Fall term's timeline (ex. Summer 2024 will be grouped with Fall 2024). Our normal processing time upon receipt in Graduate Studies is 3-5 business days (Monday-Friday) before the portal reflects receipt. This timeline may take longer in times of high volume, especially at the start of the term or when the registration period begins for the next term. Once processing is complete your portal will reflect the update and related holds will be released.
If materials were submitted via "true copies" with One Stop Student Services, the copies are scanned and transferred over to Graduate Studies for processing. Once the documents enter our queue, the processing time noted above begins.
Extensions
If conditional documents will not be available by the end of your first term of enrollment for submission, an extended deadline for submission can be requested at [email protected] after the hold has been placed (approximately 3 weeks after the start of the Fall and Winter semester). Extension requests must include the specific documents requiring an extension and the estimated date they will be available for submission. It is recommended that an extension request is emailed prior to the start of registration for your next term of courses. Extension requests generally take 3-5 business days (Monday-Friday) for review - please plan accordingly.