Admitted Graduate Students
Congratulations on your admission to a graduate program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn!
When you attend graduate school at UM-Dearborn, you’re not only earning a Michigan degree on a small, supportive campus. You’re also getting a top-notch, nationally recognized education.
- US News & World Report ranks UM-Dearborn #1 among regional public universities in the state of Michigan and #3 among regional public universities in the Midwest.
- US News & World Report ranks UM-Dearborn #13 for Top Performance in Social Mobility.
- US News & World Report recognizes several of our graduate programs as among the best in the nation.
- The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching awarded us the Community Engagement Classification for our commitment to being deeply engaged with our community through teaching, learning, research and service that makes a difference.
Visit our Facts and Figures to learn what sets our institution apart, including our international student employment outcomes.
The information below will help guide you through your next steps as you prepare to enroll. If you have further questions regarding next steps, we recommend reaching out to your admitting department for guidance.
First Steps
You have received a congratulatory message from the Office of Graduate Studies through your application portal. Your admitting department is preparing a detailed admission letter to be sent with further details regarding your program. Decision letters are sent by email to the account used for your online application unless an update is requested with the Office of Graduate Studies.
Email account information will be sent by email from IT Accounts (it.accounts@umich.edu) to the email account used on your admission application. Activate your UMich email account based on instructions provided. You will need to complete this step in order to enroll in classes. University communications are sent to your UMich email account, so be sure to check it regularly!
We encourage all students to review scholarship opportunities and to create a profile in the Scholarship Universe platform to see what internal or external scholarship opportunities they may match to.
Additional UM-Dearborn resources for cost-planning include:
Financial Aid FAQs
Graduate Tuition Calculator
Cost of Attendance Estimates
Domestic Students
Unlike what you might be familiar with from your undergraduate experience, graduate federal and state financial aid is generally limited to loan options, specifically Direct Unsubsidized or Direct PLUS Loans. It is also important to note that you must be enrolled at least half-time (4 credits or more) to be eligible to receive financial aid. As most of our graduate courses are 3 credits, you would generally need to take at least 2 courses to be eligible for aid.
To apply for federal aid, complete the FAFSA and report school code 002326 to send to UM-Dearborn.
International Students
Federal aid, state aid, and institutional need-based aid is generally not available to international students. Financial support options that are available to international students include our non-resident graduate tuition scholarship, private scholarship options, and private loan options.
In order to accept your offer of graduate admission to the University of Michigan-Dearborn, you will need to submit a non-refundable $250 Enrollment Deposit.* This deposit is credited to your student account and applied toward your first term’s bill.
We do not have a deadline to accept the offer, but do encourage you to keep registration timetables in mind for your term of admission. Individual courses may fill up quickly if they have high interest or need.
You will not be able to register for courses or apply for an I-20 (relevant to international students attending on a student visa) until the enrollment deposit has been paid. College of Business students requiring a math course as a condition of admission will need to pay the deposit prior to requesting a voucher for the math placement exam.
*Important note: Graduate enrollment deposits are not required of fully funded PhD admits and current UM-Dearborn undergraduate students admitted into a 4+1/Accelerated Masters program.
Please take your time and read through the information provided in the links below to prepare for your arrival in the United States.
Incoming International Students
The Office of International Affairs provides detailed instructions for new international admits on next steps to request an I-20 or DS-2019 online via M-International, along with other next steps, on their Prepare to Arrive page.
Looking for connections to current international students?
Consider reaching out to existing international student organizations with any student experience-related questions. The below listed organizations have current graduate students in their leadership and consider part of their mission to help new graduate students settle in. They are a great resource and an avenue to help develop community before arrival.
Graduate International Student Organization
Indian Graduate Student Association
African Student Union
Gearing Up
The registration timetables for the next term are published by the Office of the Registrar a few weeks before registration begins. Once open, registration remains open to the start of classes. In order to register for courses, you will need to login with your uniqname and password. Be sure to review relevant policies and key terms.
It is important to register for courses as soon as possible once registration is open. Sections do fill up and a course may be canceled if there are not enough students registered before a certain date.
Questions about using the registration system can be directed to One Stop Student Services. Questions about which courses to register for can be directed to your advisor (be sure to look under the Graduate Students section). The Graduate Catalog has important information about course offerings, degree requirements, and policies. Your academic unit can assist you with academic advising, course selection, registration overrides, and more.
All College of Business international students should email umd-cobgradadvisor@umich.edu with your choices to finalize your course registration for your first term.
Once you are registered for classes you will receive access to additional areas, such as the My UM-Dearborn Portal. The Students hub can provide quick access to all the resources you need as a UM-Dearborn student.
Complete graduate orientation activities and register for optional Q&A session closer to the start of classes for any lingering questions you have as the semester begins.
Do you still need to submit final official transcripts, degree certificates, etc? Check your Admissions Portal to see what Checklist Items are still outstanding post-admission. Outstanding items must be submitted before the end of your first term of enrollment to continue in the program. Earlier submission is recommended so there are no delays in registering for your second term of courses. If you have outstanding items when your first term begins, a hold will be placed on your account and you will not be able to register for additional terms until all outstanding items have been received.
How to Submit
Official documents can be submitted in the following ways:
- Electronic submission, directly from the issuing institution, to the Office of Graduate Studies at umd-graduatestudies@umich.edu
- Mail physical documents in a sealed envelope, directly from the issuing institution, to the Office of Graduate Studies (documents are not returned)
- Admitted students with international documents that are difficult to submit in the above methods can bring their original documents to One Stop Student Services on campus for "true copy" services; eligible documents are international transcripts, diplomas, and degree certificates. To utilize "true copy" services, visit One Stop Student Services (1145 Renick University Center) where the documents are copied and returned in the same visit. The copies are transferred to the Office of Graduate Studies for processing. Appointments are not required, but we do ask that you bring your M-Card/UMID with you in order to match your copies to your student record.
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.
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 umd-graduatestudies@umich.edu. Extension requests must include the specific documents requiring an extension and the estimated date (month/year) 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.
Nearly There
Current students can obtain an MCard in the James C. Renick University Center with proof of current registration.
Registered students can obtain a parking permit from the Parking Services Office with proof of current registration and a valid UMID.
Do you plan on taking the campus shuttle? Be sure to check the current schedule for pickup times between buildings.
All international students must complete the OIA Immigration Check-in process prior to the start of classes. This includes completion of the required Immigration Check-in eForm, and attendance at the required Immigration Check-in event. Be sure to plan your travel dates accordingly.
Interested in learning more about campus? In-person, virtual, or self-guided walking campus tours are available.
Be sure to check tuition due dates, payment methods, and policies.
Interested in paying tuition in monthly installments, rather than one lump sum? Learn more about payment plans.
Ready, Set, Go!
Make sure you know when classes start and other important dates from the Academic Calendar.
Visit the Barnes & Noble bookstore online or at the James C. Renick University Center (UC) to purchase your books.
Canvas is the home for all online courses, as well as some assignments, discussions, and resources for hybrid and on-campus classes.
A web-based audit tool, Degree Works can be used to help understand your progress to degree and to map your “what if” academic scenarios. The graduate catalog and any program-specific handbook should also be reviewed.
Change in Start Term Needed?
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 2023 is valid through Fall 2024). Deferral requests for hard deadline programs are always reviewed on a case by case basis by the program. Admitted students required to pay an enrollment deposit must pay the deposit prior to requesting a deferral.
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.
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.