Prospective Students

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Graduate students in the Chemical Engineering program are students of the Rackham Graduate School. Our admissions process is handled through Rackham, but all applications are reviewed and admissions decisions are made by our departmental admissions committee.

Making Connections

We match new students with research advisors in October after all new students are on campus. Contacting individual faculty members will not influence the admissions decision. Learn more about admission criteria and requirements

Programs and Deadlines

The ChE department is welcoming four new faculty this year. Given the rapidly growing department, we’re looking for ambitious and outstanding PhD applicants to join us in the Winter 2023 term. Please apply by the deadline below.

Please visit our admissions timeline webpage for more information.

	FALL TERM ADMISSION	WINTER TERM ADMISSION
Doctoral Program	December 1	October 1 (contact che.questions@umich.edu)
Master’s & SUGS Programs	January 15	October 1 (contact che.questions@umich.edu)

Applicants who ultimately want to earn a PhD should apply directly to the Ph.D. program. A Master’s degree is not required to earn a PhD degree. Find answers to applicants’ most frequently asked questions.

Funding

There is no separate application for financial aid. All students who intend to earn a PhD will be automatically considered for aid. We do not make any offers of financial assistance to Master’s applicants. Learn more about financial support.

Application Fee Waivers

If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status with financial hardship, you may be eligible for a Chemical Engineering Graduate Program fee waiver. Individual Fee waivers will be awarded based on a review of the individual Fee Waiver Request.

If you meet the fee waiver criteria and would like to apply for a fee waiver, please submit your request between September 20 and November 20. Decisions for fee waivers will be made weekly.

Please note that the Rackham Graduate School administers fee waivers. Details are available here.

How to Apply

Submit the following:

Statement of Purpose: Statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan’s graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives).
Personal Statement: This is not the Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.
General GRE scores: GRE scores are no longer required.
Three Letters of Recommendation: Letters from professors and especially research advisors are generally preferred. We prefer that these be submitted electronically via the online application. The system will accept just three letters, but additional recommendations may be mailed to the department.
Mailed recommendation letters should be sent to the department and accompanied by the U-M recommendation form available through the Rackham website.
Transcripts: Applicants will scan and upload an official transcript/academic record that displays the institutional seal and signature of the Registrar or Recorder of Records into the online application.
Applicants will enter a “self-reported” GPA. Note: International applicants will be directed to a third-party website that provides a tool for converting their grades and GPA to a U.S. 4.0 GPA equivalent scale.
Official electronic or paper transcripts/documents are only required if a student is admitted, and these must be submitted by the end of the first term of enrollment.
Scholaro GPA calculation is required for international institutions (Scholaro GPA Calculator). Instructions are included in the application. Failure to use the correct grading scale when calculating your GPA could lead to the reversal of an offer of admission.