Electrical Engineering Graduate Program
Guidelines for Online Application

The Electrical Engineering (EE) Graduate Program is part of the University of Michigan's Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Prospective graduate students for the EE Program submit online applications through the Rackham Graduate School website.

Links with Related Information:

Important Deadlines:

We admit students for the Fall Term only. (No applications for Winter or Spring/Summer will be accepted.) Applications received after the deadlines below will be at a competitive disadvantage during the evaluation process.

Completing the Online Application

Online Application

This page offers information that should be helpful to you as you submit your online application. It is in addition to the instructions you will find on the Rackham web site, and is not meant to replace them.

You will first be asked to set up an account before accessing the application. International applicants: Use your name (first and last/family) as it appears on your passport or other legal documents.

Once you have set up your account, you will proceed to complete the online application. You may start your application, save the information, and then return to it as many times as necessary before final submission. Save your information whenever you reach the bottom of a screen.

Please review your application materials carefully prior to submission.  Once the application is submitted, we are not able to make changes.

Please note: If you have submitted an item electronically, do not send duplicate items by mail.

There are 14 pages to the online application.

Page 1 - Getting Started

Enter your name as it appears on your passport or other legal documents.

Page 2 & 3- Program and Subplan Selection

Select your program, Electrical Engineering, and one of the degrees.

(Note: If you wish to major in Control, Communications, or Signal Processing, you should apply to the Electrical Engineering:Systems Program.)

You must then select a subplan (meaning a major area of study), using a dropdown menu.

The Subplan dropdown will offer:

• Applied Electromagnetics & RF Circuits
• Integrated Circuits and VLSI
• MEMS and Microsystems
• Optics & Photonics
• Solid State

Although you must select one of the subplans offered, if you want to choose a second subplan, mention your interest in this area in your Statement of Purpose.

NOTE: The list of subplans does not fully match the technical areas listed for electrical engineering. Select the option or options that best matches your interests, and describe your interests more fully in the Statement of Purpose.

Pages 3-6:  Answer questions about Fee Waiver, Personal Information Program Information, and Education Information.

Page 6: Submitting transcripts is a two-step process. You will see links for the following information:

• Type of Transcript Required
• Submitting your Transcript

1. Scan and upload your transcript/academic record into the online application.

Scan and upload a transcript/academic record that displays your name, the name of the institution, the institutional seal and signature of the Registrar (or Recorder of Records Office). Do not upload advising transcripts or transcripts that you print directly from an internet website. PLEASE NOTE: Failure to include an electronic copy of your transcript(s) with the online application will cause a delay in the processing of your application.

2. Send your official transcript/academic record to Rackham.

Electronic Option: E-transcripts may be sent by your institution to Rackham at Rack-etranscripts@umich.edu. A transcript received from a personal e-mail address will not be accepted. If your school also requires a mailing address, use the one indicated below.

If being sent my mail, the official transcript must be mailed to:

Do NOT send your official transcript by mail to the department.

It is your responsibility to request the release of any such records from the institutions involved. If you have a foreign transcript, you must include official transcripts, certificates and diplomas in the original language and an official English translation.

Page 8: You will be asked for your Test Score Information and Language Proficiency Information.

GRE Scores. Request that your scores from ETS be sent to Institution code: 1839.

International applicants must also arrange for their TOEFL scores to be sent to Institution code: 1839. For questions, refer to Rackham's TOEFL guidelines.

Pages 8-9: Answer questions about your Awards, Publications and Activities; and Employment and Financial Information.

Page 10: Provide the names of people who will write Letters of Recommendation for you.

For our program, you must arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted. At least two letters should be from faculty. You will submit the names and contact information of the three recommenders on page 11.

Electronic submission of recommendation letters is recommended. If that is not possible, have the recommender complete the recommendation form from Rackham's website, and have the recommender mail the form to:

• University of Michigan Electrical Engineering Graduate Program Office 1301 Beal Ave; 3403 EECS BLDG Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122

Page 11: Upload your Academic Statement of Purpose online (a pdf, doc, docx, or rtf file under 5MB).

The Statement of Purpose is a statement about your academic, research and career goals.

Make sure that you state the area of study you wish to pursue.

Page 12: Upload your Personal Statement, your Curriculum Vitae/Resume, and Additional Information.

The Personal Statement is a statement about the effects of your life experiences, such as volunteer work, leadership activities, cultural and educational background, on your decision to pursue a graduate degree. It is limited to 500 words.

Page 13: Sign and date the form. You can save the form and return later, or submit it. Please review your application materials carefully prior to submission.  Once the application is submitted, we are not able to make changes.

Additional Information:

• All PhD applicants are automatically considered for departmental financial aid. No separate application is required. Departmental financial aid is not ordinarily available for students applying to the Master's program.
• For more information regarding other sources of financial aid refer to the ECE Departmental Financial Aid page.
• Applicants receiving external fellowships should upload documentation of the award as part of the Rackham application.
• We are not usually able to respond immediately to requests for application status. Each application is carefully reviewed. Decisions are made throughout the academic year; therefore it is best to allow us until April 1st before making a status request.
• All submitted documents become the property of the University of Michigan and cannot be returned or forwarded.
• If you or your recommenders experience any technical difficulty while apply to Rackham, please click here for assistance.