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Graduate Admissions

Apply for graduate study in CSE

The application for graduate admission reopens in mid-September and is completed online through the Rackham Graduate School. Please note that all admissions are for the fall term.

Click here to apply >

How to apply

The CSE graduate program is part of the University of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

Online application instructions >

Frequently asked questions >


GRE scores are not considered in the admissions review of PhD or Master’s applications.

CSE Faculty

Prospective students may reach out to CSE faculty members who they are interested in working with to ask about related research areas.

In general, if you do not see a specific faculty member listed in the application dropdown, please include their name in another area of the application (e.g. the statement of purpose or the Additional Information section). The application can be searched by faculty using keywords and they will be able to find applicants that indicated their names within the application.

Fee waiver – PhD Applicants

This application has closed (deadline was Nov. 24).

Fee Waiver Deadline

November 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST (different than graduate application deadline)

You will be notified by December 9, 2024 (EST) whether or not you have received a fee waiver. Applicants may start the graduate application (including reaching out to recommenders) prior to fee waiver notification (the application allows one to save progress and make edits prior to submitting).

Due to limited resources, we will not be able to provide fee waivers for everyone who applies. We recommend prospective applicants also check out the fee waivers offered by Rackham Graduate School.

This is not a reimbursement program – fee waivers must be used at the time of submitting the Rackham ApplyNet application. We cannot reimburse application fees after submission.   

Questions? Email [email protected]

Fee waiver – Master’s Applicants

Unfortunately, our program is unable to provide fee waivers for Master’s applicants this admissions cycle. We recommend prospective applicants check out the fee waivers offered by Rackham Graduate School.  

Application deadlines

PhD Application DeadlineMaster’s Application Deadline
December 15th, 11:59 PM ETJanuary 15th, 11:59 PM ET
For full admission and financial aid consideration, applications to the doctoral program must be completed and submitted by December 15th.

For full admission consideration, applications to the master’s program must be completed and submitted by January 15th.

Neither the PhD program nor the terminal Master’s program admit students for the Winter or Spring/Summer terms.

At the graduate level, admitted students are notified via email from February through April. If accepting the offer of admission, doctoral admits must email their signed acceptance to [email protected] and respond to the email from Rackham Admissions by April 15th. Master’s admits accepting the offer must respond to the email from Rackham Admissions by May 1st.

Please note that the Rackham Graduate Application closes during the summer and will open back up for the new admissions cycle in late August/early September.

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program

SUGS is open to current U of M undergraduate students only.

SUGS program applications must be submitted and completed by:

  • January 15 (fall term)
  • October 1 (winter term)

Dual Degree Admission

Current Rackham students seeking dual admission to the CSE Terminal Master’s program should review Rackham’s Dual Admission guidance.

Successful applicants have typically completed at least three 500-Level EECS Courses earning a grade of ‘B’ or better and are sufficiently prepared to complete the Program requirements outlined in section 3 of CSE’s Graduate Program Guide, available here. In addition to completing Rackham’s Dual Admission Application process, applicants should include as a part of their application:

  • CV or resume
  • Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement
  • 1 Letter of Recommendation from a CSE faculty member

Deadlines for admissions consideration:

  • January 15 (fall term)
  • October 1 (winter term)

Eligibility requirements

We expect applicants to both the Master’s and PhD programs to have earned their bachelor’s degrees by the time they matriculate, and to possess strong backgrounds in computer science or a related discipline. A master’s degree is not required to apply to the PhD program.

Successful applicants usually have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 (although this is not a hard requirement) and three strong letters of recommendation. International students must demonstrate English proficiency. Further information about English Proficiency as well as exemption requirements may be found here.

Students admitted to the PhD program generally exceed these standards. In addition, students admitted to the PhD program often have prior research experience or have demonstrated research aptitude.

Funding

We guarantee PhD students full funding as long as they are making satisfactory progress towards the degree. Admission to the M.S. program is not accompanied by funding, but there are opportunities for financial support after beginning the program.

Contact Us

Contact us with any questions about Computer Science and Engineering graduate programs.

[email protected]