Admissions Guidelines
Sections
- AERO Graduate Application Deadlines
- Academic Background of Applicants
- U-M AERO Master’s Students Applying to PhD Program
- Admission Decisions
The Aerospace Engineering (AERO) graduate programs are part of the Rackham Graduate School. The application process is handled by Rackham, with decisions made by faculty in the Aerospace Engineering Department.
Find out more about AERO’s application process and admission requirements for international students.
Graduate Application Deadlines
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application early and not wait until the deadline date. Applications will receive the greatest consideration if all elements of the application (including letters of recommendation, test scores, and official transcripts) have been successfully submitted to Rackham by the deadline. Once the application is submitted, it cannot be modified.
Fall term:
PhD deadline: December 15
MSE and SUGS deadline: January 15
Winter term:
PhD, MSE and SUGS deadline: October 1
Academic Calendar
Aerospace Engineering classes are NOT offered during U-M’s Spring or Summer terms.
Our primary admissions cycle is for the Fall term (September – December), which is the term for which most faculty recruit doctoral students. There is smaller admissions cycle for Winter term (January – April).
- Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar
Academic background of applicants
Engineering degree
Admission for the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) program requires the equivalent of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) at the University of Michigan.
A master’s degree is not required to apply to the PhD program. Many students who go directly into the PhD program get a MSE from Aerospace Engineering along the way.
Solid undergraduate preparation in mathematics and engineering is essential. We have found that the lack of an engineering background puts students at a disadvantage during their graduate studies. We advise applicants without an engineering background to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) .
Scores and Grades
Our graduate program is very selective and only approximately 15% of the PhD applicants, and 25% of the MSE applicants to our program are admitted. GPA and GRE scores are very high, and project experience during the undergraduate years is very common.
Recently admitted PhD applicants had a combined GRE score above 320 (Verbal + Quantitative), a minimum Analytical Writing score of 4.0, and a GPA over 3.6.
If my scores and grades are lower will I automatically be denied?
The Graduate Admissions Committee looks at the complete application and is most interested in academic performance, GRE scores, research experience, good letters of recommendation, and the academic statement of purpose. If your grades and scores are lower in some areas, your application will be weaker, but not automatically denied.
U-M AERO Master’s Students Applying to the PhD Program
Current U-M AERO master’s students applying to the PhD program must submit a new application for the PhD program by the graduate application deadline.
U-M AERO master’s with faculty advising & funding commitment
Current U-M master’s students with an AERO faculty’s commitment to advise and fund their doctoral program must complete a new Rackham application, request your faculty member submit an online letter of recommendation stating their commitment to advise and fund your doctoral program (only this single letter of recommendation is necessary) and notify Ruthie Freeman, Graduate Student Services Coordinator.
ONLY applicants with faculty advising and funding commitment have a later application deadline. Fall term: March 1 and Winter term: November 1.
Admission Decisions
Decision Timeline
The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews all Fall term applications and begins making PhD decisions in January with final decisions made by April 15. PhD applicants are admitted when there is a match of interest with a faculty member(s). Master’s degree decisions are sent out in March.
Admission decisions for our Winter term, our smaller admissions cycle, are sent in October.
Applicant Notification
The Graduate Admissions Committee notifies applicants of their admission decision via email as soon an admission decision is reached. Applicants recommended for admission are reviewed by Rackham to confirm admission requirements are met. Several days later the admitted applicant receives an email from Rackham with their official admissions offer and request for any additional application or visa documents.