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Application Information

 

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Prospective students interested in the MS or PhD programs of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EARTH) must apply to the Rackham Graduate School for admission in the following fall term. For U-M undergraduate students who are currently pursuing an EARTH major, we also offer a fifth-year MS program. These students must discuss their applications first with the Associate Chair for Curriculum.

Deadline – A completed application form, including all three letters of recommendation and TOEFL scores, must be submitted on the ApplyWeb website. The deadline will be in mid-December but check here (select "Earth and Environmental Sciences") for the most recent information. Applications that fail to meet this deadline will not be considered for Fall Term admission.

Application fee – The application fee is due when the application is submitted. This fee is $75 for US citizens and permanent residents, $90 for non-US citizens, and $10 for current Rackham students regardless of citizenship.

Fee waiver – The College of LSA's fee waiver program is meant to increase applications from students from diverse backgrounds.  In general, the Rackham’s Merit Fellowship (RMF) Program criteria determine eligibility if applicants

  1. have a record of superior academic achievement (e.g., grade point average, honors, or other designation);
  2. are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)

and meet one of the following criteria:

  • Applicants come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in your discipline in the United States or at the University of Michigan;
  • Applicants have demonstrated a commitment to reduce social, educational, or economic disparities based on race, ethnicity, or gender, or to improve race relations in the U.S. through their work experience, volunteer engagement, or leadership of student or community organizations. By diversity, we mean efforts;
  • Applicants have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances;
  • Applicants are first-generation U.S. citizens or first generation in their families to graduate from a four‐year college.

The Department provides fee waivers to applicants who have been admitted to our Fall Preview Program and to applicants based on financial need.

All applicants requesting a fee waiver must contact the Academic Program Manager (michigan-earth@umich.edu) before December 6 with

  1. a brief justification (50–100 words)
  2. the name(s) of the potential faculty advisor(s) who have been contacted.

If approved, the applicant will receive a code for a fee waiver.

See also Application Fee and Waivers

How to Check your Application Status – Use the University of Michigan Wolverine Access website. Create a "friend account" and follow these directions.

Four steps – The application and admission processes can be broken into four steps beginning with your planning in the late Summer and culminating with a visit to EARTH in the Winter term for a selection of domestic candidates.

Questions? – Email michigan-earth@umich.edu.