Admissions

Applying to NERS – Application Materials and Details

Interested students must apply on-line through the central web site of Rackham Graduate School.

1. Academic Statement of Purpose: The academic statement of purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how this graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
2. Personal Statement: The Personal Statement should contain your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. NERS allows 2 single-spaced pages in length and the 500-word limit does not apply.
3. Resume
4. GRE Scores for PhD applicants: GRE scores sent from ETS (Institution code is 1839).
   • GRE scores are optional for PhD or MS applicants.
   • The recommended scores are as follows:
     • Verbal Reasoning scores 60%
     • Quantitative Reasoning scores 80-85%
     • Analytical Writing scores 4.0/6.0
     • These are RECOMMENDED scores and not cut-off scores for admission consideration. We review the entire application holistically, and test scores are only a part of evaluation.
5. Three letters of Recommendation: Please contact help@applyweb.com if your recommenders have trouble uploading documents.
6. Transcripts:
   • Applicants who are attending or graduated from a U.S. institution: You are only required to upload electronic versions of your transcript(s) with the online application. If you are admitted to NERS, official copies will be required by the Rackham Graduate School. Detailed instructions regarding how to submit transcripts are HERE.
   • Applicants that are attending or graduated from a Non-U.S. Institution: Submit required documents from each institution attended including non-degree and study abroad in two steps:
     1. Submitting transcripts with the Online Application:
        Applicants upload a copy of their official transcript/academic record to the online application.
     2. Sending official transcripts to the Rackham Graduate School: Please read HERE for detailed instructions regarding how to submit transcripts.
     3. Note: official transcripts, certificates, and diplomas must include the original language, in addition to an English translation.
7. International Applicants must also send:
   • Copy of the TOEFL score report.
     • Minimum TOEFL score requirements: CBT 220; Paper 560; iBT 84
   • TOEFL scores sent from ETS (Institution code is 1839).
   • Scores are accepted for up to two years after completing an exam. Click HERE for further information regarding TOEFL and language assessment.
8. Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA): While there is no minimum GPA requirement, admitted students have an average GPA of approximately 3.7.
9. Application Fees: $75.00 application fee for domestic applicants or $90.00 application fee for international applicants.
10. Application Deadlines:
    • Application deadline for Fall Term (September)
      • December 15 for PhD
      • January 15 for Master’s
    • Application deadlines for Winter Term (January)
      • October 1

After Application submission

1. Track Your Application Progress: You can track the progress of your application electronically through Wolverine Access. By logging into Wolverine Access, you can see when we received documents, which documents we are missing, which recommendation letters have been received, which letters are missing, etc.
2. Admission Decision Timeline:
   • January–April: PhD admission offers are emailed to applicants.
   • February: MS admission offers are emailed to applicants.
   • March–April: Notification sent to applicants who do not receive admission offers.
   • Applicants are notified via e-mail as soon as the admission decision is reached.
3. Have more questions?
   • Further information can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).