Graduate Admissions

Office of Graduate Programs
251 Frances Willson Thompson Library
(810) 762-3171
Fax: (810) 766-6789
Email: FlintGradOffice@umich.edu
www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms

Director of Graduate Programs: Christopher A. Lewis, Ed.D.
Assistant Director: Debbie Samida
Business Administrator: Mary Deibis
Recruitment and Communications Specialist: Erin Strom
Administrative Assistant Senior: Jaquetta Redwine
Student Administrative Assistant Associate: Theresa Kennedy
International Admissions Coordinator: Jackie Best
Marketing Coordinator: Danton Porto

The Office of Graduate Programs manages graduate education and oversees graduate admissions at the University of Michigan-Flint. The office collaborates with the colleges and schools to coordinate recruitment and retention efforts. 

Programs

The University of Michigan-Flint offers over 50 graduate degree and certificate programs. A complete list of all available graduate programs is available under Program Listings.

Students who have been admitted into other University of Michigan graduate programs and are in good standing may register for graduate courses at the University of Michigan-Flint but are advised to seek assistance regarding procedures from their respective campuses. Information on graduate degree programs offered by the University of Michigan-Flint is available in the Office of Graduate Programs.

Admission

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or its equivalent in another country, that meets the minimum degree requirement for a given program of study are considered for admission without regard to sex, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, handicap, or Vietnam-era veteran status. See the appropriate section below for admission requirements specific to the various degree programs.

An applicant who holds a degree from outside the United States that is not the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree may be granted conditional admission to a degree program upon the recommendation of the academic program and the concurring opinion of the Director of Graduate Programs. Such an admission decision will be based on a careful evaluation of the applicant’s qualifications, acceptable evidence of the institution’s competence in the student’s principal areas of preparation, and other relevant factors. If granted conditional admission, the student must complete a number of hours of graduate or upper-level undergraduate qualifying coursework. Note: Current Rackham School of Graduate Studies policy does not allow admission of students with three-year bachelor’s degrees. Therefore, this policy does not apply to Rackham programs at UM-Flint.

Students admitted with conditions of any kind must fulfill such conditions to register for classes beyond the first term of admission. Extensions to this deadline may be granted in extenuating circumstances by the Office of Graduate Programs or the program’s administration. All conditions must be fulfilled before a student can graduate with the degree.

Application Deadlines

Each graduate program at UM-Flint has deadlines for applying for admission. Deadlines vary by program as well as by semester. Some programs admit students in all entry terms (Fall, Winter, and Summer), while others limit admission to specific terms. Please check the Graduate Programs website for application deadlines and admission terms.

International students may be required to apply before the program’s deadline, which is earlier. The final deadlines for international students are May 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the winter semester. International students should apply by the earlier deadline (program deadline or the international deadline).

How to Apply

Each graduate program at the University of Michigan-Flint has its own policies and procedures for admission. To apply, you must submit an application, pay the application fee, and submit all supporting materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) required by the program you wish to apply by the application deadline. Please go to the appropriate graduate program website to access admission and application information for your intended program of study.

Application related forms are available from the Office of Graduate Programs online.

Prospective students may telephone (810) 762-3171 or email FlintGradOffice@umich.edu with questions about their application.

Application Fees

Submission of an application requires payment of a $55.00 application fee. The application fee can be paid by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover) or by a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank. We do not accept checks drawn on a bank outside the United States. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be credited toward tuition or any other fees. In the rare event where a program has gone into moratorium, the fee can be transferred to another graduate program. All fees are subject to change without prior notice.

English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, even if you are currently a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and regardless of how long you have resided or been educated in the U.S.*, you must demonstrate English proficiency. Learn more about ways to demonstrate this here.

International Student Transcript Evaluation

Non-U.S. transcripts require an evaluation to confirm institution accreditation, U.S. education equivalency, and to convert grades/cumulative GPA to the 4.0 scale. Read the following for instructions on how to submit your transcripts for review.

Financial Certification Requirements for International Students

International students seeking an F-1 visa must submit an Affidavit of Financial Support form. This document can be accessed through iService and is required to secure an I-20 required for F-1 status. The affidavit provides satisfactory evidence that you have adequate funds to support your academic pursuits at UM-Flint. Read more about Financial Certification Requirements for International Students here.

Transfer of Credit

The University of Michigan-Flint will recognize graduate credits earned in other regionally accredited institutions of higher education, and in other schools and colleges of the University of Michigan, provided the credits meet the criteria of the appropriate transfer policy. Programs are free to restrict the number or types of credits it will accept or choose not to accept any credits. Students should check with their program of study for further information. This policy governs all master’s degree programs not affiliated with the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Graduate credits may also be transferred to Rackham master’s degree programs at UM-Flint by following the Rackham Policy on Transfer of Credit. This policy does not govern transfer of credit into doctoral or certificate programs at UM-Flint; programs set their own policy but are urged to follow this policy. All graduate programs (Rackham/non-Rackham as well as master’s and doctoral) follow the same process for requesting transfer credit, even though they may not follow the policy on this page.

Course credits must be transferred in total or not at all. The transferred credit appears on the UM-Flint graduate record, but the associated grades received for this credit do not appear and are not computed in the student’s cumulative GPA (with the exception of credits earned through the Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies program). Credit from all quarter-system schools will be transferred according to the standard ratio of two semester hours for three-quarter hours or two-thirds of a semester hour for each quarter-hour.

UM-Flint differentiates between three types of course credit that may be transferred:

1. Graduate credits completed in residence at another regionally accredited institution (other than the University of Michigan); or 
2. Non-UM-Flint graduate credits completed in another University of Michigan school or college, e.g., Rackham School of Graduate Studies (any campus), University of Michigan-Dearborn, Ross School of Business, etc.; or
3. Credit for Prior Learning. Graduate level learning acquired through professional experience that can be evaluated for possible credit.

Outside Institution Transfer of Credit Policy: Students may transfer up to three courses (9-12 credit hours) from eligible institutions toward a master’s degree at UM-Flint. Individual graduate programs may set stricter limits or prohibit transfer credits altogether.*

Transfer credits will only be granted for approved graduate-level courses if all of the conditions are met. Please note: Transfer credit limits may vary by program. Refer to the specific program’s section in the catalog for details on allowable transfer credits.

*UM-Flint-approved articulation agreements with other institutions may increase the number of credits allowed for transfer.

University of Michigan System Transfer of Credit Policy: The policy governing transfer of graduate credit completed in residence at another University of Michigan or college for students in non-Rackham master degree programs is as follows: Up to one-half (1/2) the minimum number of credit hours required for a master’s degree program may be transferred to a student’s UM-Flint graduate record from both category one and two sources combined. Such credit may be transferred only for approved graduate-level courses and if all of the conditions below are met.

Conditions That Must Be Met To Transfer Credit:

• Student must be in a master’s degree program.
• Students must submit official final undergraduate transcripts/credentials.
• Submission to the Office of Graduate Programs of the completed transfer of credit form signed by the student and the department or program graduate chair signifying approval along with a current official final transcript from the institution to which you wish to transfer the credit. 

Courses Cannot Be Transferred for Credit If:

• Already applied in whole or in part, in any way, toward any undergraduate degree, graduate degree, or certificate.**
• Credit(s) will be applied in whole or in part, in any way, towards any other current or future U-M degree or certificate.
• Taken more than five years before first enrollment in the present UM-Flint graduate program.
• A grade below “B” was earned.
• Graduate-level work was not done.

**Certificate refers to an academic credential given by a regionally accredited postsecondary institution. It does not refer to teaching certificates.

Courses taken while enrolled as an undergraduate may be reviewed for transfer to the student’s graduate record if:

• The courses have been approved for graduate credit by the institution’s graduate school.
• The Registrar or Senior Auditor of the granting institution certifies that the courses were not used in whole or in part, in any way, to meet the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Courses taken while enrolled as an undergraduate are not acceptable for graduate credit if:

• The courses were taken at an exclusively undergraduate institution.
• The courses were taken for undergraduate credit.

Process for Requesting Transfer Credit: Click here for more instructions.

The purpose of graduate Lifelong Learning status is to permit and facilitate access to UM-Flint graduate courses to students not formally admitted to a UM-Flint graduate degree program.

General Policies

• Students must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution and wish to take graduate courses without being formally admitted to a UM-Flint degree program are considered graduate Lifelong Learning students.
• Graduate Lifelong Learning students must provide proof of a bachelor’s degree.*
• Instructor and/or program director approval is required for each course the student wishes to elect.
• Prerequisites, grading standards, class assignments, and attendance requirements of a course apply to all students in that course, including graduate Lifelong Learning and guest students.
• Colleges, departments, schools, and programs determine rules of access to their courses and may limit enrollment of graduate Lifelong Learning students in certain courses.
• Graduate Lifelong Learning students are not eligible for most sources of financial aid.
• Graduate Lifelong Learning students who wish to be admitted to a UM-Flint graduate degree program in the future must apply for that program using the Graduate Application for Admission in accordance with established application deadlines. Courses taken as a graduate Lifelong Learning student do not guarantee admission to a program.
• In general, up to six (6) graduate credit hours elected as a graduate Lifelong Learning student may apply toward a UM-Flint graduate degree. In certain circumstances, some programs may accept up to nine (9) credits. The student must receive admission to a degree program, and the program director must determine that the courses are acceptable.
• Graduate Lifelong Learning admission is for one term only. Students who wish to enroll in a future term as a Lifelong Learning student must submit another Application for Graduate Lifelong Learning or Guest Admission and receive course approvals.

*A student in his/her final semester of undergraduate study at UM-Flint who wishes to elect a graduate course for the following semester as a graduate Lifelong Learning student must submit a memo from his/her academic advisor stating when all degree requirements for the baccalaureate degree will be completed as well as a signed Statement of Understanding.

How to Apply

Complete the Application for Graduate Lifelong Learning or Guest Admission and submit it together with the following supporting documents to the University of Michigan-Flint, Office of Graduate Programs, 303 E. Kearsley St., Flint, MI  48502-1950:

• A transcript or diploma with a bachelor’s or master’s degree posted.
• Applicants whose native language is not English (this includes U.S. citizens and permanent residents whose native language is not English) must demonstrate English proficiency.
• Applicants who are in their final semester of their undergraduate studies who wish to elect a graduate course for the following semester as a graduate Lifelong Learning student must submit a memo from their academic advisor stating when all degree requirements for their baccalaureate degree will be completed as well as a signed Statement of Understanding.

While most departments do not have a deadline to apply to take a graduate course under Lifelong Learning status, it is highly recommended that you apply with sufficient time to get instructor permission, submit any required supporting documents, register for the course(s), and take care of any university business (ID card, parking pass, tuition payments, etc.) associated with your course(s). Check with the department or program that offers the course regarding deadlines.

More information on Lifelong Learning Admission can be found here.

Guest Graduate Admission

Graduate students at other colleges and universities can take UM-Flint graduate courses without being formally admitted to a graduate degree program. There are several ways a graduate student at another institution can take graduate courses as a guest student at UM-Flint. Please read the section that best applies to you.

Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Study (MIGS)

The University of Michigan participates in the Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Study (MIGS) program. The MIGS Program creates exchange possibilities for graduate students currently enrolled in Michigan universities. Students can take advantage of course and research opportunities offered at another Michigan university provided such opportunities are not available on the home campus. Students in master’s or specialist degree programs may enroll for six hours at a host institution, while doctoral students may enroll for up to nine credit hours at a host institution. Click here for more information.

Rackham Students from UM-Ann Arbor or UM-Dearborn

Rackham students from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan-Dearborn may elect a course(s) on the Flint campus using the Rackham Graduate Guest application for UM-Flint. Students must obtain permission from their program chair on their home campus and approval from the program director of the course they wish to take on the Flint campus.  Upon completion of coursework at the Flint campus, the student will request an academic transcript from the Flint campus to be sent to the appropriate office at Ann Arbor or Dearborn for the credit to be evaluated. Students must obtain, complete, and submit a UM-Flint Rackham Graduate Guest Application each semester they wish to enroll at the Flint campus. Click here for more information.

General Guest Student Status

Students who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution, are currently graduate students attending another institution and wish to take graduate courses not necessarily leading to a UM-Flint degree, and who cannot participate in the MIGS or Rackham guest programs (described above) are considered general graduate guest students.

General Policies

• A transcript, diploma, or other proof of a bachelor’s or master’s degree earned at an accredited institution is required for admission.
• Guest students must obtain instructor and/or program director approval for each course they wish to elect.
• Guest students must also obtain approval from their advisor in the program in which they are currently enrolled or admitted.
• Prerequisites, grading standards, class assignments, and attendance requirements of a course apply to all students in that course, including guest students.
• Colleges, departments, schools, and programs determine rules of access to their courses and may limit enrollment of guest students in certain courses.
• Graduate guest students are not eligible for most sources of financial aid from UM-Flint. 
• Guest admission is for one term only. Students who wish to enroll in a future term as a guest student must submit another application.

How to Apply

The application process depends on the type of guest admission you seek. Please visit the website for detailed information.