Design Science students must apply for and start the program in the upcoming fall term, with classes only available on campus.
Rackham Graduate School Requirements:
The DESCI Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program is administered as a university Rackham Graduate School program, which has the following minimum requirements to apply:
- Applicants complete a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association, or complete an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned. (see Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions)
- Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. Applicants are required to provide an official test score report. Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores will not be accepted. For more details, see Test Scores.
- Individuals applying for a duplicate degree are not eligible for enrollment. See the Admission and Matriculation Policy for eligibility.
The Rackham Graduate School and individual graduate programs work as a team to manage the application review process. Applicants will therefore be interacting with both the DESCI program and Rackham. Once admitted to the university, Rackham will continue to be a valuable resource for students (see Rackham Graduate School).
The DESCI program will review the application materials and notify the applicant of a decision to recommended them for admission, or deny. The Rackham Graduate School then reviews the application materials for those recommended, confirms that the applicant meets minimum admission requirements, and assesses responses to questions. The formal offer of admission will be emailed to the applicant from Rackham, and will indicate the action steps that need to be taken.
Design Science Program Ph.D. Prerequisites:
- Applicants must have bachelor’s degree in a relevant design field such as engineering, business, psychology, industrial design, architecture, music, computer science, information, etc.
- A DESCI student is expected to have good mathematical and analytical skills to be able to conduct rigorous scientific research in design. A good minimal set of mathematical skills for all students are equivalent to the material covered in the following courses: Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Introduction to Probability and Statistics. It is likely that the typical student will have a BS in either engineering, in the physical/mathematical sciences, or business with a strong mathematical background. Non-engineering students will be admitted to the program with a record of appropriate math studies in their undergraduate or master’s degree in order to successfully pursue the scientific methods required in the Ph.D. program. If there is an otherwise strong candidate without the appropriate mathematical record, they would be advised that they need to take the appropriate course(s).
- GRE is not required but strongly encouraged, especially for students in non-engineering or non-science-related bachelor degrees to demonstrate their mathematical skills.
- The recommended minimum GPA is 3.5/4.0, but applications are subject to a holistic review.
Pathway to Ph.D.:
There are several pathways that a student may follow in order to apply for the DESCI Ph.D. program:
- A student with an MS/MA/MFA degree may apply and be directly admitted to the DESCI PhD program. Students currently earning a Master’s degree but who will complete it prior to starting the DESCI Ph.D. program can also apply.
- A student can apply to a separate discipline-based MS/MA/MFA program at U-M, and then subsequently seek admission to the DESCI PhD program. After one semester of full time enrollment in the Master’s program, the student can apply for admission to the DESCI PhD program as a dual degree student.
- A student can apply for formal admission to the DESCI PhD program without a master’s degree, but must complete 24 credits of ‘master’s equivalent’ coursework in addition to the 24 required credits for the DESCI PhD Program. The choice of courses will be subject to approval by the DESCI program leadership.
In all cases, DESCI Ph.D. students must have completed the Master’s degree by the time they reach doctoral candidacy in the DESCI Ph.D. program.
HOW TO APPLY – The Application Process:
Applicants should begin by referring to the Rackham Graduate School website for details about the Application Process. They should also begin preparing the required documentation, which includes the following:
1) Three (3) Required Letters of Recommendation:
Applicants will need to make sure that their recommenders submit their letters through the online application system, which will send them specific instructions on how to upload it. Instructions for how to include recommenders can be found when completing the online application. Letters must come from a professor, supervisor, or manager who can attest to an applicant’s experience and skills. Applicants cannot be their own recommender.
2) Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae
3) Academic Statement of Purpose & Research Statement
4) GRE Score:
- The GRE is encouraged but not required for the Design Science program.
- Information about the GRE including test dates and locations can be found at https://www.ets.org
- If submitting GRE scores, it is required that ETS submits an official score report sent directly to the University of Michigan (institution code 1839).
- Please note, GRE scores must be less than five years old as of the application deadline to be used for consideration.
5) Official Transcripts:
See the Rackham Transcripts website for detailed information on providing official transcripts.
Step 1: During the Application Process
At the time of application, you will need to upload a copy, front and back, of an official transcript issued by the Registrar or Records office, for all universities and community colleges attended. This copy is used for the initial review of your application. Please do not submit an unofficial academic records sheet that you download from your school’s portal. Your application cannot be considered complete if you don’t upload an official transcript.
It is required that all students who attend Non-US academic institutions complete a Scholaro GPA Calculation Reports for each non-US institution(s) attended. Scholaro GPA report(s) must be uploaded and match the corresponding transcript(s) course information and GPA which is also uploaded with the application. For more information see Rackham Transcripts
Step 2: After the Admission Offer
Once you are offered an admission, you will be required to submit an official final transcript that is sent directly from the Registrar’s office to Rackham. Your admission cannot be finalized or considered complete until the final transcript(s) is received.
6) Rackham English Proficiency Requirements for International Applicants:
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. It is important to note that your application will not be considered complete until this criteria has been satisfactorily addressed. One way to do so is to meet one of the criteria for an exemption on the Rackham English Proficiency Requirements website.
If an applicant does not meet one of the stated criteria, they will be required to submit scores from tests like TOEFL, ECPE, IELTS, or MET. The official scores must be received directly from the testing agency by the application deadline (institution code 1839, or mailed to the Rackham Graduate School), and are valid for two years from the test date. See the Rackham website above for additional information.
How to Apply
Applicants for the DESCI Ph.D. program should use the application administered by the Rackham Graduate School. The program code for the DESCI Ph.D. is 01889.
It is important to understand that no changes can be made to the application once the application fee has been paid and its been submitted. Any changes that must be made after that point will require starting a new application and paying another application fee. The current application fee for domestic students is 75, and $90 for international students, and is non-refundable.