Application

To apply, please complete the Rackham Graduate School application online →.

(Note: If you plan to apply for a University Library Associate (ULA) position you will also need to submit the ULA application form (PDF) and apply by the February 1 deadline.)

Degree/Specialization
Please indicate "School of Information" on the Rackham application and your primary area of academic interest from this list:
MSI program:

• Archives and Records Management
• Community Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Incentive-Centered Design
• Information Analysis and Retrieval
• Information Policy
• Library and Information Services
• School Library Media
• Preservation of Information
• Social Computing
• MSI without a specialization

Dual-Degree programs:

• MSI/MBA
• MSI/JD
• MSI/MPP
• MSI/MSN
• MSI/MSW
• MSI/MD

NCFD (non-degree)

You should apply to one specialization only (or to the MSI program without a specialization). The MSI program is highly flexible. If you have multiple interests, you can explore multiple specializations once you are enrolled, and you can switch specializations if your interests change.

Application Fee

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents: $60 (U.S.)
• International applicants: $75 (U.S.)

You should pay this fee via credit card when you apply online →. This fee will not be waived.

Transcripts

Transcripts for Rackham
You must have one (1) set of official academic records/transcripts mailed by your undergraduate and postgraduate institutions directly to the Rackham Graduate School:

Only documents provided by the institution that awarded the degree will be considered official. Academic records certified by notary publics are not official.

Transcripts for SI
You must submit a second set of academic records/transcripts from undergraduate and postgraduate institutions to the School of Information.

You may upload this second set of transcripts yourself within the online application. This set will be considered unofficial, but it will allow our admissions committee to make an initial decision on your application.

When submitting transcripts online, please upload both the front and the back of the transcript. If you would prefer to mail this second copy of your transcript to SI (rather than uploading it), please send it to:

GRE General Test Scores

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past five years is required of all applicants. Please submit the scores for the general examination only. This application requirement may not be waived unless you will complete the requirements for a Ph.D. prior to enrollment at SI. When filling out the GRE application, choose "University of Michigan" from the drop-down menu. If a code is required, use 1839. You can select any department and, if you are asked for a code, use 4701.

Three Letters of Recommendation

Recommendations should be written by people who can provide substantive letters; who know your work, abilities, and personal qualities; and who have supervised you and can speak to your potential for successful graduate study. If you were recently a student, faculty members are appropriate. Other possible writers include employers and heads of organizations with whom you have volunteered. Personal friends and family members are not appropriate recommenders.

Ask your recommenders to submit their letters online (you will be given a chance to register your recommenders for online submission if you complete the online application).

Or, you may give your recommenders a paper copy of the recommendation form (PDF) →, which they should send, along with their letter, directly to the School of Information.

See School of Information Address below.

Application Essay/Statement of Purpose

Please discuss the following questions based on your reading of our mission statement and the descriptions of our programs. You are also welcome to add comments from your readings, observations, and experience. This essay serves as the Rackham "statement of purpose" and should be uploaded with your online application.

• What challenges and opportunities are offered by a career in an information profession?
• Which of these opportunities are of the greatest interest to you?
• What are the strengths that you would bring to the SI program and to an information profession?
• What do you think SI has to offer you that will help you achieve your goals?
• What would you hope to gain from your SI educational program?

Your essay should be three to six (3-6) pages, double-spaced.

Personal Statement

The Rackham Graduate School now requires a "Personal Statement" in addition to the formal Application Essay/Statement of Purpose described above. This statement should convey how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree. For this statement, please write a brief (one-half-page to one-page), non-academic statement.

Resume

Please upload with your online application.

Financial Assistance Application(s)

All applications received before the financial aid application deadline for the term applied for will be considered for merit-based financial aid. If you are applying for need-based financial aid from the University of Michigan, you must fill out a FAFSA form. See the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid → Web site or call (734) 763-6600.

Note that if you would like to be considered for an appointment as a University Library Associate (ULA), you will also need to complete the ULA application form (PDF). The deadline for ULA applications is February 1.

TOEFL or IELTS Score (international applicants only)

A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) → score from within the past two years of 600 or higher on the paper-based test, 250 or higher on the computer-based test, or 100 or higher on the Internet-based test (iBT) is required. When taking the TOEFL, use the University of Michigan institution code: 1839. The School of Information does not have a specific department code for the TOEFL; you may list "99."

You may choose to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) → proficiency exam instead of the TOEFL. A minimum score of 7.0 is required. Or you may choose to take the Michigan MELAB test.

For alumni of the School:

• A readmission application to the School of Information
• A current resume
• Your responses to the general essay questions (above)

For applicants who are not alumni of the School:

• An application to the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
• Application fee attached to your application ($60 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; $75 for international applicants)
• A current resume
• Your response to the essay questions (above)
• One official copy of all higher education transcripts to Rackham
• One official copy of all higher education transcripts to SI, OR upload copies with your online application
• A preferred minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale