New transfer students for the BSI
The Bachelor of Science in Information (BSI) is an undergraduate degree program offered in person at the University of Michigan School of Information. You may transfer from an accredited community college or four-year institution to enter the program as a sophomore or junior, based on how many credits you have completed at your prior institution.
A “new transfer” is any applicant transferring from an institution outside of U-M, Ann Arbor. UMSI directly admits new transfer students through an individualized and holistic review process conducted by the UMSI admissions team. Unfortunately, we cannot accept transfers directly from international institutions.
Prospective new transfer students are strongly encouraged to attend an information session to receive guidance about the BSI program, application requirements and transfer process. If you have questions or would like to request one-on-one pre-transfer academic advising, we invite you to email the BSI admissions team at [email protected].
Interested in the BSI? Don't forget to sign up for our interest list!
How to apply
The application for fall 2027 will open this September.
Join our interest list to stay connected and receive a notification when the application opens.
Requirements for admission
Transfer credits
The BSI program allows students to enter as early as the sophomore year. You need a minimum of 24 transferable credits completed or in progress to apply to the program.
Specific to applicants transferring into the BSI program from a college or university outside of UM-Ann Arbor: We accept all transfer credits (limit 60, or 62 for applicants with an associate’s degree) as long as they meet all of the following criteria:
- Completed at an accredited college or university
- Final grade is equivalent to a C- or higher
- A college-level course*
*If you have questions about whether your courses are transferable or if certain courses are considered college-level, please email [email protected] for a preliminary transcript evaluation.
You may also consult the U-M Transfer Credit Equivalency database when looking for direct course equivalences. Please note this U-M database does not list all of the UMSI transferable credits.
Prerequisite courses
Applicants are required to complete the following prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher before entering the BSI program. You can submit your application before you have completed the prerequisite courses, so long as you have plans to complete them before you begin the BSI program.
- Introduction to computer programming course (Python preferred) equivalent to the University of Michigan courses SI 101 (preferred), ENGR 101 or EECS 183
- First-year writing course that meets the first-year writing requirement of the University of Michigan. Pre-approved courses may be found on the Sweetland Center for Writing’s Approved Transfer Course List. If no course is listed for your institution you may need to Submit a Course for Evaluation.
We know it can be tough to figure out which courses at your community college or university satisfy these prerequisites. Email [email protected] if you have questions about equivalent classes at your institution.
Submitting your application
Deadline: Feb. 15
Application materials
You will be asked to provide the following materials as part of your application:
- Unofficial transcripts from all colleges or universities where you have earned college credit.
- You may upload a scanned or electronic transcript as part of your application, email your transcript to [email protected] or mail a physical copy to:
University of Michigan School of Information
Attn: BSI Admissions
2200 Hayward Street Suite 2260
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 - Unofficial transcripts are fine for the application process; if you are admitted to the program, we’ll ask you for the official versions at that time.
- If you are currently enrolled at an institution, you may submit a current (in-progress) transcript with your application and a final transcript if admitted.
- You may upload a scanned or electronic transcript as part of your application, email your transcript to [email protected] or mail a physical copy to:
- Professional resume, including relevant internships, work experience and/or projects related to the field of information science
- One letter of recommendation from a college instructor, preferably from one of the required prerequisite courses
- Test scores (if English is not your first language): TOEFL, IELTS, MET, etc. For more information, see the U-M Undergraduate Admissions website.
Essays
When you apply, you’ll tell us more about yourself in two essays:
- Essay 1 (300-500 words)
- Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring to the University of Michigan School of Information and the objectives you hope to achieve.
- Essay 2 (300-500 words)
- Choose one of the following topics and write an essay in response:
- Discuss in historical and contemporary context an issue at the intersection of information, technology and people that interests you.
- Discuss a recent world event in which digital technology has played a significant role.
- Given that we are continually adapting to new technologies and ways of sharing information, what do you think the field of information will look like in ten years?
- Choose one of the following topics and write an essay in response:
Optional supplemental materials
If you did not have the opportunity to adequately highlight a significant talent, skill and/or ability in other sections of your application, you may submit supplemental materials with your application. Please note: “optional” means these materials are neither required nor expected. It’s just an additional opportunity.
Supplemental materials may include:
- Note providing additional context
- You might provide context to address lower grades, lack of extracurricular involvement due to family responsibilities, or circumstances that inhibited your ability to perform at your best.
- Design project(s)
- Portfolio
- Other information that you think might benefit your application
NOTE: If you do not already have a portfolio or design project ready to share, please do not create something new specifically for your UMSI application.
All supplemental materials should be provided in the form of a URL — viewable by whoever has the link — that leads directly to a website or Google doc. We are unable to accept PDFs or Word documents.
Maintaining your offer of admission
The School of Information expects your academic performance and conduct to remain consistent from the time you apply through enrollment. A significant decline in grades (such as three C’s, or any D, E or F) or major changes to coursework may result in your admission being revoked. Please notify the admissions team at [email protected] if there are major changes to your academic record or curriculum.