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 UM-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!

The Fall 2024 application is now closed. Check back in September for the Fall 2025 application.

Application deadline: Feb. 1

Requirements for admission

Transfer credits

The BSI program allows students to enter as sophomores or juniors to complete their four-year degree. You need a minimum of 24 transferable credits to enter the program as a sophomore or 54 to enter as a junior. 

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 any 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) similar/equivalent to the University of Michigan courses SI 106 (preferred), ENGR 101 or EECS 183 
• First-year writing course similar/equivalent to the University of Michigan courses that meet the first-year writing requirement

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. 1

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: 
    School of Information Admissions 
    University of Michigan
    333 Maynard, Suite 500
    Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • 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.
• 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, Duolingo, etc. For more information, see the U-M Undergraduate Admissions website.

Essays

When you apply, you’ll tell us more about yourself in three 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 (approximately 250 words)
  • Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. 
• Essay 3 (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?

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:

• Design project(s)*
• Portfolio*
• Video and audio recording(s)*
• A 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.
• Other information that you think might benefit your application

*NOTE: If you do not already have a portfolio, design project or recording ready to share, please do not create something new specifically for your UMSI application.

Upload any supplemental materials to your application as a PDF document. Here’s how:

• Design project or portfolio
  • Provide a URL to your online project or portfolio in a separate document and upload it.
  • Or, convert your work into a PDF with text and/or high-quality images.
• Audio/video recording
  • Include a link to your recording on an online platform like YouTube, Vimeo, or SoundCloud.
  • Paste the URL into a separate document and upload it.

Please ensure any URLs are viewable by whoever has the link and lead directly to your work.