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Programs of Study
Programs of Study

Graduate education at the University of Michigan is a shared enterprise. Rackham Graduate School works together with faculty in the schools and colleges of the university to provide more than 180 graduate degree programs and to sustain a dynamic intellectual climate within which graduate students thrive.
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Admissions

Rackham Graduate School and individual graduate programs work as a team to manage the application review process. As an applicant, you will be interacting with both Rackham and your program office.
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Funding

The University of Michigan provides many sources of financial assistance to help students meet educational and living expenses. Whether you are a prospective student, a current student, a master’s or doctoral student, we want to make sure you know about the funding available for your graduate education.
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Navigating Your Degree

From your first registration through the final stages of the degree process, we’re here to help every step of the way.
Professional Development
Professional Development

Rackham offers opportunities, funding, and resources that prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to access the wide range of careers available to them, and to pursue interdisciplinary learning and community building related to professional interests.
Student Experience
Student Experience

Resources to support the diverse backgrounds and experiences that compose our Rackham community.
About
About

Students are enrolled in Rackham degree programs (doctoral, master’s, dual degree, and certificate) taught and advised by faculty in graduate programs in nearly every school and college across the Ann Arbor campus. Rackham graduate programs are also located on the Dearborn and Flint campuses, where they are administered separately.

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Michigan Doctoral Experience Study (MDES)
Findings and Insights
Michigan Doctoral Experience Study: An Overview of Well-Being Data (Fall 2017-Fall 2023)

Michigan Doctoral Experience Study: An Overview of Well-Being Data (Fall 2017-Fall 2023)

October 2024 | Rackham Program Chairs and Directors Meeting
John A. Gonzalez

This presentation provided an overview of well-being data from the Michigan Doctoral Experience Study collected between Fall 2017 and Fall 2023, showing trends in doctoral students’ well-being across cohorts, disciplines, and demographic groups. Across all cohorts, our analysis shows well-being declines as students progress through their programs, with notable differences based on gender, discipline, and domestic student status. Students in the humanities and the arts, female students, and domestic URM students begin their programs with the lowest levels of self-rated mental health. We connected well-being to related concepts including sense of belonging, disciplinary identity, and mentor support, while examining predictors of intention to quit doctoral programs. The presentation concluded with discussion questions about identifying critical program milestones affecting mental health and potential structural changes to ameliorate academic stress, acknowledging the heterogeneous experiences of doctoral students.