U-M Academic Structure

Overview

All U-M schools, colleges, and departments use a university-wide academic structure. The table below defines the main academic structure terms. Some concepts are discussed in more detail below the table.

Academic Structure Term Definition Examples
Term Time period when classes are held and students receive grades, etc.
  • Fall 2018 (2210)
  • Winter 2019 (2220)
Academic Session Subdivision of a term into multiple time periods for offering courses. Only used for Fall and Winter terms.
  • Regular Academic Session (14 week)
  • First 7 Week Session
  • Second 7 Week Session
Academic Calendar Maintains dates that control enrollment and other significant dates by Academic Program.
  • Open enrollment period
  • Last day to Wait List
  • Last day to disenroll
  • Last day to drop or withdraw without penalty
  • Census date
  • Degree confer date
Academic Group Schools and Colleges (with additions of Extension and ROTC).
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Literature, Science and Arts
  • Rackham
  • School of Music, Theater & Dance
  • Law School
Academic Career Grouping of Academic Programs. Academic Career is associated with a school or college and consists of only one program level (undergraduate or graduate).
  • Undergraduate Engineering Career
  • Graduate Engineering Career
  • Rackham Career
  • Law Career
Academic Program

Area within U-M to which a student is admitted and from which ultimately graduates. Equivalent to:

  • School or College for undergraduate programs
  • Department and level or department and degree for graduate programs and the School of Music
  • Undergraduate Engineering Degree
  • Graduate Engineering Degree
  • Masters: Political Science
  • Doctorate: Political Science
  • B.M. Performance: Violin
Academic Plan An area of study within an Academic Program (commonly a combination of a Field of Study and Degree)
  • M.A. English
  • B.A. English
  • Ph.D. English
  • Undeclared
Academic Sub-Plan Further area of specialization within an Academic Plan. Not every Plan has a Sub-Plan.
  • Violin
  • Pure (Math)
  • Actuarial (Math)

Relationship between the Academic Career, Program, Plan, and Sub-Plan

The diagram below shows the relationship between the Academic Career, Program, Plan, and Sub-Plan with undergraduate and graduate examples.

image depicting heirarchichal relationship between Academic Career, Program, Plan, and Sub-Plan with undergraduate and graduate examples. Undergraduate example: Career: Undergraduate, Program: Undergraduate LSA Degree, Plan: B.S. Mathematics, Sub-Plan: Pure (Math). Graduate example: Career: Rackham, Program: Masters: Physics, Plan: M.S. Applied Physics, Sub-Plan: Optical Physics

Academic Career

Listed below are all careers at U-M.

  • Academic Outreach
  • Graduate Architecture
  • Graduate Business Admin
  • Graduate Engineering
  • Graduate Music, Thtre & Dance
  • Public Health
  • Rackham
  • Social Work
  • Graduate Natural Resource and Environment
  • Dentistry
  • Law
  • Medical
  • Pharmacy Professional
  • Undergraduate Architecture
  • Undergraduate Art and Design
  • Undergraduate Business Admin
  • Undergraduate Dental Hygiene
  • Undergraduate Education
  • Undergraduate Natural Resource and Environment
  • Undergraduate Engineering
  • Undergraduate Kinesiology
  • Undergraduate LS&A
  • Undergraduate Music, Thtre & Dance
  • Undergraduate Non-Degree
  • Undergraduate Nursing
  • Undergraduate Pharmacy
  • Undergraduate Residential College
  • Undergraduate Public Policy

Academic Program

Defines Values and Calculation Rules

Academic Program defines the values and calculation rules for the following:

  • Academic load (e.g., full time, part time)
  • Academic level (e.g., freshman, sophomore, etc.) Determined for:
    • Undergraduate Students in degree program by Credit Toward Program
    • Graduate students and non-degree students by the Program of Admission.
  • Academic calendar
  • Grading policy

Joint and Multiple Academic Programs

Listed below are the definitions for joint, multiple degree, and multiple dependent degree programs.

Program Title Program Definition
Joint A single degree that has multiple organizational owners.
Multiple Degree Two degrees that are awarded at separate times.
Multiple Dependent Degree Two degrees that are awarded simultaneously for two different careers.

Academic Plan

Points to note about Academic Plans are listed below:

Academic Career Academic Program Academic Organization Degree
Plan can be related to a Career
  • Plan can be related to a Program
  • Some programs only have one academic plan
  • Plan can be owned by more than one Academic Organization

Academic Organization = Undergraduate administrative body that owns academic programs and academic plans.
  • Only one degree can be earned in a single academic plan
  • Multiple degrees = multiple plans

Academic Structure Examples

What Student Is Seeking Career Program Plan Sub-Plan
Architecture BS Undergraduate Architecture Undergraduate Architecture Degree Program BS Architecture N/A
Art & Design BFA Undergraduate Art & Design Art & Design Undergraduate Degree Program BFA Sculpture N/A
Business BBA Undergraduate Business Business Undergraduate Degree Program BBA Business Administration N/A
Dental Hygiene BS Dental Hygiene Dental Hygiene Undergraduate Degree Program BS Dental Hygiene N/A
Dentistry DDS Dentistry Dentistry DDS DDS in Dentistry N/A
Elementary Education BE Undergraduate Education Elementary Education Degree Bachelor of Education in Education Major –
Fine Arts
Minor –
English
Engineering BSE Undergraduate Engineering Engineering Undergraduate Degree Aerospace Engineering BSE Air Quality
Hospital Administration Masters of Public Health Graduate Public Health Hospital Administration Masters Public Health Hospital Administration Masters Public Health N/A
Kinesiology BS Undergraduate Kinesiology Kinesiology Undergraduate Degree BS Kinesiology N/A
Nursing BS Undergraduate Nursing Undergraduate Nursing Degree BS Nursing N/A
Pharmacy BS Undergraduate Pharmacy Pharmacy Undergraduate Degree BS Pharmacy N/A
Pharmacy Doctorate Professional Pharmacy PharmD Pharmacy PharmD Pharmacy N/A
School of Music, Theater & Dance, BMusA Undergraduate Music, Theatre, and Dance MDDP Music & LSA UG Deg Performance BMusA Voice
Social Work MSW Graduate Social Work Social Work MSW Community Organization/ Child & Youth MSW Management of Human Services