Robotics PhD Internship Requirements

Robotics PhD internships can be valuable for research translation and career development, but they require advance planning and faculty approval, especially when internships overlap with academic terms, when funding must be agreed upon, and when international student authorization is involved.

International PhD students: CPT authorization through the U-M International Center is required before work begins.

Funding

There are two policies that directly impact PhD students looking to do an internship. The first is that Michigan Robotics PhDs are fully funded. The second is that they must register in each Fall and Winter semester until their degree is completed, if not on an approved leave of absence as mandated by Rackham’s continuous enrollment policy. Students may not use a leave of absence to go on internship.

What this means is that during the Fall and Winter semesters, PhD students on internship must have funding for tuition in addition to GradCare and a monthly stipend that is at least equal to the monthly U-M stipend. During the Spring and Summer semesters, tuition is not charged; however, GradCare and a monthly stipend at least equal to the U-M stipend are still required.

Required funding

If the internship site or other external sponsor provides funding but their compensation does not equal or surpass the insurance coverage, monthly stipend amount, or tuition guaranteed by the Robotics program, then this creates a funding shortfall. Additional funding sources must be identified to fully support the PhD’s entitlements.

Funding sources

• Student’s faculty advisor can provide full or partial funding. Faculty should work with their research administrator to determine this option including identifying any factors that could impact the amount to be paid such as partial appointments and tuition waivers.

• Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program

  • Deadline: depends on if the internship is through the Rackham intern program or is a self-identified internship, but typically, the deadline is well in advance of the internship start date.
  • Students directly submit applications to Rackham. Follow the link above to find more information and the application.
  • Read the eligibility requirements and restrictions very carefully before applying.
  • Funding that can be awarded includes tuition, stipend, GradCare, and relocation support.

• CoE Internship Request Form

  • Deadline: 3 weeks prior to the start of the term that the internship overlaps unless a student applied to the Rackham program first and was declined or ineligible to apply (but would otherwise qualify for CoE support).
  • This form must be completed by the department. The information from your ROB Internship Notification Form and your faculty’s ROB Faculty Approval for PhD Internship Form submissions will be used for the application.
  • Funding that can be awarded includes tuition and GradCare only.

Steps to take

Step 1: get approval from your faculty advisor

Before pursuing or committing to an internship, start by discussing your plans with your faculty advisor. This helps ensure your internship timing and scope align with research expectations, milestones, and funding or appointment considerations. It’s important to understand how you will be funded and to plan ahead in order to identify funding sources. See the Funding section above.

Step 2: submit the required Robotics PhD internship forms

After your faculty advisor agrees that you may pursue an internship and you have secured an internship:

Student completes:

Faculty advisor completes:

If you have questions about where to find the forms or how to submit them, email robotics-sso@umich.edu.

Step 3: international students initiate CPT process

To maintain lawful F-1 visa status, all international graduate students (both PhD and MS) undertaking an internship must secure Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization by enrolling in ENGR 998 (a 1-credit course) with the ECRC. Once enrolled in ENGR 998 and it appears on your transcript, the International Center finalizes CPT authorization.

CPT authorization is issued by the U‑M International Center, but it depends on the course enrollment noted above, and on information from Robotics and your academic plan. You will need to have your staff advisor fill out the Academic/Faculty Advisor Recommendation Form.

Important reminders:

• Do not start work until CPT is approved.
• Processing times vary. Start early once you have an offer.
• CPT must match your internship details (dates, employer, location). If anything changes, you may need to update your CPT request.
• CPT requires 1 credit of enrollment (ENGR 998).
• This additional credit of ENGR 998 may result in additional tuition depending on the student’s current registration, degree level, and candidacy status.
• PhD precandidates: Tuition may be charged for ENGR 998 unless the student is already registered at the full-time tuition plateau.

Please review these critical College of Engineering and Rackham policies before finalizing your plans.

Match your registration to your internship dates

CPT is authorized strictly on a term-by-term basis. You must be enrolled in ENGR 998 during the specific term the internship takes place:

• Fall internship: must register for ENGR 998 in the Fall semester.
• Winter internship: must register for ENGR 998 in the Winter semester.
• Spring/Summer internship: must register for ENGR 998 in either the preceding Winter term or the Spring/Summer term.
• Multi-semester internships: if an internship spans multiple semesters (e.g., a Summer internship extending into Fall), you must register for ENGR 998 for both semesters. Separate CPT authorizations are required for each individual term.

Tuition assessment rules by degree status

Because ENGR 998 is a 1-credit course, it counts toward your total term credit hours. You will be charged additional tuition if adding ENGR 998 pushes you over your standard credit limit.

• MS students and PhD precandidates: the full-time flat tuition rate covers up to 9 credits per term. If you are already enrolled in 9 credits of coursework, adding the 1-credit ENGR 998 course will bring your total to 10 credits, triggering an assessment for additional per-credit tuition fees.
• PhD candidates (registered for 8 credits of 995): Rackham policy allows candidates to take no more than 4 additional credits of coursework without paying extra tuition. If you have already registered for 4 credits of other coursework alongside your 995 registration, adding the 1-credit ENGR 998 course brings your extra coursework to 5 credits, exceeding the limit and resulting in tuition fees being assessed.

Additional planning topics for PhD internships

Fall/Winter planning: tuition, appointment status, and enrollment

Internships that partially overlap with Fall or Winter term are discouraged unless no reasonable alternative is available. These arrangements can create significant academic, tuition, funding/appointment, HR/payroll, research, and enrollment complications. Students considering an internship that overlaps with Fall or Winter term should contact Robotics SSO and their faculty advisor as early as possible, and before finalizing internship dates, so the impacts can be reviewed in advance.

Stipend expectation during the internship

In general, the internship should provide a monthly stipend equal to or greater than your U-M PhD stipend. If the offer is below this level, raise this situation early with either your faculty advisor or with Robotics SSO so you can discuss options.

Health insurance

Confirm early whether the internship provides health insurance benefits and how coverage will work during the internship period.

PhD candidates: ENGR 998 and Rackham candidacy tuition policy

Students registered in 995 must review Rackham’s candidacy tuition policy before registering for ENGR 998. Rackham limits the number of additional credits a PhD candidate may take without additional tuition. If ENGR 998 causes the student to exceed the allowable credit limit, additional tuition will be assessed. Department funding in these situations is not an option.

Students are responsible for reviewing their registration and confirming any tuition implications before registering for ENGR 998.

Contact

• Robotics Student Services Manager: robotics-sso@umich.edu for all Robotics PhD internship process questions (forms, timing, coordination).
• CPT processing and timelines: U-M International Center