The PhD Advance internship program invites UChicago PhD students to create a 300-hour internship with an organization of their choosing. The internship should be otherwise unfunded, and it should provide the intern with new professional skills. PhD Advance internships are open to international students and can take place anywhere in the world. Successful applicants will receive a $6,000 stipend to support their pursuit of the opportunity.
The PhD Advance program prioritizes applicants who design customized, project-based internships. Project-based internships are those that engage the intern in a coherent set of responsibilities that progressively build toward a specific deliverable or outcome. Internships involving unrelated, ad-hoc tasks are not considered project-based opportunities. The program supports internship projects at organizations with which the applicant has had no significant involvement. For more details, attend the information session hosted each January.
Internship Hours and Timing
Internships must be 300 hours in duration. Students and their host organizations collaborate to determine exact weekly hours and beginning and end dates for the internship. Internships can take place at any time of the year.
UChicago PhD students can receive UChicagoGRAD internship funding twice during their time at UChicago. We do not recommend the pursuit of internships in the first two years of a doctoral program, unless the applicant is leaving their PhD program. Applicants should work with their UChicagoGRAD career advisor and academic department to determine the optimal timing for an internship given degree requirements and the applicant’s career goals. Internships that occur during or immediately following a student’s departure from UChicago are likely the most optimal, as they send an important signal to potential employers about an applicant’s professional trajectory.
Eligibility for PhD Advance
The program is open to doctoral students in full-time, degree-granting academic programs at the University of Chicago. Both domestic and international students are eligible. Participation may require approval from an applicant’s Dean of Students.
Typically, Advance internship funding is not available to doctoral students in their first year of the program. Internship funding is available to those who decide not to continue in their program. Internships can occur in the quarter after the student leaves UChicago. In this case, UChicagoGRAD must receive the internship application eight weeks prior to the student’s departure.
Non-Transferability of Funding
PhD Advance funding is intended to support the specific internship experience described in the application materials. While students may adjust their internship projects, they may not change host organizations after submitting their applications.
Application Deadline
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. PhD students can apply for internship funding from UChicagoGRAD twice during their time at UChicago. If the student intends to leave UChicago, their application must be received eight weeks before the student’s departure.
The Process
Step 1: Develop a Project with Coaching from UChicagoGRAD
Students who are interested in PhD Advance should set up a meeting with their UChicagoGRAD career advisor. Your advisor will help you reflect on your career goals, craft an outreach strategy, and develop a realistic project. Your advisor can also provide feedback on your application materials. If you are an international student, please familiarize yourself with the work authorization processes and connect with the Office for International Affairs if additional support is needed.
Step 2: Submit Your Application
To submit your application, complete the Pathways PhD Advance module on GRAD Gargoyle. You will be prompted to submit your resume or CV, application letter, and internship confirmation.
- Resume or CV. A field-appropriate, one-page resume or a CV is required.
- Application Letter. Prepare a two-page, single-spaced letter addressed to UChicagoGRAD.
- Discuss your academic work and its connection to the internship project.
- Describe the host organization, including your supervisor’s name.
- Explain the internship project, including your duties, timelines, and deliverables.
- Clarify how the project will help you develop new skills and advance your career.
- Internship Confirmation. Submit an email or letter from your host that confirms your internship project. This short note should include your name, your supervisor’s name, and the internship project you would be pursuing.
Step 3: Receive a Decision
A selection committee will assess applications and select awardees. UChicagoGRAD will then notify awardees, connect with their host organizations, and contact applicants’ academic advisors and Deans of Students. Awardees must agree to the program conditions before internship funding is confirmed.
Step 4: Complete Your Internship and Program Requirements
Awardees begin their internships after attending a UChicagoGRAD prep session. Upon completion of the internship, awardees must respond to a survey and be available to mentor the following year’s interns.
OTHER FUNDING SOURCES
The PhD Advance program provides some financial support for students who are participating in otherwise unpaid (or underpaid) opportunities. While you are encouraged to consider other potential funding sources to support your internship, UChicagoGRAD will only award a stipend that brings the total support for this experience up to $6000. This condition does not include regular student support that you may receive unrelated to this internship. It does apply to funds supplied directly by the host or by another granting unit, intended to support this experience. If the amount awarded from another source is less than $6000, UChicagoGRAD will award a stipend amount for the difference between these awards.
