PhD Office FAQ

Students can apply to Rackham for a leave of absence for specific reasons defined in their guidelines. "A leave will be granted to students for illness or injury, to provide care or assistance for family and dependents, to meet military service obligations, or for other personal reasons." Specific information regarding the leave of absence policies can be found on their website.

A student may change their advisor at any time during their study in the program. The signature of the new advisor must be obtained and the following form must be completed and submitted to the Doctoral Office.

Gradcare is offered to all students approved for summer funding. It will be paid from the total fellowship amount and the stipend will be less the cost of the health care coverage.

The personal debit account can be used by each student needing to be recouped for expenses related to research, courses, travel to conferences, dissertation costs, etc. It will not be available to be used for emergencies, and funds cannot be given in advance. The money does not have to be paid back by the student.

The Reimbursement and Certification form needs to be completed and turned in along with the personal debit form.

Students will register for DOC 990 when they are taking their social work or social science prelims. They will register for 1-8 credit hours, depending on their need. DOC 995 is specifically for registration during the term the student plans to defend their dissertation, and they must register for 8 hours.