Summer support for a doctoral student in an unpaid or underpaid internship in a career direction that is related to their research but is not within academia, nor in the field that is a typical career outcome for that degree program. The student is responsible for seeking, securing, and arranging the internship opportunity, with initial guidance from the Stuckert Career Center. See further details below.
Examples:
- A Political Science student wants to apply their knowledge of a critical issue to work in a government agency focused on that problem.
- A Psychology student wants to see if HR work is the career direction that fits their interests and skills.
- A Communications student is interested in helping an NGO develop campaign strategies.
- A Plant and Soil Sciences student wants to explore work on regional environmental issues.
Eligibility: Doctoral students (PhD, EdD, DMA) who have passed their qualifying exams and have completed no less than three years, and no more than six, towards the degree. Applications from advanced MFA students will also be considered.
Internships should be external to UK, should be at least partially in-person, and should range in duration from 6 to12 weeks (typically in the range of 20 hours per week) in the summer, working with a company or organization operating within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Student support amount of up to $5,000 total will depend on internship duration, overall time commitment to internship, and amount (if any) of compensation from the internship site. Amount and disbursement schedule will be determined by The Graduate School and stated in the award letter and internship agreement.
Students should start by setting up an internship consultation appointment with Dr. Abbie Wood via the Stuckert Career Center's platform Handshake (directions are here). Making use of Graduate School programs such as ImaginePhD and Beyond the Professoriate will also foster readiness to pursue an internship opportunity. In addition to the Stuckert Career Center, sources of guidance also include faculty in the student's discipline and the Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Student Professional Enhancement (contact morris.grubbs@uky.edu).
APPLICATION FOR SUMMER 2025 WILL OPEN SPRING 2025. Be sure to have the three documents listed below ready for upload. Application portal will open Spring 2025. (See below for approximate rolling application timeline.)
Required documents to upload are the following:
- An essay (2 to 4 pages, double-spaced) explaining how the work relates to the applicant's degree and aligns with their career interests.
- A letter from the internship supervisor explaining the duties.
- A letter from the DGS that affirms the student's good standing in the program; the DGS should also indicate the professional enhancement activities that the applicant has engaged in.
Students selected will complete an internship agreement, kept on file in their program and in the Graduate School. Recipients will be required to submit two reports--one midway through the internship, and one upon completion--discussing the work and describing how it has helped them develop new skills and career-relevant experiences.
Application Timeline: Application review will begin Spring 2025. Applicants who have submitted by the deadline and are deemed eligible for full consideration will be notified to arrange an interview. Applications will be considered earlier than the deadline only as necessary (i.e. if internship supervisor requires and requests an earlier decision; requests should be made by the supervisor to morris.grubbs@uky.edu with the subject KGIS Early Decision Request).