Below is additional guidance regarding current Ph.D. students who wish to add a professional degree to their studies at UM.
It is important for departments and students to understand that Ph.D. funding is intended to support the student's LSA doctoral studies only. If a student chooses to pursue an additional professional degree, their doctoral funding package will not cover the additional tuition costs associated with the professional degree.
The template letter (located in the LSA Gateway - under Polices & Guidelines) also clarifies the requirement to enroll in each program separately—preferable one year at a time—rather than taking courses from both programs within the same semester. This is especially important when students wish to utilize spring/summer funding, which requires students enroll during the previous fall and winter semesters in order to be eligible for their spring/summer funding.
If a situation arises that you think might warrant an exception, please contact Thea Bude (theab@umich.edu), Director of Graduate Education, to discuss the situation; exceptions are expected to be rare.
Please note that international students are urged to consult with the International Center before changing or adding graduate programs because such changes could have implications for their visa status.
