PhD Students

The University of Michigan School of Public Health offers support for our many PhD students and is committed to a positive campus climate and experience.

If you are seeking general assistance as a PhD student, please connect with your Program Coordinator. Department Program Coordinators are PhD students' first resource for questions or concerns at the School of Public Health.

Rachel Casanova, Director of Student Affairs, is a resource for students who would like to seek assistance outside their department. Rachel also handles conflict resolution within the School of Public Health, so please connect with Rachel (racacasa@umich.edu) if any issues arise.

Funding for PhD Students

The School of Public Health Funding Guide is available for PhD students to view opportunities within the School of Public Health, Rackham and at the University of Michigan. Funding is available for:

Advertise Your PhD Research and Publications

Students interested in promoting research or a recent publication have opportunities to do so through our Marketing and Communications team. Please visit The Heights Padlock icon for more information about protocol and next steps. 

Health and Well-being Resources

GradCare

GradCare, an HMO with low out-of-pocket costs, is exclusively available to benefit-eligible graduate students. GradCare is administered by Blue Care Network (BCN). GradCare includes a $25 copay for mental health, behavioral health or substance abuse services. Search here to locate a participating GradCare provider or find out if your doctor accepts this plan.

Psychology Today

Psychology Today provides a directory of therapists and includes an insurance filter to make it extremely easy for PhD students within the Blue Care Network (BCN) to find the help they need!

University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) plays an important role in supporting the emotional well-being of students at the University of Michigan by providing counseling services, preventive and educational programming, consultation, and outreach. Students can access CAPS services either with their school's embedded counselor, or at the Central CAPS Office.

Additional Wellness Resources

Rackham Support

All PhDs are administered through the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School and therefore PhD students are eligible for Rackham resources and support in addition to support from the School of Public Health. 

If you encounter challenges or problems either academically or in your personal life during your time as a graduate student, there are many resources available at Rackham to assist you through Graduate Student and Program Consultation Services. If you do not find what you need in the information on these pages, please email RackResolutionOfficer@umich.edu.

Rackham’s Faculty Committee on Mentoring (MORE)

MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence) is Rackham’s faculty committee on mentoring, which engages with faculty and graduate students to foster conversations about mentoring. The committee provides faculty with effective tools and practices for mentoring graduate students in an effort to improve retention, productivity and overall student success. Students and faculty advisors are highly encouraged to complete a mentoring plan together early in their collaboration. MORE provides a guide specifically for proteges that aims to help students initiate conversations and clarify expectations, working relationships and boundaries. Additional mentoring resources include the Mentoring and Advising page through Rackham as well as the Student Mentoring Handbook. 

Rackham Wellness Resources

There are dozens of campus and community resources devoted to keeping you healthy as well as resources to help you when you are not feeling your best. To address your needs, Rackham provides information to faculty, staff, and students to help navigate the resources available to support you in graduate school.

Rackham Funding

Rackham provides funding assistance to help PhD students meet educational and living expenses. The nature of funding varies widely. Opportunities range from large competitive fellowships that pay tuition and stipends, to targeted grants that assist with foreign language study, dissertation research, and conference travel, to emergency grants and awards designed to help students manage student loan debt.