External Internship Approval

If you plan to pursue an external internship while enrolled as a full-time student, follow the process outlined here in order to secure the necessary approvals prior to your internship start date.

Internship participation

Any paid work, even if it is termed an "internship" by the employer, is considered employment and is subject to a limit of no more than 10 hours per week, on average, for any student enrolled full-time. In some cases, a full-time doctoral student may accept employment with a private entity for the purpose of generating data, learning methodologies, or accessing equipment necessary for the completion of their dissertation. In these cases, the student may petition the Graduate School for an exception to the 10-hour per week rule, up to a maximum limit of 20 hours per week.

Note that all full-time enrolled students are limited to 20 hours per week total employment inclusive of all types of employment, on or off campus. For example, a student with a TF-10 appointment could take an additional 10 hours of on- or off-campus employment but will not be approved for any additional employment for the duration of the TF appointment.

Approval process

Prior to starting an internship, you must submit the online "PhD Student Internship Request", which you can find on the Registrar's website here. Materials you should be prepared to upload to the request form include:

1. A personal statement detailing your research plan and describing the employment duties, goals, and objectives, and how they are integral to your academic program;
2. a letter from the employer describing the duration of the appointment, the number of hours to be worked each week, the hourly compensation, and duties of the position;
3. a statement from the employer giving the student permission to use any data generated for their dissertation, in publications, and in public talks;
4. a letter of support signed by the academic adviser, indicating that the internship is essential to the dissertation

Requests for internships up to 10 hours per week require approval from the Director of Graduate Studies and from OISS (for students on a visa). Requests for internships above 10 hours per week up to a maximum of 20 hours require additional approval from the Graduate School Dean's Office. Once submitted, your form automatically routes to these approvers for their signatures.

If the request is approved, compensation beyond 10 hours per week will be deducted from the stipend for the duration of the employment.  

Students on a visa who seek employment opportunities for any number of hours should first consult with OISS well in advance of their employment start date to ensure that they comply with the terms of their visa and fulfill the necessary requirements for CPT approval.

Students who accept outside paid employment while also being paid a stipend from a faculty member’s research grant are also required to submit a Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure to the Yale Conflict of Interest office.

Students who wish to accept an internship or employment beyond 20 hours per week will need to request a personal leave of absence.