Our PhD program requires a commitment of typically five years and consists of graduate coursework, an oral preliminary coursework examination, an oral preliminary research examination, and original research guided by one or more faculty advisors that culminates with an oral defense and published dissertation.

The program is fully-funded, which means that subject to satisfactory progress, the student receives full coverage of tuition and mandatory student fees, as well as a yearlong monthly stipend for living expenses. These funds come from a combination of faculty research funds, departmental fellowships, and instructional funds if the student assists in teaching during certain terms. Students are encouraged to apply for outside funding, particularly merit-based fellowships, as having external support will typically provide the student with more flexibility in projects.

Regardless of the ultimate source of funding, the student is advised by a faculty member who supervises and guides the research. These faculty advisors participate in the admissions process by selecting students who are appropriate to work on available projects. Therefore, every student admitted into the PhD program has already been selected by one or more faculty members at the time they are admitted.

Prospective PhD students seeking admission are encouraged to review the research of the faculty and initiate contact with them directly, via email, to assess the availability of potential research projects. This is not a required step but can be a useful means of augmenting the formal application.