Entrance to graduate studies and selection of a particular field of research requires acceptance by a supervisor. Normally, students begin with the M.Sc. degree program, which is completed in eighteen to twenty-four months. The Ph.D. program usually requires an additional two years. However, well-qualified and productive students may proceed directly to the Ph.D. degree, subject to an evaluation of their initial progress. Both degrees are based largely on experimental work.
Course work is tailored to the student's background and requirements.
In addition, Ph.D. students are required to pass a comprehensive examination, usually within the first year of their program. Completion of either degree program requires the defense of a thesis based on research. Graduate students are required to participate in a limited amount of teaching, for which they are paid, as a part of their training.