Dissertation research is supervised by a research advisory committee made up of the primary research mentor and 3 other members of the graduate faculty. The program is organized to be completed in approximately five years of full-time enrollment. Graduates of the program are eligible for careers in research and teaching in any of a wide variety of work environments, including academia, research institutes, and industry. The faculty has modern, well-equipped research laboratories that are supported by various institutional and departmental facilities, including a central computer facility, an animal facility, electronics and machine shops, and comprehensive library facilities. Currently, students receive a nationally competitive stipend plus a liberal health insurance allowance.
Most students receive a waiver of nonresident tuition.
Living and Housing Costs Students find attractive accommodations in the many privately owned apartment complexes, duplexes, and houses that exist nearby and rent at reasonable rates. A recent survey indicates that the cost of living in Dallas is one of the lowest for a major city in the United States. Students enrolled in the Graduate School, most of whom were working toward the Ph.D. degree, numbered 427. Also on the campus were 809 medical students and 350 students in the Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School. The Graduate Student Organization is very active on campus, and the International Visitors Network exists to assist students from other countries.