Students pursuing a doctoral degree are required to take a qualifying examination in January. During the first semester of residence, students focus on coursework and learn about and subsequently provide choices of research groups in which they prefer to work. Especially after their second semester in residence, students focus primarily on research as there are few course requirements after the MS degree is obtained. These courses must be approved by the graduate coordinator or research advisor, as appropriate. The PhD and DES have essentially identical requirements.
Most students choose to earn a PhD degree.
Permission is generally granted if a GPA of 3.0 or greater on the three core M.S. courses is achieved and if the student learns about the departmental research activities. The candidate is expected to prove thorough knowledge of the relevant literature. A report of no more than 15 pages describing the proposed research must also be submitted.