The program also examines compatibility between a student's career objectives and the research projects in the department. The program may arrange interviews for applicants with faculty or staff. Applications submitted by Jan. 1 are preferentially processed compared to later applications. Feb. 1 is the final application date. The program notifies early applicants of a decision by early March.
Students then progress through the program, and become aligned with a specific discipline.
Beyond the core curriculum, faculty mentors have ultimate responsibility for course selection by their graduate students. Some RFGs choose to have informal agreements among faculty members about which courses students in the group should take. After two years, students take the advancement to candidacy examination. Students must display critical thinking skills as they integrate knowledge derived from didactic course work and research experience into a research proposal. The exam consists of a research proposal, a written exam, and a public seminar and oral defense of the research proposal.