Typical Graduate School Timeline

Year 1

  • Take graduate level courses
  • Identify a research advisor
  • Join a research group

Year 2

  • Take more grad-level courses
  • Take PhD Exams
  • Complete First Mentored Research & Paper
  • Complete Masters degree

Year 3

  • Identity Specific PhD Topic
  • Complete Preliminary PhD Research & Paper
  • Draft PhD Proposal

Year 4

  • Defend Proposal
  • Complete More Research
  • Write Research Papers

Year 5/6

  • Complete More Research
  • Write Research Papers
  • Write and Defend Dissertation