Interested studests are encouraged to contact professors whose research emphases are similar to their own (or might be similar). Email or phone conversations usually allow a student to determine who they would like to work with. During the application process, specifying who you would like to work with is highly recommended. This can be done by sending an email to that professor and the Graduate Chair. The Graduate Chair will serve as the temporary advisor to new graduate students who lack an advisor.

The entering student should plan his/her first quarter's course load with the graduate advisor, and should satisfy as many as possible of his/her entrance conditions in this period. The student, with the graduate advisor, should select a permanent advisor in the student's anticipated field of interest during his/her first quarter of residence. The permanent advisor will then aid the student in planning his/her full course of study, and will supervise the research and writing of the thesis.