Application Deadlines

Generally, you should plan to apply during the Fall, or in the beginning of Winter at the latest, for Fall admission.  If you are interested in applying for a University Fellowship, you must submit your application by December 31.  The admission committee will meet to consider all applications received for fall admission.  If the class fills at that time, then subsequent applicants will likely be deferred to the following year.  However, the University does allow a rolling admission to graduate school, and the deadline for admission is the second week of the preceeding quarter.  If the class does not fill with qualified applicants, then admissions may continue up until that deadline.  The program is designed to begin in the Fall.  In exceptional circumstances, however, such as a transfer, a student could be admitted off cycle.  The program strives to be flexible in accomodating individual circumstances.  Because the School’s Graduate Associate positions are limited, students accepted prior to September will have priority for that year’s enrollment.

Review of Your Application

Your application will be reviewed by:

• The University Graduate School Office of Admissions
• The Graduate Studies Committee of the School (GSC)

Finding a Potential Adviser

Finding a potential adviser is necessary for your application to be complete.  Review the descriptions of Program Faculty to find potential advisers who seem to be a good match for your interests. Contact the potential adviser by email, telephone, or mail well in advance of the application deadline to begin a dialog.  You may identify more than one potential adviser.  We recommend a face to face meeting with the potential faculty advisor(s) prior to consideration of your application.  If the faculty member agrees to be a potential adviser for your application, he or she will submit a form so indicating to the Graduate Studies Office for inclusion with your application.

What does "Potential Adviser Agreement" mean?

When a faculty member agrees to be a potential adviser for an applicant, this means that the faculty member has room to accept another student under their tutelage.  It also means that the faculty member and the student have communicated and there appears to be a good potential fit between the student's interest and the faculty member's program of research.  It does not imply a recommendation for admission.  A faculty member may agree to act as a potential adviser for several applications when only one spot is available under their tutelage.  The faculty member and the GSC will work together to identify the student with the best qualifications and the best match with the faculty member's research to determine who is accepted into the program.  Thus, a student who has found a faculty member to serve as a potential adviser is not guaranteed admission into the program.

A student who applies without a potential adviser may be contacted by program faculty if the student appears to be well qualified and the program faculty determine that there is a good potential fit for the student in the program.  However, if an application is received without a potential faculty adviser identified and no fit for the applicant is apparent, the student may be rejected without further notice.  Therefore, it is imperative for the student to contact potential faculty advisers prior to admission.