The department has developed a flexible PhD program that provides a broad, advanced education in physics while at the same time giving students opportunity for emphasizing their special interests. This program consists of graduate courses, apprenticeship in research, teaching experience, and thesis research. Entering students are assigned a faculty adviser to guide them in their program. Many students spend their first year as teaching assistants or fellows and begin apprentice research in their second year. Prior to establishing a research adviser, assigned faculty advisers will conduct an annual progress review for each student. When a student's association with a research area and research supervisor is well established, that faculty member will conduct the annual research review. After three years of graduate study, or earlier, students complete the departmental examinations and begin thesis research. Students specializing in biophysics make up deficiencies in biology and chemistry during the first two years and complete the departmental examinations by the end of their third year of graduate study. There is no foreign language requirement.