To facilitate students’ progress from coursework into research, doctoral students are required to pursue research with a faculty member before the end of their second year of study. Students fulfill this requirement by completing four units of independent study in the Winter and Spring quarters of their second year.
A student chooses a faculty member to supervise that research at the beginning of the second year, and obtains that faculty member’s consent. In most cases, the student will pursue research under the guidance of his or her faculty advisor, although that need not always be the case.
The independent study research component normally takes the form of student participation in a faculty member’s research. Alternatives to participation in a faculty member’s research, such as conducting a pilot study for the dissertation, are also possible and may be approved by the faculty advisor.