As of 2018, the department has enacted a (more) formal track to progress through the program. All the details can be found here.

A general degree timeline should look something like this:

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4/5/6…	Final Year
Fall Term	Take full course load, begin talking to faculty members regarding joining a research group, by the middle of the term should be sitting in on group meetings, brief report on progress due by the end of week 7	Meet with FYAC and submit progress report, take breadth courses	Meet with PhDAC, research	Research	Defend thesis*
Winter Term	Take full course load, continue talking to faculty and looking for a group to join, submit “Checkpoint Document”, meet with First-Year Advising Committee (FYAC) in weeks 5-6 to discuss progress toward research home	Take breadth courses, formally join a research group	Research	Research	Graduate*
Spring Term	Take full course load, find a group to work with over the summer	Take breadth courses, formally join a lab group, arrange your Ph.D. Advising Committee (PhDAC)	Research, pass Comprehensive Exam	Research	Sell all your things to other PhysGrads as you move on to your next chapter
Summer Term	Work with a “trial” group	Research	Research	Research

 

*Defense and graduation need not be at any specific point within the year,  however there is only one Commencement Ceremony in which you may walk hosted at the end of every Spring Term. More details regarding graduation can be found here. A list of deadlines can be found here.