Research clusters provide a framework for research and training at the doctoral level and provide a means of sustaining interlocking communities of professors and students who aspire to the highest scholarly distinction in a particular area of departmental strength. Each cluster is defined by several members of the faculty who have earned national and international prominence as scholars in these fields.

Clusters organize weekly workshops as a forum for students and faculty to meet on a regular basis and to present work in progress. Courses - ranging from seminars to tutorials - are offered on a regular basis to introduce graduate students to the field and provide them with advanced training such that they can pursue original research. Funded research projects, affiliations with other programs and centers at Princeton and occasional conferences round out the activities of the clusters. The department is thus especially attractive to graduate students who wish to specialize in one or more of these clusters.