Using citation analysis, the authors examined the journals cited in theses and dissertations over the first five years of the Water Resources Graduate Program at Oregon State University. These journal titles were compared to the titles predicted as being important in the 2003 Oregon State University Libraries new program (Category I) review. A preliminary core list of journals for this highly interdisciplinary program had been created for the Category I review from faculty publications, "Journal Citation Reports", and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests. Through comparison of the citations in the students' works with the data compiled for the Category I, and a review of current ILL requests, the authors address whether the initial review predicted student use, which sources were most valuable for predicting use, and how analysis of student citations can add to the strength of the original core journal list. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)