The field requires that Ph.D. degree candidates form a Special Committee of at least four members of the Graduate Faculty. This committee should consist of a chairperson, two members representing minor subjects, and a field-appointed member.

Before the end of the second semester, the completed Special Committee meets with the Ph.D. candidate to discuss and formulate his or her academic program. All Ph.D. degree candidates must teach for at least one semester and present a seminar open to the faculty and graduate students of the field on the dissertation research.

M.S. degree candidates form a Special Committee of two faculty members: a chairperson and another representing a minor subject.

The field makes specific course recommendations in order to provide basic information and breadth in the physiological sciences. Students should consult their Special Committee and the field brochure regarding those recommendations.