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Earning a PhD entails successfully completing a minimum of 72 credit hours of study along with defending a dissertation. The curriculum encompasses at least two years of foundational and advanced instruction in physiology and/or pharmacology, supplemented by coursework in cellular and molecular biology. Among these requirements, students must complete no fewer than 15 credit hours at the 8000-9000 course level, excluding research-oriented classes (8090 or 9090). During their initial year, candidates will gain hands-on experience in physiological and pharmacological research through faculty-supervised laboratory work, which involves three 4-week rotation periods concluding by the first semester's end. By the completion of year one, each student must select a dissertation advisor and declare their specialization in either Pharmacology or Physiology. Doctoral candidates are obligated to fulfill teaching assistant responsibilities for two semesters. Additionally, program participants must present their research annually at the department's student research symposium. Typically, the doctoral program spans four to five years following undergraduate degree completion.