Each special committee is chaired by a major professor, who is a member of the Field of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences, and also is affiliated with the Major Concentration chosen by the student. The special committees determine coursework programs for students, evaluate progress by recommending a suitable number of residence credits at the end of each semester, and conduct examinations required by the graduate faculty. Students are free to select members of their special committees. For students accepted by the Field of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences, each committee can include only one voting member from any single area of concentration.
Students can, however, include additional nonvoting members on their committees if they wish.
The graduate faculty has delegated to the Fields the authority to establish general coursework requirements and criteria for evaluating performance in courses. The Field of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences, which does not have coursework requirements, usually defers to the judgment of students' special committees regarding this matter. An exception is the M.P.S. degree, which has specific requirements. Evaluation of overall performance and progress of students is determined annually by the Field. These recommendations take into account reports that other members of the special committees forward to the chairs.