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Welcome to the Nutrition Science Graduate Program in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. We hope that you have a rewarding and successful time in graduate school. This handbook describes the tasks and deadlines that are necessary for you to earn your graduate degree. The information noted in this version of the Nutrition Science Graduate Handbook applies to all students admitted in fall 20192020. Students are held to the program requirements for the year in which they matriculate. All graduate students should refer to the handbook for answers to questions regarding graduate policies and procedures.

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• Application
• Non-refundable application fee
• Official transcripts of earlier academic degreesG.R.E. scores
• T.O.E.F.L. or I.E.L.T.S. and financial statement (if applicable)
• Three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty members)
• Personal statement reflective of career goals and objectives (including research)

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• G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher (undergraduate and/or master’s degree)
• G.R.E. Quantitative score of 140, Verbal score of 150. (Please note, the G.R.E. exam must be taken within the last five years)
• TOEFL scores of 100 for the Internet based (I.B.T.) test. I.E.L.T.S. of 7 or above.

Admission decisions are made by the Nutrition Science Graduate Admissions Committee and are based on the student’s academic background (i.e., G.P.A., G.R.E. scores), experience (e.g., research activity, related work experience), letters of recommendation, personal statement and areas of interests. It is common for successful applicants to have well beyond the minimum requirements.

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All students must develop a “Program of Study” with their academic advisor by the end of the first year after beginning their graduate studies. The program of study is developed in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and is a listing of all courses that have been completed and those intended courses to be completed in fulfillment of all degree requirements. The program of study should reflect a coherent body of study that is aligned with a student’s academic and career goals. A final Program of Study must be submitted to the program Administrative Assistant at the beginning of the student’s fourth semester. A Program of Study must be filed with the Graduate School before a thesis defense can be held and before a student can graduate from the program.

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Students requesting a transfer of credits or requesting to take a graduate course at another institution are required to complete a petition for each course that is being transferred. Students must also provide a complete syllabus for the class. The graduate director reviews the petitions to determine which courses will be accepted. Permission by the Graduate Director and the Didactic Program in Dietetics (D.P.D.) Director (if the course is to be counted toward the student’s D.P.D. requirement) must be obtained before the student registers for the course. Failing to obtain permission may result in the course not being counted toward the student’s graduate degree.

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• Faculty advisor will review the advisee’s information and provide a summary of his/her progress to the graduate nutrition faculty committee. Nutrition faculty may provide additional information regarding student progress and performance.
• Students will be contacted in writing by their academic advisor regarding the outcome of the annual review and, as necessary, will meet with the faculty advisor to discuss the review further.
• A copy of the report is placed in the student’s file.

Academic Standards

Satisfactory Progress

All graduate students are required to maintain satisfactory progress in their degree program. This is accomplished by maintaining a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 (B) or higher in all courses listed in their program of study. This includes graduate courses taken outside the Nutrition Science Graduate Program (anthropology, education, psychology, sociology, etc.). Students must earn a B or better in all required courses.

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Elective coursework must be selected from the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition Nutrition Science graduate program (graduate level courses are indicated by their course number of 500 or above) or related programs (e.g., Public Health, Food Studies, Psychology, Education, Policy Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.). Students must consult with their academic advisor prior to selecting courses. Elective courses should be consistent with the student’s academic interests and goals and form a coherent program of study. For a complete list of available courses, please consult the Course Catalog.

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Graduate students may choose to audit courses during the fall and spring semesters. Permission of the instructor must be obtained by completing a “Grading Option Application Form” with the instructor’s signature. The form is then returned to the Student Records Office at 106 Steele Hall. (Forms are available at the Student Records Office, or the student’s academic department.) Audited courses are not counted toward the graduate degree and students are required to pay 60% of the tuition cost.

Sample Course Schedule (M.A., Non-D.P.D.)

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Master of Science (M.S.)

The M.S. in Nutrition Science requires the completion of a minimum of 30 credits and includes a thesis. The degree is comprised of 16 credit hours of required core course work (core) and 14 hours of electives, including 6 credits thesis work (N.S.D. 997).

Nutrition Science Core Courses (16 credits):

Year 1 - Spring

Year 2 - Fall

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NOTE: N.S.D.

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 652 (Mediterranean Food

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* Core

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and Culture) or N.S.

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The M.S. in Nutrition Science requires the completion of a minimum of 30 credits and includes a thesis. The degree is comprised of 16 credit hours of required core course work (core) and 14 hours of electives, including thesis credits. (6 credits)

Nutrition Science Core Courses (16 credits):

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D. 600 (South Asia Food, Culture, Family and Healthcare Systems) may be petitioned as a substitute for N.S.D. 555.

Elective Course Requirements (16 credits)

Elective coursework must be selected from the Nutrition Science graduate program or related programs (e.g., Psychology, Education, Policy Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.). Graduate courses are indicated by their course number (500 or above). Students must consult with their academic advisor prior to selecting courses. Elective courses should be consistent with the student’s academic interests and goals and form a coherent program of study. For a complete list of available courses, please consult the Course Catalog.

Nutrition Science Electives (14 credits):

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Elective Course Requirements (16 credits)

Elective coursework must be selected from the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition or related programs (e.g., Psychology, Education, Policy Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.). Graduate courses are indicated by their course number (500 or above). Students must consult with their academic advisor prior to selecting courses. Elective courses should be consistent with the student’s academic interests and goals and form a coherent program of study. For a complete list of available courses, please consult the Course Catalog.

Nutrition Science Electives (14 credits):

Independent Study

M.S. students may take up to 3 credits as “Independent Study.” An independent study may include research projects, literature reviews, or other scholarly activities beyond those involved in standard coursework. All independent studies are conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Students must complete the “Independent Study Form” prior to registering. The independent study must be completed in the semester when it is undertaken.

Graduate students may choose to audit courses during the fall and spring semesters. Permission of the instructor must be obtained by completing a “Grading Option Application Form” with the instructor’s signature. The form is then returned to the Student Records Office at 106 Steele Hall. (Forms are available at the Student Records Office, or the student’s academic department.) Audited courses are not counted toward the graduate degree and students are required to pay 60% of the tuition cost.

Sample Course Schedule (M.S., Non-D.P.D.)

Year 1 - Fall

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Year 1 - Spring

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Year 2 - Fall

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Year 2 - Spring

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* Core

Independent Study

M.S. students may take up to 3 credits as “Independent Study.” An independent study may include research projects, literature reviews, or other scholarly activities beyond those involved in standard coursework. All independent studies are conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Students must complete the “Independent Study Form” prior to registering. The independent study must be completed in the semester when it is undertaken.

Graduate students may choose to audit courses during the fall and spring semesters. Permission of the instructor must be obtained by completing a “Grading Option Application Form” with the instructor’s signature. The form is then returned to the Student Records Office at 106 Steele Hall. (Forms are available at the Student Records Office, or the student’s academic department.) Audited courses are not counted toward the graduate degree and students are required to pay 60% of the tuition cost.

Master’s Thesis (6 credits, N.S.D. 997)

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All theses must be approved by the student’s Master’s Thesis committee. The committee is comprised of the student’s thesis advisor (who will serve on the committee) and two other N.S.D. faculty members. N.S.D. tenured and tenure track faculty, Professors of Practice, or any faculty member with a Ph.D., may serve on the committee. A tenured/tenure track faculty must chair the final defense committee.

The thesis proposal should be developed in consultation with their faculty advisor and contain the following:

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The student may select one faculty member from outside of the department if his/her expertise is related to the student’s thesis. Committee members should be given at least two weeks to read the proposal prior to the thesis proposal defense date. At the thesis proposal defense, the student is expected to orally present key aspects of the proposed thesis and respond to questions posed by the thesis committee. Students whose proposal is approved by the committee may proceed with their study, subject to any committee recommendations. Proposals not approved by their committee may not proceed until approval is acquired. The thesis proposal defense should occur prior to the end of the spring semester of the first year of study.

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After the faculty thesis advisor has given his/her approval, the thesis is to be submitted to the thesis committee members at least two weeks prior to the thesis defense. Following the defense, committee members may require students to make changes to the thesis.

Read up on the procedures for graduate students defending theses (Preparing to Defend). The student must complete a Request for Examination form also found at that website. Students should include a faculty member (other than the three committee members) to chair the committee. This person will act as the representative of the Graduate School and will moderate the thesis defense.

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Dietetics within the discipline of Nutrition is the science of applying food and nutrition to health. Master’s students who are pursuing the D.P.D. verification with courses from the master’s degree in Nutrition Science complete a minimum of 37 credits. Upon successful completion of all D.P.D. course requirements, the student will receive the D.P.D. Verification and will be qualified to apply to a supervised dietetic internship program. Students who have successfully completed their Dietetic Internship will be eligible to take the national examination to become a registered dietitian. Our most recent match rate for dietetic internships was 89%100%, compared to 62% 65% nationally. Our five-year average match rate is 83%. The pass rate for our graduates on the registration examination for dietitians was 91% 90% for the past five years.

In addition to the general entrance requirements and nutrition courses required for admission into the program, prerequisites are required for the students pursuing D.P.D. verification. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting the graduate program. Any course taken from this list via another institution must first be approved by the D.P.D. Director. Any courses taken without prior approval may not be accepted toward D.P.D. Verification. Students who wish to have their transcript evaluated for approval of these classes may email the D.P.D. Director, Nancy Rindfuss.

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