Graduate Programs – Ph.D. Degree in Public Health-Nutrition Option

The doctoral program prepares individuals for teaching and research in academic institutions and for positions of professional leadership in health and health-related agencies where research is an important function.

Doctoral applicants should have earned the Bachelors degree and have demonstrated basic research competency through a required thesis (M.S. thesis, Honors thesis or equivalent research experience). It is expected that an applicant has completed the equivalent of the following courses before s/he is admitted to the program. Otherwise, any deficiency must be completed before a student is allowed to take the Comprehensive examination for the Ph.D. degree.

• Introductory Biology (1 semester)
• Mammalian Physiology (1 semester)
• Microbiology (1 semester)
• Chemistry, General (2 semesters)
• Chemistry, Organic (1 semester)
• Biochemistry (1 semester)
• Statistics (1 semester)
• Basic Nutrition (2 semesters)
• Clinical Nutrition/Medical Nutrition Therapy (1 semester)
• Computer Literacy (course-work or experience)

Program's Minimum Requirements:

A total of 57 credits including the following:

1. 18 credits (minimum) of Ph.D. Dissertation (NUTR 899).
2. 3 credits of graduate Seminar. The student will present three seminars, one must be in Nutrition and one in the Minor; the third can be in either area.
3. 24 credits in major concentration of Nutrition (selected from the courses listed below).
4. 12 credits in minor concentration within SPHHS or another appropriate Ph.D.-granting program.
5. Passing a Comprehensive Examination.
6. Completion and defense of a research dissertation.

The Comprehensive Examination:

Upon completion of the 39 credits of course work, the student must pass a comprehensive examination (see below) as specified in the Graduate School regulations. Only students who have passed the comprehensive examination are considered as candidates for the Ph.D. degree. The comprehensive examination will consist of two parts:

• Written examination: Each Ph.D. student is required to write the examinations in two areas, Nutrition (major area) and the minor area declared by the student.
• Oral examination: The oral examination will be held shortly after passing the written portion. It is a continuation of the written examination with added emphasis on the student's area of research interests.

A student may be allowed a second chance to pass any portion of the comprehensive exam. Two failures of any portion are grounds for dismissal from the program.

Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense:

Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, students prepare a dissertation proposal that must be approved by the student's dissertation committee before being submitted to the Graduate School.

The program can be completed in three years for students who have completed a master's degree in nutrition or closely related field.  The actual length of time depends on background and the student's ability to complete the Dissertation Proposal and subsequent dissertation research.

Notes:

1. Students may transfer up to six credits for courses taken at other institutions. Up to one half of the course credits required for the major and the minor maybe waived if the student has completed equivalent course work elsewhere. This must be by a request from the student's academic advisor that is approved by the Graduate Curriculum Committee. Students are responsible in the comprehensive examination for the material in the waived courses.
2. Students must meet the Graduate School residency requirement.

Particular knowledge and skills to be acquired by graduates:

Learning Objectives:

1. demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the terms, concepts and methods in the nutritional sciences;
2. demonstrate critical thinking in evaluation of the literature;
3. demonstrate ability to integrate knowledge in nutrition and related fields to identify and evaluate nutritional problems and to develop and implement guidelines and policies based on current scientific knowledge;
4. demonstrate ability to design, conduct, and evaluate research in an area of nutritional sciences;
5. demonstrate capability of launching independent investigations;
6. demonstrate ability to teach nutrition at the university level;
7. demonstrate skills in communicating results of nutritional research to professional and lay different target populations (peers, public, etc.).

The objective is to provide the degree candidates the tools necessary to be: a) critical thinkers; b) conversant in the field of Nutrition and related fields; c) capable of launching independent investigations; and d) able to develop and implement guidelines and policies based on current scientific knowledge. Graduates of the proposed program should be accepted as faculty and/or research scientists in academic, research, government, and international institutions concerned with nutrition, as well as the food and feed production and related industries.

Courses:

• NUTRITN 630 Nutrition and Chronic Disease
• NUTRITN 640 Public Health Nutrition
• NUTRITN 714 Advanced Nutrition-Vitamins
• NUTRITN 715 Advanced Nutrition Minerals
• NUTRITN 731 Nutritional Assessments
• NUTRITN 741 Methods in Nutrition Research
• NUTRITN 793/794 Graduate Seminar
• PUBHLTH 640 Intermediate Biostatistics
• PUBHLTH 630 Principles of Epidemiology
• PUBHLTH 634 Nutritional Epidemiology