Candidacy Exam Policy

Objectives of the Candidacy Exam

  1. To determine whether the student has the basic capacity for pursuing the Doctoral Program in Nutrition
  2. The candidacy examination should be fair, consistent, and equitable for all students, regardless of background.
  3. The candidacy examination should be diagnostic and prescriptive in nature with the desired outcome being the identification of strengths and weaknesses. The committee then would identify mechanisms to correct those weaknesses prior to the comprehensive examination.

Who Should Take the Exam and When Will It Be Offered

  1. For students with an M.S. degree the examination must be taken prior to earning 24 graduate credits or prior to completed 3 semesters whichever comes first.
  2. For the outstanding student who is admitted directly into the Ph.D. program (without receiving the M.S. degree), the examination may be taken after 18 graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate are earned, but must be taken prior to completing 3 semester after having earned 24 graduate credits. The student must be registered as a full-time or part-time degree student for the semester in which the candidacy examination is taken.
  3. This examination may be scheduled at the convenience of the student, his/her mentor and other committee members anytime during the first 3 semesters.

Nature of the Exam and Who Will Give It

The exam will be administered by a Candidacy Committee consisting of the student's mentor and at least 2 additional faculty members. At least 2 of the committee members must be faculty in the Graduate Program in Nutrition. This Committee is expected to have membership across the broad spectrum of the field of nutrition. The student's mentor must submit names of prospective members of the Committee in writing for approval by the Director of the Graduate Program in Nutrition at least two (2) weeks prior to the examination.

The exam will consist of a written followed by an oral component. Students are encouraged to visit committee members prior to the examinations for directions. The duration and scope of the oral examination will be determined by the Candidacy Committee.

The written exam will be for 6 hours. Students will be required to answer three of six questions developed by the Candidacy Examination Committee. This assessment will provide a perspective about the student's ability to extemporaneously write an organized and lucid response to an issue in nutrition.

The determination of Pass or Fail will be made by the committee. A decision will be made on a simple majority vote. All students will be notified in writing of the outcome of their performance on the oral and written components of the Candidacy Examination. The memo will outline the strengths and weaknesses of their performance. This memo will be cosigned by the Candidacy Committee and the Director of the Nutrition Program. Students passing the candidacy examination may have additional courses required by the Candidacy Committee to strengthen their knowledge base. The area(s) of deficiency identified by the Candidacy Committee may be re-examined at the time of the student's comprehensive exam. No repeat written or oral components of the candidacy exams will be given. English competency can be re-evaluated if necessary. Failure of the Candidacy Examination will result in the student being terminated from the Graduate Program in Nutrition.

Suggested Subject Matter in Which Knowledge May be Tested

(Knowledge should be equivalent to that provided in a senior-level undergraduate course.)

  1. The Nutrients - Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism
    • Intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and lipids. Structures and functions of vitamins and minerals.
    • Physiology of nutrient digestion and absorption.
    • Metabolic processes: glycolysis, citric acid cycle, gluconeogenesis, lipogenesis, lipolysis, ketogenesis, protein synthesis under health and disease states.
    • Functions of important macro- and micro-nutrients in metabolism
  2. Concept of "homeostatis" - Endocrine and Metabolic Regulation of Metabolism
    • Acid-base balance, electrolyte balance.
    • Regulation of energy balance.
  3. Common Symptoms of Classical Nutritional Deficiencies in Animals or Humans
  4. Fundamentals of Statistics as Applied to Nutrition Research
    • Mean, standard error, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, variance, degree of freedom
    • Correlation, regression
    • Tests of significance.
    • Analysis of Variance.
    • Sound research design. Experimental and Observational.
  5. Awareness of some current issues in animal/human nutrition

Subject Matter Areas for Students Emphasizing Human Nutrition

  1. Dietary standards (e.g., RD and USRDA).
  2. Food guides (e.g., dietary guidelines and food groups).
  3. Major food sources of nutrients.
  4. Common anthropometric and laboratory indices of nutritional status.
  5. Nutrient needs and dietary modification through the life cycle.

Subject Matter Areas for Students Emphasizing Animal Nutrition

  1. Differences between the ruminant and non-ruminant digestive system as they affect nutrition of the animal.
  2. General knowledge of nutrient content of commonly used feedstuffs and how to combine feedstuffs into a ration which will satisfy the nutrient requirement of animals.
    • Feedstuffs used mainly as energy, protein, vitamin or mineral sources in the diet.
    • Basic Steps in formulating a balanced ration.
    • Effect of processing of feedstuffs on nutrient availability.
  3. Methods of evaluating nutritive value of feedstuffs.
    • Proximate analysis. Modified fiber procedures and their nutritional implications.
    • In vitro procedures.
    • DM, TDN, DE, ME, NE.
    • NPU, BV, UFP, DP.
    • Examples of common procedures for determination of minerals and/or vitamins.
    • Digestion and balance trials.
    • Design of animal experiments to evaluate feedstuffs as a source of energy and/or protein.
    • Animal performance - gains, milk production, health responses, etc.

Comprehensive Exam Policy

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to assess each student's understanding of the many aspects of nutrition. A comprehensive examination is administered to a student when he or she has essentially completed all coursework and begun investigation into the thesis research. A student must have completed the communication requirement prior to taking the examination. The exam is officially scheduled and announced by the senior associate dean of the graduate school upon recommendation of the Director of the Nutrition Program and must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance. Graduate students will be required to take one comprehensive exam with two components, written and oral. If the exam is passed, the student continues in the program; if the exam is failed, the student's program is terminated. A two-thirds favorable vote by the members of the doctoral committee is required to pass. Results of the examination are reported to the Office of Graduate Student Programs and will be entered onto the student's official record.