Graduate Program in Nutrition Policies
Seminar Policy
All graduate students in the Graduate Program in Nutrition are expected to attend regularly the NUTRN 590 Colloquium to hear about current research topics from outside speakers. In addition, master's degree candidates are required to take 3 credits of NUTRN 520 and 551 as indicated in M.S. degree requirements. For Doctoral students, 1 credit of NUTRN 551 per year is required until the semester in which comprehensive examination is passed.
Leave of Absence
The Graduate School, at present, has no policy on leaves-of-absence. Depending upon the source of funding, a graduate student may be permitted to miss the summer semester without being considered as having a leave-of-absence. However, after an absence of 1 or more fall or spring semesters, the Graduate School must have a completed "resume study form" submitted one month prior to the semester the student wishes to return, i.e., if they miss fall semester or any portion of it, they must apply to resume study one month prior to spring semester. If a student does take a leave, that amount of time must be included in the time limit for completing their degree.
Minor
A student minoring in Nutrition at the Master's or Ph.D. level must meet the thirteen credit "Core Courses" requirement.
A member of the Graduate Program in Nutrition faculty must be a member of the doctoral committee.
Program Dismissal
When the program director, on the advice of the student's thesis committee determines that a student must be dismissed for unsatisfactory scholarship, the student must be given advance notice, in writing. This notice will advise the student of the reasons for the dismissal.
Upon receipt of this notice the student has the opportunity to seek a review of this decision. If the student desires such a review, the student must, within then (1q0) days of receipt of the notice, submit to the Program Director and/or the Chair of the Graduate Student Grievance Committee a written appeal.
Grading
Most courses are graded A, B, C, D and F. Any grade below a "C" is not considered to be a passing grade for a required course. R grades are available routinely for Nutrition 590 (Colloquium), Nutrition 594 (Research Topics), Nutrition 596 (Individual Studies), and Nutrition 597 (Special Topics). Letter grades can be used for these, but should not be mixed with R grades for students enrolled in the same offering. Nutrition 597-A should be graded on A, B, C system. Special permission is required from the Graduate School to give R grades for these courses.
Deferred Grades
The use of deferred grades should not be abused. The policy states:
"If work is incomplete at the end of a semester for a reason beyond the student's control, or if very little work remains to be done, the instructor may report DF ... The deferral must be removed within nine weeks of the beginning of the succeeding semester, unless a special extension is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School.
"If a course (e.g., perhaps a 596 or 530 course for an M.S. paper or project) is really designed to require a year rather than a semester, a request can be submitted to the Graduate School to allow an "R" grade for the first semester (or both semesters). Note that in such a case, the student must sign up for two contiguous semesters of the course. A final quality grade can be issued at the end. Or it can remain an "R".
Travel to Meetings
Financial support for travel to scientific meetings is a privilege and is considered as a reward for meritorious service. Its purpose is to further the education of the graduate student. The number of trips, if any, and the amount of support for each trip will be at the discretion of the advisor, or the Director of the Graduate Program in Nutrition. Priority will be given to those students making a presentation.
Travel to specific seminars or research conferences will depend on their ability to learn from or to contribute to the meeting as decided by the thesis advisor. Support will be subject to the availability of funds. Travel grants are also available, at times, from various societies. A student should consult with his or her advisor to receive support to travel to a meeting.
Changing Options
Students who wish to change from one Master's option to another (M.S., M.Ed., M.S. in Nutrition in Public Health) must inform their advisor and complete an official transfer of option form for consideration by the admissions committee. It is the student's responsibility to identify a graduate program faculty member willing to supervise the remainder of the work prior to consideration of the transfer by the Admission's Committee.