Nutrition Sciences, Ph.D.

Admissions

Students may enter the program with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition or a master’s degree in a closely nutrition-related field. 

Requirements for admission to the Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences will be:

• A completed application, including a Statement of Purpose

• A current resume or curriculum vitae

• Three letters of recommendation from faculty or other health professionals capable of judging the applicant’s ability to complete graduate work.

• Test Scores:

  • If a student has previously completed or will complete a Master’s degree prior to beginning the Doctoral program and has a current graduate GPA ≥3.5 out of 4.0, their application will be considered without the need to submit a GRE score.

  • Students who have previously completed or will complete a Master’s degree prior to beginning the Doctoral program with a graduate GPA of 3.3-3.49 out of 4.0 may be considered for admission providing they also have a combined (qualitative and quantitative) GRE score of ≥300. 

  • Students with a Bachelor’s degree will need to submit GRE scores.  Minimum requirement for admission is a combined (qualitative and quantitative) GRE score of ≥300.

• If an applicant does not have a previous degree in nutrition, minimum prerequisite coursework would include NHM 558 Nutr Prev Trtmt Chron Disease, NHM 572 Metabolism of Energy Nutrients, and NHM 573 Advanced Vitamins and Minerals.  Additionally, if a student is admitted without having previously completed a Master’s degree, they will need to complete NHM 509 Research Methods in Nutrition. These courses would need to be completed in the first year of study. The sequencing of course offerings will be structured such that taking these prerequisite courses will not increase time to graduation.  

See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.

Curricular Requirements

The Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences requires completion of 54 graduate hours, including 15 hours of nutrition core classes, 9 hours of statistics, 9 hours of nutrition electives, and 18 hours of dissertation research. 

To complete the PhD in Nutrition Sciences, students will need to complete the required courses, obtain at least 54 credit hours (including dissertation courses), pass both the written and oral preliminary exams, and complete the dissertation. The required courses must be completed within the first two years of the program with a grade of C or better. A student cannot have more than 2 C’s in required coursework.  Students must have at least a 3.0 overall GPA to graduate.   

Nutrition Sciences, Ph.D.		Hours
Required Nutrition Core Coursework
NHM 601	Contemp Research Nutrition Sci	3
NHM 602	Methods Integrat Nutr Assess	3
NHM 603	Nutrition Intervention	3
NHM 635	Adv Prac. in Post Sec. Diet Ed	3
NHM 691	Grant Writing Nutrition Res	3
NHM 695	Interpret Nutrition Research	3
Statistics Electives (600 Level)		6
Advanced Statistics or Methods Elective (500-600 Level)		3
Research Hours
NHM 699	Dissertation Research	18
Nutrition Electives
NHM 550	Advanced Community Nutrition I	3
NHM 551	Adv. Community Nutrition II	3
NHM 555	Maternal and Infant Nutrition	3
NHM 556	Child and Adolescent Nutrition	3
NHM 557	Childhood Obesity	3
NHM 564	Nutrition in IPP	1
NHM 565	ID Mgmt of Chronic Disease	2
NHM 568	Nutrition for the Older Adult	3
NHM 590	Special Prob Nutrition	1 to 6
NHM 605	Analysis Transl Nutrition Res	3
NHM 611	Nutritional Neuroscience	3
NHM 625	Nutritional Epidemiology	3
NHM 648	Secondary Analysis Survey Data	3
NHM 650	Amino Acid Metab and Signaling	3
NHM 698	Non-Dissertation Research	1 to 15
Total Hours		83-102

Transfer Credit

With the approval of the student's PhD Advisor and the Dean of the Graduate School, up to 9 of the required course hours may be transferred from another institution. Required courses must be taken at UA.  Submit the form, Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit, to the Graduate School during the first semester enrolled at the University of Alabama. 

For students who have earned a master’s degree at The University of Alabama, all applicable hours (i.e., course hours for which graduate credit has been received in the same department or in a closely affiliated department, but not including NHM 597, NHM 598 or NHM 599) may transfer to the PhD program. The number of hours that qualify for transfer is at the discretion of the Department, as recommended by the student's PhD Advisor and as approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.  Subject to the approval of the student's PhD Advisor, graduate courses in allied departments may be taken to meet the remainder of the requirements. Transfer credits are considered Pass/Fail for calculation of grade point average, but are included in the course hours, provided they are from graded courses.

Doctoral Plan of Study

For more information, see the Plan of Study section of this catalog.

Comprehensive/Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to determine the student's research competence to begin work on a dissertation.  The written examination should be successfully completed at least nine months before the degree is to be awarded.  Students should consult their academic advisor regarding the timing of the exam in the context of their academic plan.  The comprehensive or preliminary qualifying examination is required of all doctoral candidates. This examination is administered after: 

• foreign language/research skill requirements are met,

• completion of the core nutrition courses covered (see below), and

• the comprehensive exam committee deems the student to have adequate preparation in the major and minor fields of study. 

To take the qualifying exam, students must be in good standing based on graduate school guidelines.

• Students may not have any incompletes “I.”

• Students must have a current overall GPA of 3.0 or above.

The examination is completed in two phases.    

• Phase 1:  Application of Translational Nutrition Principles (written, proctored exam)

• Phase 2:  Research Competence (oral exam as part of the dissertation proposal defense)

Students will not be able to move to Phase 2 of the examination until the successful completion of Phase 1.

Phase 1: Application of Translational Nutrition Principles

Offerings: Students should consult their academic advisor regarding the timing of the exam in the context of their academic plan.  The proctored exam will be offered the first Thursday and Friday of the Spring semester (non-holiday). 

Procedures for Phase 1: Four weeks before the scheduled exam, students will receive these instructions and a study guide. 

The exam will be completed through the Blackboard Ultra portal while using Respondus Lockdown Browser. Students will have access to the exam only on the day of testing.  Testing will be completed in one of the computer classrooms or on a departmental laptop in a conference room. 

All answers must be submitted by the end of the testing period.  Each section of the exam must be finished in one sitting.  Students may take a break between sections.  Each section of the exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.  Students will complete the written exam over two days in the following sequence:   

• Section 1:  Nutrition Science (Day 1)

• Section 2:  Clinical Nutrition (Day 1)

• Section 3:  Research Methods (Day 2)

If the student requires accommodations, they should contact the Office of Disability Services to coordinate accommodations before the day of the exam.   

Topics and Courses Covered:  Exam topics are based on ASN competencies for the PhD in Nutrition Science.  The exam will cover content from the following required courses: 

1. NHM 601 Contemp Research Nutrition Sci

2. NHM 602 Methods Integrat Nutr Assess

3. NHM 603 Nutrition Intervention

4. NHM 695 Interpret Nutrition Research

Basic knowledge of nutrition, such as information found in pre-requisite courses  (Examples:    NHM 101, NHM 365/NHM 558, NHM 572, and NHM 573)

Grading:  Each section of the exam will be graded by three nutrition professors for content, grammar, and organization of thought.  Graders will be blinded to reduce bias.  Answers within each section will be graded separately.

Students may receive one of the following grades:  pass (80% or better), contingency (70-79%), and fail (below 70%).  Insufficient depth or detail or incorrect content will not result in a passing grade.

• Students who pass all three sections of the written exam may move to Phase 2 (preparing their dissertation proposal for the oral defense). 

• Students who receive a contingency grade on any section of the exam will be allowed to retake that portion of the exam for a better grade within two to three weeks after receiving exam feedback.  Once any contingency grades are removed, the student may move to Phase 2 (oral defense of dissertation proposal). 

• Student who fail one or more sections will be allowed to retake those sections during the next available testing opportunity (first Thursday or Friday in May).  Only 1 retake is allowed.

• Failure to successfully pass any part(s) of the examination retake will result in dismissal from the degree program and the Graduate School without confirmation of the degree.

• ​All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. 

The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline.  Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student. 

The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct. Situations involving any suspected violation of the Academic Honor Code on the comprehensive exams for the doctoral degree will be sent to the Academic Misconduct Monitor (in HES: Assistant Dean). Any student found in violation of the Academic Honor Code will be subject to penalties imposed by the Academic Misconduct Monitor and may be as severe as dismissal from the University.

​Admission to Candidacy Requirements​

The requirements for advancing to candidacy include: 

• passing the written qualifying examination; 

• completion of all coursework as listed on the approved program of study; 

• receiving approval of the dissertation subject; 

• successfully defending the dissertation proposal, which includes the written proposal (Phase 2 of the comprehensive exam); and 

• having the designated dissertation committee recommend the student for admission to candidacy for a doctoral degree. The completed Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form must be submitted to the Graduate School well in advance of the final semester.

The oral exam (Phase 2 of the comprehensive exam) will be completed at the dissertation proposal defense.  To complete the oral exam, the student will:

• Select a chair as a primary mentor (see information on advisory committees),

• Select a minimum of 5 professors who will serve on the dissertation committee according to graduate school guidelines,

• Complete the Dissertation Research Proposal and the IRB/IACUC/IBC protocol,

• Schedule a formal proposal defense with an open invitation to all faculty and graduate students,

• Formally present the proposed project, including background, research questions and hypotheses, methods, and projected timeline to the committee and other audience members, and

• Answer questions from both the general audience and the dissertation committee.  

The PhD Dissertation Advisory Committee will assess the quality of the proposal.  Evaluation of the proposal will be based on the following considerations:

• Scope of the proposal (10%). Is the research topic novel and important? Is the proposed project appropriate for the timeline?

• Background (30%). Is the literature review comprehensive and appropriate? Does the literature review identify a problem or series of problems that justifies the direction of the proposal?

• Experimental plan (40%). Are there clearly stated hypotheses for each section, or at least clearly stated expectations of experimental outcomes? Are the proposed experiments/methods appropriate tests of the hypotheses?  Does the author have realistic expectations of the experimental methods?  Are alternate hypotheses and experimental approaches proposed to cover the possibilities that: (i) the primary approaches prove to be inappropriate, (ii) the primary approaches disprove the hypotheses?

• Presentation (20%). Is the proposal well organized and clearly written?

Each of the above evaluation criteria will be assigned a score of 1-5 as follows:

1. Outstanding

2.  Excellent

3. Good/Average

4. Fair

5. Poor

An average weighted cumulative score of 3.0 or higher must be earned in order to pass the proposal-based exam. 

Successful defense of the oral exam resulting in at least 80% favorable vote from the committee is required for students to be recommended for admission to candidacy.  Committee members will sign the Admission to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree form.  At this point, the student will be considered a doctoral candidate and may register for dissertation hours.

Continuous Enrollment Policy

See the continuous enrollment policy in the graduate catalog.

Dissertation Requirements

Once the proposal and IRB/IUCC/IBC are approved, the student may begin dissertation research. The student should not be allowed to complete the research until they receive these approvals. The student cannot propose a dissertation and have its final defense in the same semester.  The following procedures should be completed prior to submitting the final dissertation to the committee:  

• Complete the research under the guidance of the chair,

• Ensure the document conforms to the guide for thesis and dissertation,

• Gain approval of the chair to distribute the dissertation to all committee members, allowing committee members two weeks to read the dissertation,

• Schedule a formal dissertation defense with an open invitation (including title, name, date, time, and location) to all faculty and graduate students,

• Ensure all committee members can attend the defense,

• Formally present the final dissertation, including background, gaps in the literature, research questions and hypotheses, methods, results, conclusions, and publication plan to the committee and other audience members on the scheduled day and time of the defense, and

• Answer questions from both the general audience and the dissertation committee.

All students must pass a final oral examination related to their dissertation.  Final oral examination questions may also include other subjects beyond the student's research that the PhD Dissertation Committee or other faculty deem relevant.  Final oral examinations and defense of the dissertation for the PhD must be taken not less than six weeks prior to the proposed graduation date.  Each semester the graduate school posts dissertation due dates. 

The outside member of the student’s committee must attend and participate in the final defense; this may be a virtual presence if the member can see and hear the presentation and actively participate in questioning of the candidate. All departmental faculty have the right to attend the oral defense, and have the right to ask questions of the student that are relevant to the goals of the examination. 

Only faculty on the student's committee may vote on whether the student has passed or failed the examination.  Evaluation of the final defense will be completed using the procedures described in the proposal section of this document. 

Upon successful defense of the dissertation, file the Doctoral Final Defense form with the Director and submit this form to the Graduate School.  At the conclusion of the defense, it is common practice that committee members ask for changes in the final dissertation document.  Substantive changes may require an additional committee meeting.  Minor changes may require revisions to the document only.  Prior to submission of the final dissertation to the online thesis/dissertation portal, students should have received approval to submit by all committee members. 

It is the student’s responsibility to submit the dissertation to the online thesis/dissertation portal. The student should be aware of all deadlines for the dissertation defense and adjust their timeline to meet them. 

Changes to Approved Dissertation Proposals.  In some rare instances, students may not be able to complete the proposed research approved by their committee.  Examples of such instances include but are not limited to: 

• changes in University policies that restrict or limit the proposed research,

• newly published research that may change the significance, scope or methods of the proposed work,

• early results that suggest the research should be discontinued due to adverse effects or severe adverse effects,

• recruiting problems that cannot be resolved,

• change in the health status of the student that limits their ability to complete the proposed work, and

• early results that suggest no therapeutic effect to be derived.

If any of these situations were to occur, the student should contact the committee chair.  The committee chair will then contact the Director and the department chair.  The Committee chair, director, and department chair will meet to review the original proposal, description of the problem, and potential solutions.  This group will decide to either continue the research as proposed, make significant changes to the proposed methods (example:  change from a clinical trial to an online survey, change from a clinical trial with humans to a rodent model, etc), or propose an alternative dissertation.  If changes are approved, these changes may lead to a delay of graduation. Students should refer to their offer letters for the term of their assistantship, if applicable.

If a student is allowed to make minor alterations to the methods only without changing the composition of the committee, then the student should:

• propose those changes in writing and submit to the committee members,

• schedule a meeting to discuss the proposed changes with the committee members,

• develop an alternative timeline approved by the committee, and

• obtain IRB/IACUC/IBC approval of modifications.

Once the committee and IRB/IACUC/IBC approve the new plan, the student can continue the research utilizing the new methods.  The committee chair should notify their program director that the committee has approved the desired changes. 

If a student is allowed to propose an alternative thesis or dissertation or substantially altered thesis or dissertation, then the student will need to:

• Work with the chair of the committee to alter the research plan. 

• Create a project abstract that can be distributed to committee members.

• Assess the composition of the existing committee and add or eliminate committee members. 

• For existing committee members, the student should provide each committee member with a copy of the revised abstract, meet with the members to discuss changes in research questions and hypotheses, methods, and projected timelines, and discuss the member’s willingness to continue to serve on the committee.    

• For new committee members, the student should invite the new member to serve on the committee, provide the potential member with the abstract, meet with the potential committee member and the Committee Chair (in person or by phone, Zoom, etc), discuss the project with the potential member, and confirm whether the faculty member wants to serve on the committee.      

• Committee members, whose expertise is no longer needed, should be contacted by the student to discuss the changes in the plan and committee.

• If committee member changes are made, the student is responsible for edits to the “Thesis/Dissertation Committee” form. 

• Complete or modify the Thesis or Dissertation Research Proposal (See Guidelines for Writing the Dissertation Proposal) and the IRB/IACUC/IBC protocol.   

• Revise the proposal document to the chair’s satisfaction (a student cannot set a proposal meeting until the chair is satisfied with the document).

• Gain approval of the chair (co-chairs) to distribute the proposal to all committee members.

• Schedule a formal meeting to discuss the changes to the plan with the committee members only. 

• Formally present the proposed revised or significantly altered project including rationale, any additional background needed, research questions and hypotheses, methods, and projected timeline to the committee.

• Answer questions from the dissertation committee.

Once the committee and IRB/IACUC/IBC approve the new plan, the student can continue the research utilizing the new methods.  The committee chair will notify their program director that the committee has accepted the revised plan. 

Note:  While changes in the proposed research plan may extend time to graduation, they will NOT extend the time limit for the degree.  Although a change in plan may be granted, the student should not expect to receive additional financial assistance in the form of an assistantship from the department.  Please review your offer letter, if applicable.   

See Dissertation section of this catalog.

Time Limits for Degree Completion

See Time Limits section of this catalog

Student Progress Requirement

PhD students are encouraged to engage in research as soon as practical and may explore short-term projects before solidifying a dissertation project. All students must make continuous satisfactory research progress while enrolled in the PhD program. Student performance will be evaluated each semester by their mentor starting in their second semester of their first year. Each student will be evaluated for their continuation in the program and their eligibility of receiving financial support. 

Each student is asked to complete the PhD Student Progress Report and submit this form to the mentor.  At the beginning of each semester, the student will meet with the mentor to outline goals and objectives for the semester.  The research mentor will meet with the student to evaluate progress toward meeting the stated goals and objectives at the end of each semester.  The student will be rated by the mentor as either exceeds expectations, meets expectations, or fails to meet expectations.  The major professor must complete the evaluation page of the Progress Report (see Appendix) and discuss the findings with the student.  A copy of this report shall be sent to the Department Chair, the Director, and the student. 

Students who fail to meet expectations will be placed on probation and have one semester to improve their evaluation to a meets/exceeds expectations rating.  All evaluations are reviewed by the Director and the Department Chair.  If the student fails to improve his/her rating, the student may be dismissed from the program.  Decisions regarding dismissal will be made by the mentor, Director, and Department Chair.    

Evaluation Criteria:  

• Exceeds Expectations:  The student has an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, met stated goals and objectives for the semester, made satisfactory research progress commensurate with time in the program, completes all research tasks in an ethical manner, follows standard and established research protocols, and has accomplished two or more of the following: 

a.  Presentation of research at a national or international meeting or submission of an abstract for a presentation.

b.  Submission of a research proposal for funding external to the University.

c.  Any honor or award reflecting outstanding achievement.

d. Submission/acceptance/publication of a research manuscript as a junior author. 

• Meets Expectations:  The student has an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, met stated goals and objectives for the semester, made satisfactory research progress commensurate with time in the program, completes all research tasks in an ethical manner, follows standard and established research protocols, and has accomplished one or more of the following: 

a.  Presentation of research at a national or international meeting or submission of an abstract for a presentation.

b.  Submission of a research proposal for funding external to the University.

c.  Any honor or award reflecting outstanding achievement.

d.  Submission/acceptance/publication of a research manuscript as a junior author.  

• Fails to Meet Expectations:  The student has an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and is NOT meeting one of the following expectations:

a. Stated goals and objectives for the semester,

b. Satisfactory research progress commensurate with time in the program,

c. Completion of all research tasks in an ethical manner, or 

d. Following standard and established research protocols. 

Students who are not making appropriate progress toward the degree based on the Degree Time Line or students with an overall GPA below 3.0 must be rated fails to meet expectations. 

Students on assistantships will receive a review of their progress from their supervisor. The student’s progress toward degree completion, mentor’s review, and the supervisor’s review will be considered when making decisions for continuation of assistantship funding. 

Academic Misconduct Information

Academic Misconduct:  All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars.  The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline.  Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.  The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct. 

Students and their mentors must adhere to the four key guidelines of scholarship, authorship, approval and agreement as well as the protocols of ensuring good publication ethics outlined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). 

See Academic Misconduct section of this catalog.

Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information

See Withdrawals and Leave of Absence policy section of this catalog.  

Academic Grievances Information

If concerns arise, students are encouraged to communicate with the instructor or staff member who is directly involved with the concern. Usually the concern can be resolved satisfactorily through honest and open communication with the faculty or staff member. Meeting with the instructor or staff member should be the first step in resolving the concern.

However, if informal discussions have not yielded a satisfactory resolution, or where the matter is more serious, the student may bring the concern to the Assistant Department Chair. Should the Assistant Department Chair not be able to come to a satisfactory resolution, they will direct the student on the next steps to move the concern to the next level.

See Academic Grievances section of this catalog.

Grades and Academic Standing

Each student must have an overall graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better for all graduate courses undertaken at The University of Alabama.  Students may be dismissed from this program for failure to meet the scholastic requirements listed above. Departmental suspension (dismissal) from a degree program also results in suspension from the Graduate School.

See the Grades and Academic Standing section of this catalog. 

Graduate School Deadlines Information

Students should be aware of graduate school deadlines. 

Application for Graduation Information

Students will need to submit an Application to Graduate through myBama by the published deadlines.

Funding

Graduate assistantships at the University of Alabama may be available to students. For an overview of information regarding eligibility criteria, class hour requirements, and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) levels for holding an assistantship, see the Graduate School catalog under Assistantships: Admission Status, Class Hours, and FTE Level.

Acquisition of Financial Support

Faculty vote to admit a limited number of students based on the availability of positions within the department.  Unconditionally admitted full-time graduate students may seek and receive financial assistance in the form of a graduate assistantship.  Graduate assistantships are highly competitive and being admitted into the graduate program does not in any way guarantee an assistantship award.  Accepted Ph.D. students may receive up to three years (fall and spring) of funding if requirements are met (see below). When a student is admitted to the program with financial support, the stipend level is specified, but the source of the financial support may vary from semester to semester.

Types of Financial Support

Financial support for graduate students may include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, or combinations of these sources.

Graduate Research Assistant.  Faculty members with awarded, external research funding may be able to support a graduate research assistant (GRA) for one or more semesters.  Benefits associated with external research funding are determined by the funder and budget allocations within the grant.

Graduate Teaching Assistant.  Alternatively, the Department offers a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) available that may be used to financially support students. The responsibilities of these assistantships can vary based on departmental needs, such as serving as an instructor of record, lab instructor, or grader.

Fellowship Nominations: Additional support is available in the form of fellowships, available from the University and other funding agencies.  Eligible students may be nominated by the Department for UA fellowships. Nominees are selected by departmental faculty based upon prospective nominee research productivity, academic performance, and contributions to the Department or field. Fellowship recipients are guaranteed paid tuition and fees, a stipend, and benefits at least commensurate with those provided through GRA or GTA support.

Performance Expectations for Continuing Financial Support

The student must be in good academic standing in their designated program.

The student must complete all mandatory annual training and abide by all rules and policies held by The University of Alabama, The UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, UA Environmental Health and Safety, and the Department of Human Nutrition, Hospitality and Sport Management. 

Graduate teaching assistants must adequately perform all duties assigned to them in a timely manner as defined by the instructor of record or their designee for all courses to which the student is assigned teaching, grading, and/or laboratory preparative responsibilities.

For doctoral students beginning their second semester, students must conduct research under the direction of a department-approved research advisor as dictated by the expectations.  Continuous research progress is expected beginning in the second semester as directed by the research advisor and later by the student’s dissertation committee.

Conditions for Termination of Financial Support

Students who meet one or more of the following criteria will be subject to termination of financial support pending Department administrative review. Depending upon the severity of the infraction or the extent of non-compliance, the Department Chair and Graduate Director, with input from the Graduate Committee, may recommend immediate termination of financial support, termination of financial support at the end of the current semester, or termination of financial support (partial or full) at the end of the following semester.

Dereliction of duty. Dereliction of duty includes but is not limited to: failure to comply with all UA safety and interpersonal conduct policies; absence from scheduled obligations without prior notification to the instructor of record or designee and/or the research advisor; failure to satisfactorily complete all activities associated with the funded position as defined by the instructor of record or designee and/or by the research advisor and the student’s departmental memorandum of appointment; or failure when publishing to adhere to the ethical principles in publishing. For more information, review the University’s Policy on Academic Misconduct in Scholarly Activities (Appendix F).

Failure to have a department-approved research advisor for more than one semester (applies to doctoral students only). For more information, see the Graduate School Catalog under Dissertation Committee.

Loss of good academic standing. Students not in good academic standing have one probationary academic semester after notification of their change in academic status to return to good academic standing—with the non-passing grade exception noted below. Financial support may be terminated if good academic standing is not restored by the end of the probationary academic semester. Students who earn more than two grades of ‘C’ or at least one grade of ‘D’ or ‘F’ in graduate courses will have a compulsory academic performance review by the Graduate Committee. This review will determine whether the student should continue to receive financial support and/or be dismissed from the program at the end of the semester in which the non-passing grade is earned or at the end of the following semester. A decision will be rendered within two weeks after the end of the semester in which a third ‘C’ and/or a ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade is reported.

Delinquent Coursework.  Doctoral students who neglect to complete the required coursework within the first four semesters are no longer in good academic standing.

Performance Review. Doctoral students will meet with their advisors at the beginning and end of each semester.  Semester-based goals will be developed and reviewed.  In the event that a student is not meeting goals, they are provided recommendations to correct deficiencies and placed on an improvement plan.  If deficiencies are not resolved within one semester, students may be at risk of losing funding.

The Department is not obligated to provide funding for students terminated from their positions.  It should be noted that a loss in funding does not equal dismissal from a program for students in good academic standing and who have not been found to have committed misconduct worthy of dismissal.