Nutrition and Food Systems, Ph.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nutrition and Food Systems prepares students for leadership and research positions in nutrition or food systems. Career choices upon completion of the Doctor of Philosophy include teaching/research positions in institutions of higher learning, administrative positions in large food service programs including schools and medical and military facilities, and research positions in public and private sectors. Depending on selection of classes, students may emphasize applied nutrition, food systems management or both areas in their program. The curriculum requires 54 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. Research tools proficiency, comprehensive exam, a dissertation, and a 3.0 GPA are also required for graduation.

Requirements for Admission

In addition to meeting the university requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the doctoral program applicant must meet the following requirements for admission to the Nutrition and Food Systems program:

1. Completion of a master’s degree and prerequisite courses for the area of major emphasis is required. Food service management prerequisites include food service management, quantity foods, management, general/normal nutrition, life cycle nutrition, and univariate statistics. Applied nutrition prerequisites include general, organic, and biochemistry, advanced nutrition, anatomy and physiology, food service management, and univariate statistics.
2. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is required on previous graduate work.
3. Submission of acceptable official GRE scores is required. (all sections)
4. A minimum of two years of professional experience in nutrition, food service management, or a related area is recommended.
5. A current vita and a letter of application should be submitted to the chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems. The letter of application should include career goals and reasons for pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy, should state the intent to emphasize food service management, applied nutrition, or both, and should indicate how previous education and work experience have prepared the individual to pursue the Doctor of Philosophy.
6. Three letters of recommendation addressing professional competence and readiness for doctoral work should be sent directly to the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems.
7. An interview must be scheduled with the graduate faculty in Nutrition and Food Systems.
8. Applicants whose native language is not English must present a TOEFL/IBT or an IELTS score.
9. The application must be approved by the graduate faculty, the chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems, the dean of the College of Health and the dean of the Graduate School.

NOTE: Students not meeting the requirements for regular admission may be considered for conditional admission.

Residency

Students must meet the residency requirements specified in this Bulletin.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Students must meet the requirement specified in the front section of this Bulletin.

Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study Form to the Graduate School by the end of the second semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study Forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plan of Study” link.

Research and Scholarly Integrity Education

All faculty holding Regular or Associate graduate faculty status, must complete CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RSIE policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page –www.usm.edu/graduate-school. Contact the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.