UCDAVIS: ACADEMIC SENATE

March 25, 2020

CAROLYN SLUPSKY, CHAIR

Nutritional Biology Graduate Group

RE: Nutritional Biology Graduate Group Degree Requirements

Enclosed is a copy of the Nutritional Biology Graduate Group degree requirements as approved by Graduate
Council on March 6, 2020. These degree requirements are now the official requirements for the Nutritional
Biology Graduate Group and will be posted on the Office of Graduate Studies program webpage:

https://grad.ucdavis.edu/programs/gnub

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of graduate education.

Sincerely,

Carlee Arnett, Chair

Graduate Council

CC: Alisha Bartolomucci, Graduate Group Coordinator

Jasmine Bonite, Project/Policy Analyst, Graduate Studies

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
 NUTRITIONAL BIOLOGY GRADUATE GROUP

M.S. and Ph.D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Revised: November 2005, Revised May 2019

Graduate Council Approval: March 6, 2020

Master’s Degree Requirements

1) Admissions requirements

Consideration for program admission requires a bachelor’s degree, three letters of

recommendation, official transcripts, TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable) and a
Graduate Studies online application with fee by the stated admission deadline. A
minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. GRE General Test scores are
recommended, but not required. No preference will be given if GRE scores are submitted.
As admission decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, meeting these criteria do not
guarantee admission, but merely eligibility. The decision to recommend admission to the
Dean of Graduate Studies will be made by the Program Admissions Committee on the
basis of available space and the competitiveness of applicants compared to the eligible
pool.

Prior to the relevant applications deadline, MS Plan I applicants should communicate with
potential research advisors (major professors) in the Nutritional Biology Graduate Group
(https://ggnb.ucdavis.edu/directory) whose laboratories are conducting research in areas of
nutritional biology that the student wishes to pursue. The purpose of communication is to
introduce themselves and inquire about faculty willingness to accept a new student in this
degree program. Applicants should inquire about future research directions of laboratories,
and exchange research ideas with potential major professors. While formal acceptance into
a research group cannot occur prior to admission, contacts should be developed such that
at least tentative identification of a research advisor can be made as soon after the time of
admission as possible.

a) Prerequisites

In addition to the admission requirements stated above, applicants are expected to have
passed the equivalent of the following UC Davis courses:

Descriptions of these courses are in the UC Davis Online General Catalog.

BIS 102, 103 or ABI 102, 103 General Biochemistry 6-10 units

CHE 2A, 2B, 2C General Chemistry 15 units

1
 CHE 8A, 8B Organic Chemistry 8 units

STA 13 or PLS 120 Mathematics/Statistics 6 units

ABI 102, 103 Nutrition 10 units

NPB 101 Physiology 4 units

Prerequisite courses highly recommended, though not required:

MAT 16A, 16B, 16C Calculus 9 units

PHY 7A, 7B General Physics with Lab 8 units

MIC 102, 103L Microbiology with Lab 8 units

b) Deficiencies

Course work deficiencies should be made up by the end of the first academic year
following initial enrollment by earning a letter grade of “B” or better. UC Davis lower
division courses (numbers under 100) are not eligible for any graduate credit.

2) M.S., Plan I and II

Plan I. This plan requires a minimum of 30 units of graduate and upper division courses
(the 100 and 200 series only), of which at least 18 must be graduate work in the major field.
In addition, a thesis is required. The research thesis serves as the capstone requirement.

Plan II. This plan requires a minimum of 36 units of graduate and upper division courses
(the 100 and 200 series only), of which at least 18 units must be graduate courses in the
major field. Not more than 9 units of research (299 or equivalent) may be used to satisfy the
18 unit requirement. A comprehensive oral final examination in the major subject is
required of each candidate. No thesis is required. Instead, the capstone requirement is
fulfilled by the comprehensive oral examination and the submission of a technical written
report on an appropriate topic, or on work completed for the maximum of 9 research
(NUT/NUB 299) units. This report may include results of original research and/or a critical
review of scientific literature. A committee of two faculty members appointed according to
the Policy on Service on Advanced Degree Committees GC1998-01 must approve the
written report.

3) Course Requirements: Core and Electives (Plan I 30 units; Plan II 36 units)

a) Core Courses (total 15 units)

NUB 210A Advanced Nutrition I: Nutrition and Metabolism, Macronutrients 5 units

NUB 210B Advanced Nutrition II: Nutrition and Cell Biology, Micronutrients 5 units

NUB 210C Advanced Nutrition III: Nutrition in Health and Disease 5 units

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b) Seminar Courses (total 5 units)

NUT/NUB 290 Beginning Nutrition Seminar 2 units

NUT/NUB 291 Advanced Nutrition Seminar 3 units

c) Elective Courses (Plan I at least 10 units; Plan II at least 16 units)

NUB 299 Research (9 units maximum for Plan II)

Additional upper-division undergraduate or graduate level coursework as required by

the major professor in consultation with the graduate advisor will formulate the program
that is best suited to an individual student’s academic and professional needs. These
courses should be chosen to achieve academic excellence and bring the unit total of
electives to a minimum of 10 units for Plan I, or 16 units for Plan II. At least 3 of the
elective units should be in statistics, unless the student has already taken one or more
upper division statistics courses prior to entry into the program.

d) English Language Requirement

Students who have not obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree at an approved

English-medium institution, or who have not demonstrated strong English language
proficiency through the TOEFL or IELTS exam are required to take appropriate English
language courses, as described in Graduate Student Course Requirements – English as
Second Language (GC-2018-02). Courses taken in satisfaction of this requirement do
not count towards the (total 30 or 36 units) units required for graduation.

e) Summary

Plan I: 15 units of core graduate-level coursework, 5 units of graduate-level seminars,

and at least 10 units of upper-division undergraduate- or graduate-level electives and/or
research units are required for a total of 30 units. A thesis is required.

Plan II: 15 units of core graduate-level coursework, 5 units of graduate-level seminars,

and at least16 units of upper-division undergraduate- or graduate-level electives and/or
research units (maximum of 9 research units) are required for a total of 36 units. A
comprehensive oral exam is required.

Full-time students must enroll for 12 units per quarter including research, academic and
seminar units. Courses that fulfill any of the program course requirements may not be
taken S/U unless the course is normally graded S/U. Once course requirements are
completed, students can take additional classes as needed, although the 12 units per
quarter are generally fulfilled with a combination of research units (NUB299) and
seminars (NUT/NUB291). Per UC regulations, students generally cannot enroll in more
than 12 units of graduate-level courses (200) or more than 16 units of combined
undergraduate and graduate level (100, 200, 300) courses per quarter.

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4) Special requirements

Plan I (thesis) M.S. students will present their research in an exit seminar during their
last year as part of the NUT/NUB 291 Advanced Nutrition Seminar course. The Major
Professor and student will coordinate with the Seminar Committee (responsible for
NUT/NUB 291 scheduling) to schedule the seminar.

5) Committees

a) Admission Committee

Once the completed application, including all supporting material and application fee,
has been received, the application will be submitted to the Admissions Committee. The
Admissions Committee consists of seven graduate group faculty. Based on a review of
each entire application, the committee will recommend for admission a selection of the
applicants who meet the requirements set forth by the graduate program. The committee
will decide whether to recommend accepting or declining each applicant’s request for
admission. That recommendation is forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies for final
approval of admission.

Notification of admissions decisions will be sent by Graduate Studies. To be considered

for Fall admission (September), applications are required by January 15 of the same
year.

b) Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee is appointed by the Chair of the program and consists of 8
faculty members. The Chair of the Curriculum Committee is a member of the Executive
Committee and two of the members are graduate advisors. The function of this
committee includes consideration of course offerings and recommendations regarding
the graduate program.

c) Thesis Committee and Comprehensive Examination Committee

Thesis Committee: The thesis committee consists of 3 members and includes the major
professor, who serves as Chair of the committee and must be a member of the graduate
group, and two additional faculty chosen in consultation with the student’s major
professor and graduate advisor. These nominations are submitted to the Graduate
Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate Council policy.

Comprehensive Examination Committee: The Comprehensive Exam Committee

chair is appointed by the Curriculum Committee Chair, and will administer the
examination. It consists of the Comprehensive Exam Committee Chair and two
additional graduate group faculty.

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6) Advising Structure and Mentoring

The Major Professor is the faculty member who supervises the MS Plan I student’s
research and thesis; this person serves as the Chair of the Thesis Committee. MS Plan II
students do not have a Major Professor. The Graduate Advisor, who is appointed by
Graduate Studies, is a resource for information on academic requirements, policies and
procedures. In conjunction with the major professor (MS Plan I) or graduate advisor (MS
Plan II), the student will select courses and devise a study plan, which will be approved by
the graduate advisor, and then filed with the Nutritional Biology Program office. The
Graduate Program Coordinator (staff) assists students with identifying a major professor,
identifying appointments, and general university policies. The Mentoring Guidelines can
be found online at https://grad.ucdavis.edu/sites/default/files/upload/files/grad-
council/mentoring.pdf

7) Advancement to Candidacy

Every student must file an official application for Candidacy for the Degree of Master of
Science and pay the Candidacy Fee after completing one-half of their course requirements
and at least one quarter before completing all degree requirements; this is typically prior to
the Fall quarter of the second year of study (4th quarter). The Candidacy for the Degree of
Master form can be found online at: http://www.gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/forms/. A completed
form includes a list of courses the student will take to complete degree requirements. If
changes must be made to the student’s course plan after s/he has advanced to candidacy, the
Graduate Advisor must recommend these changes to Graduate Studies. Students must have
their Graduate Advisor and committee Chair sign the candidacy form before it can be
submitted to Graduate Studies. If the candidacy is approved, the Graduate Studies will send a
copy to the appropriate Graduate Program Coordinator, the student, and the Thesis
Committee Chair (if applicable). If Graduate Studies determines that a student is not eligible
for advancement, the program and the student will be notified about the reasons for the
application’s deferral. Some reasons for deferring an application include: grade point average
below 3.0, outstanding “I” grades in required courses, or insufficient units.

8) Comprehensive Examination and/or Thesis Requirements

a) Thesis Requirements (Plan I)

Thesis committee meetings: The candidate and major professor must meet at least once
a year with the other members of the thesis committee to discuss progress and any
changes in research objectives.

Thesis: Research for the Master's thesis is to be carried out under the supervision of a
faculty member of the graduate program and must represent an original contribution to
knowledge in the field. The thesis research must be conducted while the student is
enrolled in the program. The thesis is submitted to the thesis committee at least one
month before the student plans to make requested revisions. All committee members
must approve the thesis and sign the title page before the thesis is submitted to Graduate
Studies for final approval. Should the student fall short of making satisfactory progress
on the thesis at any point in time, the Major Professor or the Graduate Advisor shall
submit one or more interim assessments to Graduate Studies that describes the marginal
5
 (or unsatisfactory) assessment of the student’s progress. Should the committee
determine at any point that the student’s progress is unacceptable for continuation in the
program, even with substantial revisions to the work, the program may recommend to
the Dean of Graduate Studies that the student be disqualified from the program.

The thesis must be filed in a quarter in which the student is registered or on filing fee.
Instructions on preparation of the thesis and a schedule of dates for filing the thesis in
final form are available from Graduate Studies at
https://grad.ucdavis.edu/resources/graduate-student-resources/academic-information-
and-services/filing-thesis-or-dissertation; the dates are also printed in the UC Davis
General Catalog and in the Class Schedule and Registration Guide issued each quarter.
A student must have a GPA of 3.0 for the M.S. degree to be awarded.

b) Comprehensive Examination (Plan II)

Fulfillment of the Comprehensive Examination is the last requirement of the M.S. Plan
II. A student may take the comprehensive examination once they have advanced to
candidacy. However, it is important that this capstone requirement be completed at or
near the end of the coursework for the Master’s degree; for most students, the exam will
be taken during, or immediately following, the 6th quarter.

The comprehensive examination requirement includes both the submission of a written

technical report and passing a one-hour oral exam administered by a committee of three
graduate group faculty. The technical report is to be written under the direction of a
faculty mentor, who must be a member of the graduate program.

The scope of the oral exam is the candidate’s coursework as well as the student’s
technical report.

The Exam committee’s unanimous vote is required to pass a student on the exam. If a
student does not pass the exam, the committee may recommend that the student be
reexamined a second time. The second exam must take place within one quarter of the
first exam. The format of the second exam is the same as that of the first exam and may
include the submission of an amended version of the technical report. The examination
may not be repeated more than once. A student who does not pass on the second attempt
is subject to disqualification from further graduate work in the program.

Once passed, the Master’s Report Form is signed by the GGNB Graduate Advisor and
then forwarded to Graduate Studies. The deadlines for completing this requirement are
listed each quarter in the campus General Catalog (available online at the website of the
Office of the Registrar). A candidate must be a registered student or in Filing Fee status
at the time the program submits the form, with the exception of the summer period
between the end of the Spring Quarter and the beginning of Fall Quarter. The program
must file the report with Graduate Studies within one week of the end of the quarter in
which the student’s degree will be conferred.

6
9) Normative Time to Degree

Normative time to degree for the Plan I is 3 quarters to Advance to Candidacy and 3
quarters in Candidacy; for a total of 6 quarters.

Normative time to degree for the Plan II is 5 quarters, or when at least half of the course
requirements are completed, to Advance to Candidacy, and one quarter in Candidacy; for a
total of 6 quarters.

10) Typical Time Line and Sequence of Events:

Plan I

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)

One

NUB210A (5 units) NUB210B (5 units) NUB210C (5 units)

Advanced Nutrition I: Advanced Nutrition II: Advanced Nutrition III:
Nutrition and Nutrition and Cell Nutrition in Health and
Metabolism, Biology, Micronutrients Disease
Macronutrients

NUT/NUB 290 (2 units) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit) NUT/NUB 299 Research

Seminar (4 units)

200 level courses (5 200 level course (2 units) 200 level course (3 units)
units)

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)
Two

200 level course (3 units) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit)
Seminar Seminar

NUT/NUB 299 (9 units) NUT/NUB 299 (11 units) NUT/NUB 299 (11 units)
Research Research Research

(advancement to MS
candidacy)

7
 Plan II

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)

One

NUB210A (5 units) NUB210B (5 units) NUB210C (5 units)

Advanced Nutrition I: Advanced Nutrition II: Advanced Nutrition III:
Nutrition and Nutrition and Cell Nutrition in Health and
Metabolism, Biology, Micronutrients Disease
Macronutrients

NUT/NUB 290 (2 units) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit) NUT/NUB 299 Research

Seminar (4 units)

100/200 level courses (5 200 level course (2 units) 200 level course (3 units)
units)

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)
Two
(Comprehensive Exam
completed at end of qtr.)

100/200 level courses (9 100/200 level courses (8 100/200 level courses (8

units) units) units)

NUT/NUB 299 (3 units) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit)

Research Seminar Seminar

(advancement to MS NUT/NUB 299 (3 units) NUT/NUB 299 (3 units)

candidacy) Research Research

11) Sources of funding

Master’s degree students can be employed as Teaching Assistants, Graduate Readers, or

Graduate Student Researchers.

12) PELP, In Absentia and Filing Fee status

Information about PELP (Planned Educational Leave), In Absentia (reduced fees when
researching out of state), and Filing Fee status can be found in the Graduate Student Guide:
https://grad.ucdavis.edu/current-students/forms-information#

8
 Ph.D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

1) Admissions Requirements

Consideration for program admission requires a bachelor’s degree, three letters of

recommendation, official transcripts, TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable) and a
Graduate Studies online application with fee by the stated admission deadline. A
minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. GRE General Test scores are
recommended, but not required. No preference will be given if GRE scores are submitted.
As admission decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, meeting these criteria does not
guarantee admission, but merely eligibility. The decision to recommend admission to the
Dean of Graduate Studies will be made by the Program Admissions Committee on the
basis of available space and the competitiveness of applicants compared to the eligible
pool.

Prior to the relevant applications deadline, PhD applicants should communicate with
potential research advisors (Major Professors) in the Nutritional Biology Graduate Group
(https://ggnb.ucdavis.edu/directory ) whose laboratories are conducting research in areas
of nutritional biology that the student wishes to pursue. The purpose of communication is
to introduce themselves and inquire about faculty willingness to accept a new student in
their chosen degree program. Applicants should inquire about future research directions of
laboratories, and exchange research ideas with potential major professors. While formal
acceptance into a research group cannot occur prior to admission, contacts should be
developed such that at least tentative identification of a research advisor can be made as
soon after the time of admission as possible.

a) Prerequisites

In addition to the admission requirements stated above, applicants are expected to have
passed the equivalent of the following UC Davis courses:

Descriptions of these courses are in the UC Davis Online General Catalog.

BIS 102, 103 or ABI 102, 103 General Biochemistry 6-10 units

CHE 2A, 2B, 2C General Chemistry 15 units

CHE 8A, 8B Organic Chemistry 8 units

STA 13 or PLS 120 Mathematics/Statistics 6 units

ABI 102, 103 Nutrition 10 units

NPB 101 Physiology 4 units

9
 Prerequisite courses highly recommended, though not required:

MAT 16A, 16B, 16C Calculus 9 units

PHY 7A, 7B General Physics with Lab 8 units

MIC 102, 103L Microbiology with Lab 8 units

b) Deficiencies

Coursework deficiencies should be made up by the end of the first academic year
following initial enrollment by earning a letter grade of “B” or better. UC Davis lower
division courses (numbers under 100) are not eligible for any graduate credit.

2) Dissertation Plan B. Requires a three member (minimum) dissertation committee, and an

optional final oral examination (made on an individual student basis by the dissertation
committee). The GGNB requires PhD students to complete an exit seminar.

3) Course Requirements: Core and Electives (minimum 50 units)

a) Core Courses (15 units)

NUB 210A Advanced Nutrition I: Nutrition and Metabolism, Macronutrients 5 units

NUB 210B Advanced Nutrition II: Nutrition and Cell Biology, Micronutrients 5 units

NUB 210C Advanced Nutrition III: Nutrition in Health and Disease 5 units

b) Seminar Courses (minimum 7 units)

NUT/NUB 290 Beginning Nutrition Seminar 2 units

NUT/NUB 291 Advanced Nutrition Seminar 5 units

While not required, continued enrollment in Advanced Nutrition Seminar is strongly

encouraged every quarter after advancing to candidacy.

c) Elective Courses (minimum 28 units)

Statistics 4 units

An undergraduate or graduate level statistics course is required. The specific course

should be one chosen by the student and major professor which will best address the
skills needed for the individual student’s research study.

NUT/NUB 2XX 6 units

Two Graduate level nutrition (or related field of study) formal courses, at least 3 units
each, for a combined total of 6 units, excluding NUT/NUB 299 research units.

10
 Area of Specialization 6 units

At least 6 additional upper division undergraduate or graduate level elective units

beyond the core requirements should make up the Area of Specialization. These courses
are to be selected in consultation with the student’s major professor and graduate advisor
to compliment the chosen nutrition research focus area.

NUT/NUB 299 Research minimum 12 units

d) English Language Requirement

Students who have not obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree at an approved

English-medium institution, or who have not demonstrated strong English language
proficiency through the TOEFL or IELTS exam are required to take appropriate English
language courses, as described in Graduate Student Course Requirements – English as
Second Language (GC-2018-02). Courses taken in satisfaction of this requirement do
not count towards the total 50 units required for graduation.

e) Summary

15 units of core coursework, 7 units of seminar, 4 units of statistics, 6 units of graduate

level coursework in nutrition or a related field, 6 units of upper-division undergraduate
or graduate level electives, and 12 units of research are required for a total of 50 units.
Full-time students must enroll for 12 units per quarter including research, academic and
seminar units. Courses that fulfill any of the program course requirements may not be
taken S/U unless the course is normally graded S/U. Once course requirements are
completed, students can take additional classes as needed, although the 12 units per
quarter are generally fulfilled with a research class (NUB299) and seminars
(NUT/NUB291). Per UC regulations students generally cannot enroll in more than 12
units of graduate level courses (200) or more than 16 units of combined undergraduate
and graduate level (100, 200, 300) courses per quarter.

4) Special Requirements

PhD students will present their research in an exit seminar during their last year as part of
the NUT/NUB 291 Advanced Nutrition Seminar course. The Major Professor and student
will coordinate with the Seminar Committee (responsible for NUT/NUB 291 scheduling) to
schedule the seminar.

5) Advising Structure and Mentoring

The Major Professor is the faculty member who supervises the student’s research and
thesis; this person serves as the Chair of the Dissertation Committee (see section 8). In
conjunction with the major professor, the student will select courses and devise a study plan.
The Graduate Advisor, who is appointed by Graduate Studies, is a resource for
information on academic requirements, policies and procedures, and approves the study plan
prior to being filed with the Nutritional Biology Program office. The Graduate Program
Coordinator (staff) assists students with identifying a major professor, identifying
appointments, and general university policies. The Mentoring Guidelines can be found in
11
 the graduate student handbook accessible online at
https://grad.ucdavis.edu/sites/default/files/upload/files/grad-council/mentoring.pdf

6) Preliminary Examination, Qualifying Examination and Dissertation requirements

a) Preliminary Examination

After the core course requirements have been completed and no later than the end of the
4th quarter of study, each student must present for a 1-hour oral evaluation of nutrition
competency by a faculty committee.

The purpose of the Preliminary Examination is to certify that Ph.D. students in

Nutritional Biology have an adequate working knowledge of Nutrition including basic
principles, methodological approaches and practical applications, as covered in the core
courses. The Preliminary Exam will normally be an oral examination not to exceed 1
hour. A pool of questions, designed to serve as a study guide will be distributed at least
one quarter prior to the exam. These study guide questions will also be distributed to
members of the Curriculum Committee for input. Exam committee members are not tied
to the pool of questions, and may ask other questions during the exam. The examination
will assess the ability of the student to integrate nutritional knowledge across the breadth
of the field.

Results of Exam: A student either passes or does not pass the exam. Exam results will be
communicated in writing to the student, major professor, and graduate advisor. In the
event of a not pass, the exam may be retaken a maximum of one time. The student must
pass the exam within one year of completing the last core course to remain in good
standing.

b) Qualifying Examination

All students will complete all course requirements before taking their Qualifying
Examination. Passing this exam makes the student eligible for advancement to
candidacy. The qualifying exam should be taken after the 6th quarter and no later than
the end of the 9th quarter after admission to the Ph.D. program.

The primary purpose of the Qualifying Examination (QE) is to validate that the student
is academically qualified to conceptualize a research topic, undertake scholarly research
and successfully produce the dissertation required for a doctoral degree. The QE must
evaluate the student’s command of the field, ensuring that the student has both breadth
and depth of knowledge, and must not focus solely on the proposed dissertation
research. In addition, the QE provides an opportunity for the committee to provide
important guidance to the student regarding his or her chosen research topic.

i) Dissertation Proposal

At a minimum the written portion of the exam consists of a research proposal called
the Dissertation Proposal. The Proposal should be provided to members of the
qualifying examination committee at least 10 days before the oral portion of the

12
 exam.

The Proposal is an independently prepared proposal of a maximum of 5 pages

describing the student's dissertation-specific research aims, hypotheses, progress,
and experimental approach. Concepts within the research proposal can be discussed
with others (such as the student's major professor and peers), but the writing of the
proposal should be solely the student's work.

The Proposal will provide information to the qualifying exam committee that may be
discussed during the oral exam.

ii) Oral Portion of the Exam

The oral portion of the qualifying exam will be 2-3 hours in length and is intended to
demonstrate the student's critical thinking ability, powers of imagination and
synthesis, and broad knowledge of the field of study.

The committee will evaluate the student's general qualifications for a respected
position as an educator or leader, as well as the student's preparation in a special area
of study based upon relevant portions of the student's previous academic record,
performance on specific parts of the examination, and the student's potential for
scholarly research as indicated during the examination.

iii) Outcome of the Exam

The committee will reach a decision on the student’s performance immediately after
the oral exam. The committee, having reached a unanimous decision, shall inform
the student of its decision to:

• “Pass” (no conditions may be appended to this decision),

• “Not Pass” (the Chair’s report should specify whether the student is required to
retake all or part of the examination, list any additional requirements, and state the
exact timeline for completion of requirements to achieve a “Pass”), or

• “Fail”.

If a unanimous decision takes the form of “Not Pass” or “Fail”, the Chair of the QE
committee must include in its report a specific statement, agreed to by all members
of the committee, explaining its decision and must inform the student of its decision.
Having received a “Not Pass” the student may attempt the QE one additional time;
the QE report must list the specific conditions and timing for the second exam. After
a second examination, a vote of “Not Pass” is unacceptable; only “Pass” or “Fail” is
recognized. Only one retake of the qualifying examination is allowed. Should the
student receive a “Fail” on the first or second attempt at the exam, the student will be
recommended for disqualification from the program to the Dean of Graduate
Studies.

13
 To address any deficiencies identified during the oral exam, additional work, as
determined by the QE committee, may be required of the student to pass the QE.

c) The Dissertation

i) Exit Seminar

The dissertation follows Plan B, and it is expected the candidate will present an exit
seminar. The Exit Seminar is a formal public presentation of the student’s research
before the program faculty and students. Scheduling of the exit seminar is the
responsibility of the student and the Major Professor. The Major Professor and
student will coordinate with the Seminar Committee (responsible for NUT/NUB
291 scheduling) to schedule the seminar during the last year of study.

ii) Dissertation

Filing of a Ph.D. dissertation with Graduate Studies is normally the last requirement
satisfied by the candidate. The deadlines for completing this requirement are listed
each quarter in the campus General Catalog (available online at the website of the
Office of the Registrar or from the Bookstore). A candidate must be a registered
student or in Filing Fee status at the time of filing a dissertation, with the exception
of the summer period between the end of the Spring Quarter and the beginning of
Fall Quarter. The PhD. Dissertation will be prepared, submitted and filed according
to regulations instituted by the Graduate Studies
http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/students/filing.html Satisfaction of this requirement
must be verified by the Dissertation Committee Chair.

The research conducted by the student must be of such character as to show ability
to pursue independent research. The dissertation reports a scholarly piece of work
of publishable quality that solves a significant scientific problem in the field and is
carried out under the supervision of a member of program while the student is
enrolled in the program. The chair of the dissertation committee must be a member
of the program and must be immediately involved with the planning and execution
of the experimental work done to formulate the dissertation. The major professor’s
laboratory is the setting for most of the student’s research activities, unless an
alternative site and immediate supervisor are approved in advance by the
dissertation chair.

Students should meet regularly with their dissertation committee. The dissertation
must be submitted to each member of the dissertation committee at least one month
before the student expects to make requested revisions; committee members are
expected to respond within 4 weeks, not including summer months for nine-month
faculty. Informing committee members of progress as writing proceeds helps the
members to plan to read the dissertation and provide feedback within this time
frame. The dissertation must be approved and signed by the dissertation committee
before it is submitted to Graduate Studies for final approval.

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7) Advancement to Candidacy

Before advancing to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have satisfied all
requirements set by the graduate program, must have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0 in
all course work undertaken (except those courses graded S or U), must have passed the
Preliminary Exam, and must have passed a Qualifying Examination before a committee
appointed to administer that examination. Normally, students advance by the end of the 9th
quarter. The student must file the appropriate paperwork with the Graduate Studies and pay
the Candidacy Fee in order to be officially promoted to Ph.D. Candidacy. Refer to the
Graduate Council website for additional details regarding the Doctoral Qualifying
Examination at http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/gradcouncil/policiesall.html.

8) Committees

b) Admissions Committee

Once the completed application, all supporting material, and the application fee have
been received, the application will be submitted to the Admissions Committee. The
Admissions Committee consists of seven graduate group faculty. Based on a review of
the entire application, a recommendation will be made to accept or decline an
applicant’s request for admission. This decision is based on whether the application
meets graduate group requirements, the applicant’s rank compared to other applicants,
and the potential for a mentor in the program. That recommendation is forwarded to the
Dean of Graduate Studies for final approval of admission. Notification of admissions
decisions will be sent by Graduate Studies. To be considered for Fall admission
(September), applications are required by January 15 of the same year.

c) Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee is appointed by the Chair of the program and consists of 8
faculty members. The Chair of the Curriculum Committee is a member of the Executive
Committee and two of the members are graduate advisors. The function of this
committee includes review of the preliminary examination, and consideration of course
offerings and recommendations regarding the graduate program. A subcommittee of this
membership makes up the Preliminary Examination Committee.

d) Preliminary Examination Committee:

The Preliminary Examination Committee Chair is appointed by the Curriculum Chair,

and will administer the examination. It consists of the Preliminary Examination
Committee Chair and two additional graduate group faculty. The student’s Major
Professor is not on this committee. The chair of the examination committee will serve on
at least half of the exams given in any year. The two remaining members will be
considered ad hoc.

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 e) Qualifying Examination Committee:

The student, in consultation with his/her major professor and Graduate Advisor,
nominates five faculty to serve on the Examination Committee. These nominations are
submitted to the Graduate Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate
Council policy (https://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/committees/graduate-
council/policies). The major professor does not serve on the qualifying exam committee.
The qualifying exam committee conducts the exam and submits results to the Graduate
Studies.

f) Dissertation Committee:

The Dissertation Committee is a three-member committee with the Major Professor

(who is a member of the GGNB) serving as the chair of the committee. In consultation
with the Major Professor, the student will identify 2 other members. The majority of the
committee should be from program. The composition of the dissertation committee will
be submitted to Graduate Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate
Council policy using the Advancement to Candidacy Form. The role of the Dissertation
Committee is to advise the doctoral student on the research topic and methods, and then
to review the final completed dissertation for acceptance. The Committee Chairperson
(Major Professor) should determine the desires of the individual members regarding
assistance with the research and dissertation review at the time the dissertation
committee is constituted. Students are expected to meet with the Chair of their
dissertation committee regularly. Dissertation committee members are expected to read
and comment on a dissertation within four weeks from its submission. This time limit
policy does not apply to summer periods for faculty holding nine-month appointments.
The student and committee members will coordinate a timeline for the student to present
the thesis to the dissertation committee. This timeline must allow all dissertation
committee members enough time to fulfill their responsibilities within the four-week
deadline.

9) Normative Time to Degree

The normative time to degree for a doctoral students is three years (9 quarters) to
Advancement of Candidacy, and two to three years (6-9 quarters) in Candidacy prior to
submitting the final dissertation.

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10) Typical Time Line and Sequence of Events

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)

One

NUB210A (5 units) NUB210B (5 units) NUB210C (5 units)

Advanced Nutrition I: Advanced Nutrition II: Advanced Nutrition III:
Nutrition and Nutrition and Cell Nutrition in Health and
Metabolism, Biology, Micronutrients Disease
Macronutrients

NUT/NUB 290 (2 units) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit) NUT/NUB 291 (1 unit)

Seminar Seminar

100/200 level courses (5 100/200 level course (2 100/200 level courses (6

units) units) units)

(Preliminary Exam at end

of qtr.)

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)
Two

100/200 Statistics (3 NUT/NUB 2XX (3 units) NUT/NUB 2XX (3 units)

units)

NUB 299 (4 units) NUB 299 (4 units) NUB 299 (9 units)

NUT/NUB 291 (5 units) NUT/NUB 291 (5 units)

Seminar Seminar

Year Fall (12 units) Winter (12 units) Spring (12 units)
Three
(advancement to PhD

Candidacy by end of qtr)

Specialization course (3 Specialization course (3 NUB 299 (12 units)

units) units)

NUB 299 (9 units) NUB 299 (9 units)

Qualifying Exam Qualifying Exam Qualifying Exam

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 Preparation Preparation

Years Dissertation Research and Completion (12 units of NUB 299 each quarter)
Four-

Six

2) Sources of funding

The graduate program goal for doctoral student funding is to provide a living salary or
stipend (for academic year 2018-2019, it was equivalent to a 46% GSR V). Adjustments
may be made with annual salary scale adjustments each year for those students making
satisfactory progress. Contact the Program Office for current compensation plan agreement.
The stipend or salary is often paid as a combination of GSR, Teaching Assistant, Work
Study or Fellowship(s).

3) PELP, In Absentia and Filing Fee status

Information about PELP (Planned Educational Leave), In Absentia (reduced fees when
researching out of state), and Filing Fee status can be found in the Graduate Student Guide:
http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/students/handbook/GS201_GraduateStudentGuide.pdf.

4) Leaving the Program Prior to Completion of the PhD Requirements

Should a student leave the program prior to completing the requirements for the PhD, they
may still be eligible to receive a Master’s degree if they have fulfilled all the requirements
(see Master’s section). Students should consult with their major professor, and upon
consensus, can use the Change of Degree Objective form available from the Registrar’s
Office: http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/local_resources/forms/D065-graduate- major-degree-
change.pdf.

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