Food Science Graduate Program Handbook
Food Science Graduate Program Handbook
GRADUATE PROGRAM
HANDBOOK
fscn.cfans.umn.edu/education/StudentHandbooks/index.htm
2010-2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contact your advisor, DGS Dave Smith, or DGS Assistant Nancy Toedt for the most current
information.
I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 4
A. Handbook Objectives ........................................................................................................... 4
B. Information Resources ......................................................................................................... 4
VI. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POLICIES WITH RESPECT TO FACULTY AND STUDENTS .... 10
A. General Policy with Respect to Graduate Research Assistants ........................................ 10
B. Department Responsibility to the Graduate Student .......................................................... 11
C. Duties, Responsibilities and Privileges of Graduate Students ........................................... 11
1. Service ................................................................................................................... 11
2. The Graduate Program .......................................................................................... 12
3. Vacations ............................................................................................................... 12
4. Resident Tuition Policy .......................................................................................... 12
5. Teaching Assistant Requirements ......................................................................... 13
6. Required Safety Training ....................................................................................... 15
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IX. GRADUATE LEVEL COURSES IN FOOD SCIENCE ............................................................ 20
A. Core Coursework Requirements ........................................................................................ 20
B. Registration for Food Science Examinations ..................................................................... 22
C. Approved Courses for use on Food Science Graduate Programs to build expertise in a given
area ................................................................................................................................... 23
X. DEGREE PROGRAMS............................................................................................................ 23
A. Master of Science Program ................................................................................................ 23
1. General Requirements for Master’s Degree .......................................................... 23
2. Plan A: Master’s Degree with Thesis..................................................................... 24
3. Plan B: Master’s Degree without Thesis ............................................................... 27
4. Student Status and Time Sequence ...................................................................... 29
5. Benchmarks for Food Science M.S. Degree Program Guidelines ........................ 30
B. Doctor of Philosophy Program ........................................................................................... 32
1. General Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree ....................................................... 32
2. Admission to the Ph.D. Program ........................................................................... 32
3. Program of Study and Schedule ............................................................................ 33
4. Thesis Title Form ................................................................................................... 33
5. Language Requirement ......................................................................................... 33
6. Coursework in Major Area ..................................................................................... 34
7. Coursework in Supporting/Minor Program ............................................................ 35
8. Preliminary Written Examination ........................................................................... 36
9. Preliminary Oral Examination ............................................................................... 38
10. Publication Requirement ......................................................................................... 39
11. Doctoral Thesis ........................................................................................................ 39
12. Final Oral Examination ............................................................................................ 39
13. Benchmarks for Food Science Ph.D. Degree Program Guidelines ........................ 42
XV. CRITERIA FOR MAINTAINING MEMBERSHIP ON THE FOOD SCIENCE GRADUATE FACULTY
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I. INTRODUCTION
A. Handbook Objectives
B. Information Resources
The Graduate School Catalog (www.grad.umn.edu/program/index.html)
contains information on:
General graduate information
Registration and regulations
Problem solvers and support groups
Money and jobs
Course descriptions
Campus activities
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II. FOOD SCIENCE PROGRAM
General requirements for admission to graduate study are discussed in the section
on “Graduate School General Information” and in the sections on “Fields of
Instruction: Food Science” of the Graduate School Catalog.
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A. Preparation
The program listings and course descriptions (except 8xxx, which are for
graduate students only) appear in the undergraduate catalog. Short
descriptions of the 5000 and 8000 level courses may also be found in the
current Graduate School Catalog.
B. Test Data
C. Application Procedure
Application materials and instructions are available online through the FScN
website fscn.cfans.umn.edu/education/index.htm or the Graduate School
www.grad.umn.edu/prospective_students. Questions may be directed to
Student Services at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, 1334
Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55l08-6099. Telephone:
612.624.6753.
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Applicants who have not completed the above may not be
admitted, but will be sent a note asking them to verify when
they have completed the courses. Courses in biochemistry,
microbiology, and statistics may be made up in the program at
the discretion of the advisor and student, or could be met by
enrolling in higher level courses.
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Alternatively, the Graduate Studies Committee has the option of meeting at
regular intervals for oral meetings to make recommendations during heavy
workload periods or for special problems. The summary from such
meetings would be recorded.
1. General
The Food Science and Nutrition Department has very limited funds
to assist international students on a planned basis. There are no
funds available for assistance on an emergency basis. International
students are required to provide the University with a financial
statement in order to get a visa. This must be endorsed by an official
governmental or institutional agency from the student’s home country
or an international agency such as the World Health Organization,
the Agency for International Development of the United States State
Department, or other acceptable national or international agency or
organization. A student planning to finance their education out of
their own, family, or other private resources must still provide written
assurance from an official agency that their financial resources are
adequate for the entire period of study, and that the agency giving
such assurance is prepared to provide or otherwise secure
appropriate assistance for the student in the event that the student
experiences an unforeseen emergency while studying in the United
States.
3. Proficiency in English
G. Faculty Advisor
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Ordinarily, students are assigned an academic and research advisor prior to
admission to the program. The advisor will assist the student with program
planning, course selection, and the selection of a research project.
All graduate students are required to register in the Graduate School every fall and
spring semester to maintain active status. This registration requirement continues
until all degree requirements are completed and you graduate. Grad 0999- a zero-
credit, zero-fee, non-graded registration option is available for those Graduate
School students who must register solely to meet the Graduate School’s
registration requirement.
Confer with your advisor and/or DGS to determine what you should register for
each semester. In addition to any criteria outlined by your advisor and/or DGS,
you should consider the following:
1. Do you have course credits or thesis credits that must be taken to complete
graduate program and/or Graduate School degree requirements?
3. If you have completed all coursework and (if applicable) thesis credit
requirements, and you do not have to be registered to meet any
requirements other than the Graduate School’s fall/spring registration
requirement to maintain active status, you may register for Grad 0999.
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Doctoral candidates to be certified as “full-time” students when registered for only
one credit. The advisor and DGS must affirm that each student is indeed working
full time on the thesis or dissertation. The term deadlines for submission of
Request for Advanced Student Status are:
Eligible M.S. students register for FScN 8333 (FTE: Master’s) and eligible Ph.D.
candidates register for FScN 8444 (FTE: Doctoral). Additional information and
forms can be found on The Graduate School website www.grad.umn.edu.
V. READMISSION POLICY
You will be required to seek readmission if you do not register in the Graduate
School every fall and spring term. The Change of Status/ Readmission
Application is available on Graduate School website. If your request for
readmission is approved you will be required to register the term for which you are
readmitted and every subsequent fall and spring term until you complete all
degree requirements and graduate.
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Any student wishing to discontinue his or her appointment as a Research
Assistant should notify the advisor and the Department in writing as soon as
possible and no later than two weeks prior to the close of the academic
semester.
All staff, but particularly those who are members of the graduate faculty, are
obligated to provide the best instruction, advice and counsel possible for the
graduate students. Those faculty who serve as advisors are specifically
obligated to give high priority to the academic needs of their advisees.
While doing this, the advisor should be careful to provide the student with
ample opportunity to develop initiative and self-reliance.
1. Service
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can be fulfilled later. The details of these arrangements should be
worked out by the student with the advisor. When the student
reaches the thesis stage, thesis research time may frequently, but
not necessarily, be included as part or all of the work obligation to
the Department.
3. Vacations
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b. A copy of the fellowship award letter to the student.
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student is working full time outside the Department or where TA
requirements present personal hardship, alternatives will be
presented for meeting this requirement. Alternatives might include
developing laboratories, giving guest lectures, or developing course
materials for Internet delivery. Students must request a TA
alternative if desired.
Name of course,
Credits,
Anticipated enrollment,
Lab and classroom schedule,
TA responsibilities, including the estimated amount of time
required per estimated number of students (e.g. TA hours per 40
students enrolled),
The total number of TA hours requested both for the entire
semester and broken down by weekly intervals,
Faculty must describe how they will change the course if one or
more of the TA positions requested is not available. (We will
assume that all courses can be taught in some manner without a
TA, but the activities in the course will differ if TA help is
available. In some cases the number of laboratories will be
diminished if there is no help, in some cases the number of tests
given may diminish, in some cases the number of assignments,
projects, etc. may be diminished or the proportion of those that
are graded may be diminished if no TA help is available.)
Brief description of course development, support or administrative
activity that a student may pursue that does not include
classroom or laboratory attendance.
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consider faculty requests for unpaid TAs and to match available
graduate students with the requests.
This TA system assumes that each student will put forth about 4
hours per week for a given class or 60 hours effort per course. A
graduate student may request that he/she contribute double this, 8
hrs per week per class, to get double credit thereby reducing the
number of years that a student would have to serve as a TA. This
request will be granted when it is consistent with course needs.
The time estimated for a given class may be in error and thus,
students should keep an accurate accounting of their time and
review this with the course instructor on a regular basis. If the time
required from an individual graduate student is over what has been
estimated, or the nature of the work is different from that promised,
the student should first attempt to resolve the discrepancy as soon
as possible with the course instructor. If that fails, the student should
bring the issue to the TA Oversight and Assignment Committee. The
Committee will work together with the student, faculty member and
department head to correct the situation.
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VII. POLICY AND PRACTICES RELATING TO RESEARCH ASSISTANTS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
All criteria used for the initial appointment are utilized to evaluate
reappointment on a regular basis. The Department may elect not to
reappoint a Graduate Assistant for the next term of appointment on the
basis of its evaluation of performance of the duties of the position, the
student’s progress toward the degree, or budgetary constraints.
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satisfactory academic performance in graduate studies, and formal
approval of a change in degree objective. Without such performance and
approval, appointment to the assistantship will be terminated.
Rationale:
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meet with his/her Thesis Committee members, as a group or individually, at
least 6 months prior to the expected completion date. This meeting is to
discuss any additional work or identify any clarifications needed for
completion of the thesis investigation.
The “Annual Food Science Graduate Student Progress Report” form will
become a permanent record of accomplishment and will be maintained in
the graduate student’s departmental file. This form must be submitted to
the DGS each year, irrespective of the type of appointment. The yearly
report is due on March 15 of each year in the program. Submit your
completed form to your advisor for comments and signature. The form will
be forwarded to the DGS for final approval. A copy will be returned to the
student and to the advisor. A student’s continued participation in the Food
Science Graduate Program is contingent upon submission of the Annual
Food Science Graduate Student Progress Report by March 15. A student’s
registration may be put on hold if this form is not submitted to the DGS by
March 15.
F. Student rights
G. Grievances
H. Orientation
The service and inservice orientation and training include a fall semester
graduate student orientation meeting and an open door policy on the part of
the DGS.
I. Student Placement
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The placement of graduate students has always been an important activity
on the part of all of the faculty in the Department, as well as of the college
offices of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. However,
there is neither departmental nor faculty responsibility for successful
placement. Job openings may be emailed to students or posted on the St.
Paul Campus Career Center website.
J. Student Progress
The major criteria for funding any student meeting travel are participation in
the meeting by delivering and (co)authoring a paper or doing something
else of equivalent weight. Additionally, in the project leader’s judgment,
project funds must available for necessary travel.
If the above activity requirement is met and project funds are available,
travel expenses may be funded on the basis of the lowest airfare, actual
registration cost, room cost at lowest student rate, and a Department set
meal allowance. Availability of funds is always a criterion whether explicitly
stated or not and project leaders are free to set lower amounts.
L. Travel Fellowships
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student must be presenting a paper. If the student desires support, he/she
will submit:
The DGS will monitor degree program progress (see section VII.E) to determine if
any student falls below the required GPA for the degree program. A student’s
registration may be put on hold if the calculated GPA falls below the degree
standard. The DGS will forward such transcripts of students below acceptable
academic performance to the Quality Control Committee who will then review the
transcript with the advisor and make recommendations to the DGS whether or not
to put a hold on the record or terminate.
The Food Science Graduate Program requires the student to have breadth
in food science and depth in an area of study within food science. The
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minimum graduate Food Science core course requirements for breadth in
food science are:
It is expected that all students will have a working knowledge of the content
of the Food Science core courses. The class syllabus and performance
objectives for each of these classes will be available and should be used by
students to assess their competence in these courses. Any deficiencies
must be corrected if the student expects to perform well on the degree
examinations. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the
expected student performance objectives of these courses before they take
the final oral examination. Students must sign the “Graduate Student
Registration for the Food Science Examination” form to indicate that they
have read the expected student performance objectives and are satisfied
that they are adequately prepared to be examined for competency in the
Food Science core disciplines.
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B. Registration for Food Science Examinations Form
It is expected that all students will have a working knowledge of the Food Science core
courses. The class syllabus and performance objectives for these classes will be
available and should be used by students to assess their competence in these courses.
Any deficiencies must be corrected if the student expects to perform well on the final
degree examination. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the
expected student performance objectives of these courses before they take the final
oral examination or Ph.D. written preliminary examination. The students must sign the
“Graduate Student Registration for the Food Science Examination” form to indicate that
they have read the expected student performance objectives and are satisfied that they
are adequately prepared to be examined for competency in the Food Science core
disciplines.
Check one:
_____M.S. Plan A Final Oral Exam
_____M.S. Plan B Final Oral Exam
_____Ph.D. Written Preliminary Exam
I hereby certify that I have read the expected student performance objectives for the
core disciplines in Food Science and am satisfied that I am adequately prepared to be
examined for competency in the core disciplines.
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C. Approved Courses for use on Food Science Graduate Programs to build
expertise in a given area:
X. DEGREE PROGRAMS
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A student should submit to the advisor a proposed master’s program
(using the “Degree Program Form” available on the Gradual School
website) by the time they have taken 10 semester credits of graduate
work. An unofficial transcript should be submitted along with the
program. A student’s registration may be put on hold if the
calculated GPA falls below 2.8 (see GPA requirements for M.S. and
Ph.D. Students).
All Plan A M.S. students must meet the minimum Graduate School
requirements of 14 credits in the major, 6 credits in related fields or
minor, and 10 thesis credits. Of the 14 credits required in the major,
General Seminar (FScN 8310, 1cr) and Current Issues in Food
Science (FScN 8318, 2cr) must be taken. The student must also
take or have taken a course in human nutrition (FScN 1112 or the
equivalent). The Food Science core courses may have been taken
as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota or at another
academic institution. If these requirements or their equivalents have
been met, a student will not be expected to repeat this material. The
student would then build a program by selecting courses from the
approved list for use on graduate programs to build their area of
expertise and to meet the 14 credit requirement in the major.
Students entering the Food Science Plan A M.S. graduate program
without a degree in Food Science or a food science background will
be required to take the minimum Food Science core course
requirements (22cr) in place of their 14 credit major requirement in
Food Science. The student may also be expected to take additional
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food science courses beyond the core, in order to provide further
depth in food science.
As noted above for a minor program, the DGS of that program may
specify the required coursework and must sign the program. No split
minor is allowed, but a double minor is possible by taking the
minimum number of credits in each field. Work in other related fields
is also allowed to be added.
b. Thesis
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At the discretion of the advisor, a student may submit one full-length
original research paper ready for submission for publication in a
reputable journal to the Thesis Review Committee in lieu of a
traditional thesis. Review articles or technical notes are not
acceptable... However, the overall thesis format submitted to the
Graduate School must still conform to the Graduate School
requirements. A number of conditions must be met: l) the candidate
shall be listed as the sole author of the thesis; 2) if the manuscript
includes more than the student’s research, the student must make
his/her contribution clear to the Committee; 3) submission of a
manuscript in lieu of the traditional thesis requires a suitable
introduction and, if necessary, transition sections which might not
ordinarily be included in the published manuscript; 4) where
appropriate, a comprehensive literature review, not usually permitted
by journals, should be part of the submitted thesis; 5) appendices
should be added to the manuscript as necessary to provide the
comprehensiveness not ordinarily permitted by scholarly journals.
The Graduate School will allow the binding of reprints of published
manuscripts if satisfactorily (and legally) reproduced on thesis-quality
paper.
The final copy of the thesis requires a front page signed by one
advisor indicating that the student has made all of the changes that
were suggested by the reading/oral examination committee and that
the advisor has reviewed these changes and approved them. Once
completed, an unbound copy is submitted to the Graduate School. At
least four copies of the thesis must be prepared: two unbound copies
for the Graduate School, one for the advisor, and one for the
department.
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those names and may modify the list before submitting it to the
Graduate School. The Graduate School will make the final approval
of Examination Committee members.
The candidate for a Master’s degree, Plan A, must pass the final oral
examination of not more than 2 hours length. The candidate must
obtain a “Final Examination Report” form from the Graduate School
before the exam. The oral presentation of the thesis research for the
examination should not exceed 20 minutes, if given uninterrupted,
and should cover research objectives, important results and the
significance of the findings. A majority vote of the Oral Committee is
required for passage. Only when voted by a majority of the
Examining Committee will it be necessary for the candidate to take
an additional written or oral examination of not greater than 2 hours
in length. Results of the oral and additional written or oral
examination (when voted on) must be reported to the Graduate
School on the appropriate form and must be returned within 24 hours
of the examination day. The student can ask for the results of the
exam to be set aside if all members of the Committee aren’t present
for the exam since the Graduate School requires that all members
must be present and voting in any examination.
a. Coursework required
The coursework required for the Plan B M.S. degree is the same as
that noted above for the general requirements for the Plan A
Master’s degree, but additional course credits are required in place
of the 10 thesis credits. All Plan B M.S. students must meet the
minimum Graduate School coursework requirement of 30 credits
including 14 credits in the major and 6 credits in related fields or
minor. The remaining credits needed to meet the 30 credit minimum
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requirement for the degree are chosen by agreement between the
advisor and the student.
b. Plan B project
The intent of the Plan B project is to give the candidate some chance
to do work (independent of courses) which should be of the quality of
graduate study. As noted, the plans of the Plan B project should be
submitted along with the Master’s program to the Graduate Studies
Committee.
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c. Oral Examination Committee
The candidate for a master’s degree, Plan B, must pass the final oral
examination of not more than 2 hours length. The candidate must
obtain a “Final Examination Report” form from the Graduate School
before the exam. A majority vote of the Oral Committee is required
for passage. Only when voted by a majority of the Examining
Committee will it be necessary for the candidate to take an additional
written or oral examination of not greater than 2 hours length.
Results of the oral and additional written or oral examination (when
voted on) must be reported to the Graduate School on the
appropriate form and must be returned within 24 hours of the
examination day. The student can ask for the results of the exam to
be set aside if all members of the Committee aren’t present for the
exam since the Graduate School requires that all members must be
present and voting in any examination.
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5. Benchmarks for Food Science M.S. Degree Program Guidelines
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First Semester
1. Complete required safety training.
2. With assistance from advisor, plan graduate program, course selection, and selection of a
research project.
3. Start coursework.
4. Begin thesis literature review.
5. Begin thesis research.
6. Be aware of Ethics Seminars and attend as appropriate.
Second Semester
1. Continue coursework.
2. Continue thesis research.
3. Fulfill T.A. responsibility.
4. After completing 10 credits of graduate course work, file official degree program with thesis
(Plan A) or project (Plan B) title.
5. Prepare final draft of literature review.
Third Semester
1. Continue coursework.
2. Continue thesis research.
3. Fulfill T.A. responsibility.
4. Submit abstract for presentation at national/international meeting.
Fourth Semester
1. Complete coursework.
2. Complete thesis research.
3. Begin writing publication(s)/thesis.
4. Present seminar
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B. Doctor of Philosophy Program
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must adequately document research capability. It is still
desirable for the student to have a M.S. before the Ph.D.
The “Degree Program Transmittal” form must be filed before the end
of the third semester from initial registration. This form will include all
work offered for the degree: all graduate courses completed and
proposed in the major are listed as well as the courses in the minor if
required, and supporting fields when used. Use of credit from other
institutions will be considered when the doctoral program is reviewed
first by the Graduate Studies Committee and then by the Graduate
School. At this time, the advisor and student also submits with the
program a list of faculty who may be chosen for the subsequent Oral
Examination and Thesis Review and Defense Committees. Include a
statement outlining the suitability of the chosen Committee members
for reviewing your proposed thesis research and for reviewing the
final doctoral dissertation. The criteria for selection of these two
Committees are described later in this handbook.
The “Thesis Title” form for the doctoral dissertation must be filed at
the time of submission of the doctoral program. This must be
approved by the advisor and the Food Science Graduate Studies
Committee prior to submission to the Graduate School. The
Graduate School requires that the thesis title be accompanied by a
typewritten statement of approximately 250 words, describing the
research to be undertaken and the methods to be used in carrying it
out.
5. Language Requirement
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passing either the Graduate School Foreign Language Test or a test
administered by the appropriate language department.
The course requirements for a Ph.D. can be broken down into the
following situations:
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courses in food science beyond the Food Science core
requirements, not including General Seminar (FScN 8310)
and Current Issues in Food Science (FScN 8318). The
student will also be required to take the minimum 12 credits in
a minor field or supporting program, Graduate Seminar (FScN
8310, 1cr), Current Issues in Food Science, (FScN 8318, 2cr),
and 24 thesis credits (FScN 8888) beyond the 10 thesis
credits required for the M.S. The student must also take or
have taken a course in human nutrition (FScN 1112 or the
equivalent).
No split minor is allowed, but a double minor is possible by taking the minimum number
of credits in each field. Work in other related fields is also allowed to be added.
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8. Preliminary Written Examination for Ph. D. in Food Science
Research proposal:
The research proposal must be drafted by the student with only minor help from the
advisor. Any detailed proposals on this research topic, written by the advisor (for example
to acquire funding for the student's research), cannot be utilized. This research proposal
will follow the current USDA AFRI Grant Proposal Format.
Examination Procedure:
-The research proposal, this section of Food Science Graduate Student Handbook,
(Preliminary Written Examination for Ph. D. in Food Science), and a copy of the current
USDA AFRI Grant Proposal Format (to which the proposal must conform) are to be given
by the student to each of the members of the student’s Examining Committee.
.
-At this same time these same documents and a list of the members of the Examining
Committee should be given to the DGS (see below for contact information).
-Each committee member will read the proposal, evaluate it and issue a score of either
SATISFACTORY or NOT SATISFACTORY and then email their score to the DGS [Dave
Smith: [email protected]; phone 612-624-3260] and copy the DGS Assistant
[[email protected]] and the Associate DGS [Dan O’Sullivan: [email protected]].
-If all members of the committee deem the proposal SATISFACTORY the student will
have passed the Preliminary Written Examination and the result will be reported to the
Graduate School, the committee, the advisor and the student ASAP.
-If any “NOT SATISFACTORY” evaluations are given, the Examining Committee will be
convened by the student’s advisor to discuss the reason(s) for the “NOT
SATISFACTORY” evaluation(s). At the end of the committee’s discussion the committee
will cast a final written ballot.
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-Following the final ballot at this meeting, the student will be considered to “PASS” the
Preliminary Written Examination if no more than ONE Examining Committee member
assigns a “NOT SATISFACTORY” grade. If a “Pass” is the result of the meeting, the
advisor will communicate this to the DGS and the result will be sent to the Graduate
School. Also, the advisor is responsible for immediately notifying the student of the
“PASS.”
-Upon receipt of the letter the student must submit, to each member of the committee, a
revised proposal within 30 calendar days of the date of the letter from the committee.
-Along with a revised proposal, the student must also submit a letter documenting how
each of the points raised by the Committee members in their letter was addressed. (The
student is encouraged to contact each of the Committee members during this period to
get their feedback.)
– If the student does not submit a revised proposal and response to the points raised by
the committee within the 30 day time limit, the student will Fail the Preliminary Written
Examination. A notice of this will immediately be sent by the DGS Assistant to the
Graduate School.
-Based on the final proposal and letter received within the 30 day requirement, each
Examining Committee member must submit a second and final grade (within 30 calendar
days) on the revised proposal to the DGS, Associate DGS and DGS Assistant (see
above for email addresses).
-Based on these grades, the student will be considered to pass the Preliminary Written
Examination if no more than ONE Examining Committee member assigns a “NOT
SATISFACTORY” grade.
-If the student obtains TWO or more “NOT SATISFACTORY” grades on the final
proposal, he/she will be considered to have “FAILED” the Preliminary Written
Examination and will be dismissed from the Food Science Ph.D. program.
-The final vote of the Examining Committee will be filed by the DGS Assistant with the
Graduate School and each committee member including the adviser will be notified of the
final vote. The adviser will be responsible for notifying the student.
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9. Preliminary Oral Examination
b. Mechanism
1) Examining committee
2) Examination procedure
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before the preliminary oral examination. The student
will give an oral presentation of the research plan in the
examination not to exceed 15 minutes if given
uninterrupted. This will form the basis for the research
component of the examination.
Before the student schedules the final thesis defense, they will
submit a first authored, peer reviewed paper on their doctoral
research, in a journal pertinent to their research discipline (published
or accepted for publication) to the graduate studies committee.
Upon confirmation from the DGS that the publication requirement
has been met the student can proceed with the final thesis defense.
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Although the student’s advisor will serve as a member of the
Final Oral Examining Committee, another member of the
Committee must be designated as the Chair and will function
in this capacity at the final oral examination. The Chair must
be a full member of the graduate faculty but may be from the
minor or supporting program. The Graduate School Dean will
appoint the Chair and other members of the Final Oral
Examining Committee upon recommendation of the Director
of Graduate Studies in the major field. The Final Oral
Examining Committee should consist minimally of five
members, three from the major and two from the minor or
supporting program, at least two of whom normally shall
represent a graduate program and a budgetary unit other than
that of the candidate’s major.
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Circumstances that might prompt a recess of the final oral
examination fall into two broad categories. The first involves
primarily non-substantive matters. These include, but are not
limited to, cases in which the student’s nervousness prevents
him or her from adequately defending the thesis. In such
circumstances, the Examining Committee may decide
informally to recess for up to a week. The Committee and the
student should select a date and time for reconvening that is
agreeable to all parties. No written notice need be given to
the student, although the Committee should give him or her
such advice and assurances as it deems important. The
Graduate School need not be notified of the recess until after
the fact, when the “final oral examination report” form is
returned. At that time, the Chair of the Examining Committee
should attach a brief note indicating simply that the Committee
has recessed, and the date it reconvened and completed its
examination of the student.
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13. Benchmarks for Food Science Ph.D. Degree Program Guidelines
First Semester
1. Complete required safety training.
2. With assistance from advisor, plan graduate program, course selection, and
selection of a research project.
3. Start coursework.
4. Begin thesis literature review.
5. Begin thesis research.
6. Be aware of Ethics Seminars and attend as appropriate.
Second Semester
1. Continue coursework.
2. Continue thesis research.
3. Fulfill T.A. responsibility.
4. Take written prelim (first Monday in May following spring semester finals).
5. Work on literature review.
Third Semester
1. Continue coursework.
2. Continue thesis research.
3. Fulfill T.A. responsibility.
4. File “Official Degree Program” and “Thesis Title” forms.
5. Submit abstract for presentation at national/international meeting.
6. Start research proposal for oral prelim.
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Fourth Semester
1. Complete coursework.
2. Continue thesis research.
3. If written prelim was not taken at end of second semester, student must take it now
(first Monday in May following spring semester finals).
4. Complete research proposal for oral prelim.
5. Begin writing publication(s).
6. Schedule oral prelim if written prelim was taken at end of second semester.
Fifth Semester
1. Begin registering for thesis credits (students may not register for thesis credits until
the semester after passing their oral prelim).
2. Schedule oral prelim with Graduate School if not yet taken (at least one full
academic semester before degree is conferred).
3. Continue thesis research.
4. Fulfill T.A. responsibility.
5. Submit abstract for presentation at national/international meeting.
6. Order a graduation packet online via the GS website after passing oral prelim.
Sixth Semester
1. Complete thesis research.
2. Present seminar.
3. Begin writing publication(s)/thesis.
4. Register for thesis credits.
The student must consult with the DGS in Food Science to establish specific
requirements and goals for an acceptable minor program of study. FScN 4111
Food Chemistry (3 cr), 4121 Food Microbiology and Fermentations (3 cr), and
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BAE 4744 Engineering Principles for Biological Scientists (4 cr) must be taken for
an M.S. minor totaling 10 credits.
For a Ph.D. minor, all three of the courses listed above for the M.S. are required
plus one additional Food Science graduate level course totaling 12 credits.
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Student Services
Nancy Toedt, Graduate Program Coordinator
[email protected] 225J FScN, St. Paul campus
Ph: 612.624.6753
Generally DGS terms are two years in length, with an option for term
renewal. Elections are held in the spring for the following academic year.
The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) shall supervise and coordinate the
administration of graduate studies within the graduate program or programs
for which he/she is responsible. He/she shall perform such duties in the
administration of graduate studies as the faculty of the graduate program
may assign, normally including such functions as arranging for the review of
graduate admissions, orienting and counseling graduate students with
respect to program and degree requirements until they choose graduate
advisors, assisting graduate students in choosing advisors, enforcing the
regulations of the Graduate School and of the degree programs, receiving
and arranging for review of petitions submitted by graduate students,
maintaining graduate student records, initiating and providing data for
evaluations of graduate students, referring to the graduate faculty in the
degree program or to a committee on graduate admissions or graduate
studies any of the matters which may require its attention and providing it
with information or data it may need and providing guidance and
information needed by graduate advisors in the degree programs. The
DGS also serves as the programs representative to the Biological Sciences
Policy and Review Committee of the Graduate School.
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B. Associate DGS
C. Graduate Advisors
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The Committee shall be made up of the Director of Graduate Study (Chair),
the Associate Director of Graduate Study, the Affirmative Action Officer for
the program, and the Chair of the Quality Control Committee. The Graduate
Faculty of Food Science may add other individuals to the Graduate Studies
Committee or modify the Committee by an appropriate motion at a regular
graduate faculty meeting.
Review current files on all M.S. and Ph.D. students, as supplied by DGS, to
determine if the time sequences and GPA standards, as outlined in the
handbook for degree completion, are being followed and recommend
actions with respect to holds and warnings. Periodically review and sit in on
student oral examinations to determine whether student quality is being
maintained.
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G. Orientation Committee
H. Seminar Committee
Senior Members
Mrinal Bhattacharya Len Marquart
Linda Brady Larry McKay
Mirko Bunzel Lloyd Metzger
Agi Csallany Dan O’Sullivan
Francisco Diez Devin Peterson
Joellen Feirtag Gary Reineccius
Baraem Ismail Roger Ruan
Ted Labuza Dave Smith
Allen Levine Zata Vickers
Affiliate Member
Mary Schmidl
Appointment Responsibilities
Senior Member
Teach course for graduate credit
Examine Minor Field and Post Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC)
Examine Master's & M.S. Thesis Review
Advise M.S.'s
Co-Advise Doctoral
Examine Doctoral & Ph.D. Thesis Rev
Chair Doctoral Exam
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Advise Doctoral
Participate in governance
Affiliate Senior Member
Same as Senior Member but does not participate in governance
Advising Member
Teach course for graduate credit
Examine Minor Field and Post Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC)
Examine Master's & M.S. Thesis Review
Advise M.S.'s
Co-Advise Doctoral with Senior or Affiliate Senior Member
Examine Doctoral & Ph.D. Thesis Rev
Participate in governance
Affiliate Advising Member
Same as Advising Member but does participate in governance
Member
Teach course for graduate credit
Examine Minor Field and Post Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC)
Examine Master's & M.S. Thesis Review
Examine Doctoral & Ph.D. Thesis Rev
Participate in governance
Affiliate Member
Same as Member but does participate in governance
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XV. Criteria for Maintaining Membership on the Food Science Graduate Faculty
The Food Science graduate member contributions will be reviewed by the Food Science
Graduate Program Quality Control Committee every three years. This Committee will
forward its recommendations to the DGS for a full graduate faculty vote on continuation or
termination of membership for each member. Senior Members, Advising Members, or
Members must satisfy at least one requirement in each of the four categories listed under
section I in the three-year period under review. Affiliate Senior Members, Affiliate
Advising Members, or Affiliate Members must satisfy at least one requirement in two of
the three categories (Seminar, Teaching, and Research) listed under section I in the
three-year period under review. It will be the responsibility of each graduate faculty
member to communicate in writing his or her contributions, with documentation, to the
DGS at the time of the review.
Seminar
Present a seminar at the Food Science graduate seminar series
Regularly attend the Food Science graduate seminar series or special Food
Science Graduate Program seminars
Invite and host an outside speaker sponsored by the Food Science Graduate
Program
Governance
Regularly attend Food Science graduate faculty meetings
Teaching
Coordinate or co-coordinate Food Science graduate seminar series
Write a question for the Ph.D. written prelim and grade the responses
Teach or co-teach a food science course (FScN designation) for graduate credit
Research
Serve on examination committees for Food Science M.S. or Ph.D. students
Section II.
I no longer wish to remain a member of the Food Science Graduate Program.
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XVI. GOVERNANCE: OFFICERS, COMMITTEES AND STUDENT
REPRESENTATIVES
Food Science Graduate Program Committee Members for July 1, 2008 to June 30,
2010
G. COGS Representative
TBD
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