Program: Nutritional Sciences Major, PhD - University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2024)

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 72 graduate credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 48 graduate credit hours beyond the Master’s. If courses below were not taken at the Master’s level, they must be taken at the Doctorate level. If the courses below were taken at the Master’s level, other courses will be required to satisfy the credit hour requirements. See the department website and graduate handbook for more details.

Required Courses

• Nutrition Course Reqirements (15 credit hours)

• NUTR 511 - Advances in Carbohydrate, Lipid and Protein Metabolism (4 credit hours)
• NUTR 512 - Advances in Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 543 - Research Methods (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 626 - Life Course Nutrition (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 645 - Advanced Research Methods (2 credit hours)

• Non-Nutrition Course Requirements (10 credit hours)

• BCMB 440 - General Physiology (3 credit hours)
• LFSC 520 - Genome Science and Technology I (4 credit hours)

• Appropriate substitutions for LFSC 520, NUTR 645, or BCMB 440, if required, must be approved by the graduate advising committee and the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies.

• Additional 3 graduate credit hours (graded A-F) outside the NUTR department, as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies
• Statistics (STAT), 6 graduate credit hours, or other appropriate statistics courses offered by other departments as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the graduate advising committee and the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies
• Additional courses at the graduate level to make up for any credit hour deficiencies (up to 16 credit hours) as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the graduate advising committee and the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies; this may not apply to students who have completed a Master’s degree prior to beginning the Doctorate program.
• NUTR 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)

Additional Course Requirements

• At least 9 credit hours taken to fulfill requirements must be at the 600-level (exclusive of dissertation NUTR 600).
• A minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the Master’s degree is required.
  • A minimum of 12 of these 24 credit hours must be graded A-F.
• Exceptionally well-prepared students with demonstrated superior achievement may enter upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, in which case a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree is required.
  • A minimum of 30 of these 48 credit hours must be graded A-F.

Non-Course Requirements

• Completion of an independent research project is required.
• An open proposal hearing is required prior to beginning the research project.
• An oral comprehensive examination is required upon completion of the dissertation.

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 72 graduate credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 48 graduate credit hours beyond the Master’s. If courses below were not taken at the Master’s level, they must be taken at the Doctorate level. If the courses below were taken at the Master’s level, other courses will be required to satisfy the credit hour requirements. See the department website and graduate handbook for more details.

Required Courses

• Required Courses (14 credit hours)

• NUTR 543 - Research Methods (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 624 - Public Health Nutrition Systems, Programs and Services (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 626 - Life Course Nutrition (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 645 - Advanced Research Methods (2 credit hours)

• Complete one (3 credit hours):

• ESM 577 - Statistics in Applied Fields I
• ESM 677 - Statistics in Applied Fields II

• A minimum of 10 credit hours from the following list of approved electives:

• ESM 533 - Program Evaluation I (3 credit hours)
• ESM 560 - Evaluation Designs and Data Collection Methods (3 credit hours)
• KNS 535 - Health and Exercise Psychology (3 credit hours)
• KNS 635 - Physical Activity and Positive Health (3 credit hours)
• PUBH 650 - Dissemination and Implementation Science (3 credit hours)
• PUBH 656 - Comparative Theories in Health Behavior (3 credit hours)
• Additional courses at the graduate level to make up for any credit hour deficiencies (up to 24 credit hours) as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies; this may not apply to students who have completed a Master’s degree prior to beginning the Doctorate program.
• NUTR 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)

Additional Course Requirements

• A minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the Master’s degree is required.
  • A minimum of 12 of these 24 credit hours must be graded A-F.
• Exceptionally well-prepared students with demonstrated superior achievement may enter upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, in which case a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree is required.
  • A minimum of 30 of these 48 credit hours must be graded A-F.

Non-Course Requirements

• Completion of an independent research project is required.
• An open proposal hearing is required prior to beginning the research project.
• An oral comprehensive examination is required upon completion of the dissertation.