The required final written comprehensive examination in the major must be completed within 24 months prior to the date of graduation. A comprehensive exam (written and/or oral) in the minor department may be waived, subject to the approval of the minor department, provided all grades in the minor are at least a B or Pass, if applicable.
Procedures for this exam are as follows:
- The final exam should cover the major areas of study within the major courses (I.e., NUTR prefix courses) and may include relevant general education topics
- Administered by the faculty advisor of the individual student (e.g., a 7-day take home exam format)
- Date of exam must be indicated on the student’s final examination report form
- The Primary Advisor of each individual student may write their own questions or solicit questions from the students’ former course instructors. The Primary Advisor of each individual student will coordinate grading the questions on a Pass/No Pass basis.
- After all grading is complete, it is the Primary Advisor’s responsibility to determine whether the student passed or did not pass the final written comprehensive exam as a whole prior to the deadline indicated by the Office of Graduate Studies.
- If the faculty advisor determines that the student passed the final written exam, this should be indicated on the Final Exam Report. The faculty advisor is responsible to inform the result to the student, the Office of Graduate Studies, an NHS Graduate Chair, and an NHS Graduate Coordinator.
- If the faculty advisor determines that the student did not pass this exam, they will write a “non-passing report” indicating what the student must do before taking another exam. This report will be sent to the student, as well as to the NHS Graduate Chair who will submit the report to Graduate Studies.
- If a non-passing report is filed with the Office of Graduate Studies, another exam may not be taken during the same semester or summer session in which the student failed, as per policy of Graduate Studies. If the faculty advisor determines that the student passed only part of the final written exam, it is their responsibility to communicate with the student what must be done to pass the final written exam prior to the deadline indicated by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Procedures Specific to Program
Information listed here is specific to individual programs in the department. Assume that the statements related to the proposal, defense, and comprehensive exam above apply unless otherwise stated here.