Degree Requirements

• As for all Ph.D. degrees, a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit are required, including 12-55 hours of dissertation. For the BMN specialization, a minimum of 9 credit hours must be selected from the list above.
• At least one-half of the required work, including the dissertation, must be taken in the student’s major area of study (i.e., courses having the prefix NUTR). The remaining work may be in other departments and in minor fields of study outside of the major department or area.
• At least one-half of the required work must be completed at the University of Nebraska after filing the Program of Studies for the Doctoral Degree.
• The student’s Supervisory Committee is not obligated to accept credits beyond the MS degree that were completed prior to the Committee’s appointment.
• Minor field of study must include at least 15 semester hours, with 6 hours in courses open exclusively to graduate students (900 level or 800 level without 400 or lower counterparts).
• Prior coursework should be assessed in relation to its contribution to framing a research foundation for the doctorate. Each course accepted must be determined to be current and relevant in relation to the desired degree. Any course older than ten years is evaluated relative to appropriateness for inclusion in the Ph.D. program. A maximum of 45 credits from master’s coursework may be accepted as part of the minimum of 90 semester hours of credits. Accepted master’s work may count toward electives, NHS-recommended courses and supporting coursework in a related discipline.
• Credit in graduate-level course is attained as follows:
  • A minimum grade of B is required for graduate credit in 800-level courses (having the NUTR prefix) with a 400 or lower counterpart
  • A minimum grade of C or P (pass) is required for graduate credit in 800-level courses in minor, collateral or supporting area of work (courses other than NUTR prefix)
  • A minimum grade of C or P (Pass) is required for graduate credit in 800-level courses (having or not the NUTR prefix) without a 400 or lower counterpart
  • A minimum grade of C or P (Pass) is required for graduate credit in 900-level courses (having or not the NUTR prefix)

A student failing to receive a minimum acceptable grade for graduate-level course or failing to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher may not continue in the NHS Graduate Program without permission of the NHS Graduate Committee.

Final Outcome: Qualifying exam, Comprehensive exam, an original and research-oriented written-dissertation, and formal and oral defense.