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Nutrition Graduate Program

Quick Links: Admission Requirements, Degree Requirements, Research Facilities, Financial Aid, Example Course of Study

PhD Program Overview

In today’s world the relationship between diet and health is of great interest among consumers, medical professionals, research scientists, government policy makers, and private industries related to food, agriculture, and health care.  To serve these clients and improve human health, especially in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region, the PhD program in Nutrition is designed to prepare future leaders and innovators who can expand our knowledge about food and health, solve nutrition-related problems, propose effective nutrition policies, guide new product and service development, and be effective researchers, communicators and educators.  To ensure that graduates are prepared for these roles, students will be expected to demonstrate:

• comprehensive understanding of core nutrition knowledge
• advanced scholarship in a specialty area (i.e. expertise in a least one overlapping biomedical discipline e.g. biochemistry, physiology, cell and molecular biology, food science/functional foods, epidemiology, biostatistics, medicine, etc)
• appropriate exposure to social and career-building disciplines (e.g. education, communications, information technology, technical  writing, social sciences, etc)
• ability to conduct original scholarly research, develop skills in research methodologies and grant writing, understand research ethics, and effectively dissemination research findings via peer-reviewed publications, seminars and practical applications such as teaching.

To accomplish these goals, the PhD program integrates faculty and resources from the instructional and research programs housed in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii  (CRCH) to create an inter-college PhD program that will produce highly marketable, interdisciplinary graduates that can assume leadership roles in the field of nutrition. Subject areas of concentration include nutritional biochemistry, nutritional epidemiology, diet and cancer, obesity, diabetes, mineral nutrition and toxicology, sports nutrition, nutrition education, nutritional product development, community and global nutrition. Other cooperating programs include Animal Sciences, Food Science, Kinesiology and Leisure Science, Physiology, and Public Health Sciences.

Admission Requirements
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The admission process is considered a critical step in insuring the success and quality of the program and its graduates; therefore, applicants will be carefully evaluated and selected.  The admissions committee is chosen and led by the graduate chair and is made up of graduate faculty with proven records in mentoring successful graduate students.  To insure consistent quality of training and financial support, the number of applicants admitted will be kept in line with the availability of high-quality dissertation advisors and available support.  Student will not be admitted without a plan to support them and evidence of a faculty member’s willingness to serve as a dissertation advisor.
Applicants should have a BS or MS degree in nutrition or a closely related biological science; however, highly motivated students with other degrees may be considered if they have excellent academic backgrounds and demonstrated strength in the biological sciences.  Applicants are expected to demonstrate adequate preparation in nutrition, biochemistry, physiology and statistics.  If admitted without sufficient preparation in theses areas, these prerequisites must be made up early in the student’s program.  The admissions committee will determine course deficiencies in an applicant’s background.  Additional admission requirements include a minimum grade point average of 3.4 out of 4.0 for applicants with a BS, and 3.6 out of 4.0 for applicants with a MS or other advanced degree; submission of GRE general test scores that demonstrate performance above the 50% percentile in all areas; three letters of recommendation from individuals that can comment on academic and research potential, a personal resume, and a completed Graduate Admissions Application including a personal statement of objectives that includes your reasons for wanting to attend graduate school, research interests and career goals. The resume and personal statement should be sent electronically to the graduate chairman, PhD in Nutrition, at: hnfas@ctahr.hawaii.edu

Online applications are available at http://www.hawaii.edu/graduate/. Foreign applicants must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (internet).  Interviews (in person or by phone) are required of all applicants deemed admissible by the admissions committee. In selecting applicants for admission, particular attention will be paid to the quality and depth of the personal statement, the strength of the letters of recommendation (i.e. they must indicate exceptional potential) and the professional qualities and academic depth presented in the personal interview. 

The deadlines for receipt of all application materials are February 1 for fall semester applicants, and September 1 for spring semester applicants.  Questions about admissions can be directed to our program office at hnfas@ctahr.hawaii.edu.

Degree Requirements
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The principal requirements for the PhD degree are:

• pass a qualifying examination for admission to candidacy
• complete required coursework and teaching experience (see below)
• pass a comprehensive exam to demonstrate advanced scholarship in the field
• defend a doctoral dissertation that presents original, independent research.

All PhD candidates are required to participate in a substantial teaching project with a graduate faculty mentor during at least one semester of their program (if entering with a BS, two semesters are required).

Qualifying exam.  The purpose of the qualifying exam is to evaluate the student’s basic knowledge in nutrition-related fields, determine if the student has a strong enough background to proceed successfully with their doctoral program, and enable advisors to assist the student in planning an appropriate program of study.  The areas covered by the exam include basic nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, statistics, epidemiology, and experimental design.  The exam may be oral and/or written as decided by the examining committee. The committee will consist of at least three members of the graduate faculty chosen by the student in consultation with their advisor, and must be approved by the graduate chair. The exam is repeatable once after successful petition to the graduate chair. Students entering the program with a BS degree will be required to pass the qualifying exam within the first two years of their program.  Candidates entering with a MS or other advanced degree must pass the exam within one year. Extensions can be made for students with course deficiencies to make up.  Students entering from the Nutritional Sciences MS program at UH within 5 years of receiving their MS degree are exempt from the exam, as suitability for the PhD program will be assessed during their MS program via the candidacy exam and thesis defense/final exam.

Dissertation proposal defense. Students entering with a BS degree are required to defend their dissertation research proposal to the satisfaction of their dissertation advisor and proposal defense committee. They must do this after they pass their qualifying exam and after they have met all other requirements for the Plan A master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences except the completion of a formal thesis.  This proposal defense serves as a capstone, similar to a MS thesis defense, and assures that the student can demonstrate sufficient research skills and knowledge of the research plan to proceed with the dissertation research.  The dissertation defense committee will consist of the student’s advisor and at least two members of the graduate faculty chosen by the student in consultation with their advisor, and must be approved by the graduate chair. The student must pass the proposal defense to be eligible for the comprehensive exam. The defense is repeatable once after successful petition to the graduate chair.

Required course work.  PhD students are required to have at least 18 credits of graduate level coursework (excluding research credits) beyond their MS degree or, if entering with a BS degree, at least 36 credits of graduate level coursework (excluding research credits) beyond their BS degree as described below.
Students entering with a BS degree are required to meet all requirements for the Plan A master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences, excluding the production of a formal written thesis. The course requirements include any course deficiencies recommended by the admissions committee plus the following 18 credits of graduate level coursework:

• 10 credits of required nutrition courses (FSHN 601, 682, 685, 631) including 2 credits of seminar (FSHN 681)
• 3 credits in statistics at the graduate level (e.g. PH 655, Biostatistics I)
• 5 credits of advisor-approved electives (2 of which must be at the 600 level)

In addition, at least 12 credits of directed reading and research (FSHN 699) are required.

Students entering with a MS or other advanced degree are required to make up any course deficiencies in their background prior to taking the qualifying exam.  Course deficiencies will be assessed by the admissions committee.  Credits obtained by making up course deficiencies cannot be used to meet the 18 credit course requirements for the PhD.
After the above requirements are met by students entering with a BS or MS, all continuing PhD students must take a minimum of 18 credits of course work (excluding research credits) consisting of at least:

• 6 credits of graduate nutrition courses including 2 credits of seminar (FSHN 681)
• 6 credits in graduate level courses that will foster development of a specialty area in a field overlapping with the discipline of nutrition. For example: biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, epidemiology, medicine, biostatistics, functional foods/food science.
• 6 credits in graduate level courses from career-building disciplines such as communications, education, information technology, technical writing, or social sciences.

The student in consultation with his/her dissertation advisor will decide on the specific courses used to meet the above 18-credit requirement.  An example of a model course of study for a student entering with a BS in Nutrition, and examples of available specialty area courses and career-building courses are included under Example Course of Study below.

Required teaching experience.  To foster teaching skills, all PhD candidates must participate in a substantial teaching project during at least one semester of their program.  All students who are not paid teaching assistants are required to develop, with an instructor of their choice, an instructional experience equivalent to a quarter-time teaching assistantship (10 hrs per week) that includes in-class lectures/instructional activities, or laboratory instruction. At the conclusion of the experience, their instructional mentor must submit a written evaluation of their performance to the graduate chair.  Unsatisfactory evaluations will result in the need to repeat the experience until a favorable evaluation is achieved.  Students entering with a BS must additionally fulfill the instructional experience required as part of the MS in Nutritional Sciences (6 hrs per week for one semester) prior to sitting for their dissertation proposal defense.

Comprehensive exam.  When candidates have completed all, or most of their coursework toward the PhD, they must pass a comprehensive exam.  The timing of the exam will be decided upon by the student in consultation with their advisor. The purpose of this exam is to determine the student’s comprehension of fundamental nutrition knowledge, expertise in an overlapping discipline, and competence in research, communications, and critical thinking skills to verify that they can excel as a professional in the field. The form of the exam is both written and oral.  It will be conducted by an examination committee composed of at least three members of the graduate faculty (excluding the student’s advisor) with collective expertise to cover the range of expectations listed above. The composition of the committee is proposed by the student in consultation with their advisor. To insure the quality and consistency of exam committees, its composition must be approved by the graduate chair.  The time frame and grading of the exam will be decided by the committee. The examination criteria and procedures will conform to the Graduate Division’s standards for all Manoa doctorate programs.  A student must pass this exam to remain in the PhD program.  The exam is repeatable once after successful petition to the graduate chair.  After passing the exam the student is eligible to formally select their doctoral committee as described below.

Dissertation.  All PhD candidates must conduct scholarly, independent, original research that contributes new knowledge to the field.  The candidates develop and conduct research projects under the direction of their dissertation advisor and doctoral committee.  The doctoral committee is selected by the student in consultation with their dissertation advisor, and must be approved by the graduate chair. The dissertation advisor (chair of the committee), and a majority of the committee members must come from the Nutrition Graduate Faculty.  The committee must have at least 5 members, with one member being from a graduate faculty outside the student’s field of study and area of specialization.  At the conclusion of the research process, students write a dissertation, i.e. a scholarly presentation of their research in publication form.  The student’s doctoral committee then conducts a final examination to assess the student’s ability to orally present their dissertation in a seminar format, and defend their research and written dissertation. The final exam is repeatable once after successful petition to the Graduate Dean. The dissertation, final exam criteria and procedures will conform to the Graduate Division’s standards for all Manoa doctorate programs. 

Note: Course requirements and other degree requirements are subject to change at any time. For a description of current degree requirements contact the Graduate Chairman.  

Research Facilities
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The Nutrition PhD Program is housed within the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, located in a newly constructed state-of-the-art laboratory and teaching facility called Agricultural Sciences III. The building contains teaching and research laboratories, an experimental kitchen, taste panel and sensory evaluation rooms, food processing facilities, a computer laboratory, state-of-the-art classrooms, graduate student cubicles with ample computer access, faculty offices, conference and seminar rooms.
The department also maintains an animal research facility nearby for studies using experimental animals. Cooperating graduate faculty offices and laboratories are located across the Manoa campus, and at The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (CRCH) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) located a few miles from the main campus. The CRCH is a multidisciplinary research institute of the university engaged in all aspects of cancer research from etiology and prevention to treatment and continuing care.  Research is also conducted at the new, state-of-the-art medical research facilities of the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Financial Aid
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A limited number of tuition waivers, teaching and research assistantships are available, depending on the availability of funds. Financial aid is awarded on a competitive basis based on scholarship and need. To begin the application process, indicate in your application materials that you are seeking financial aid and why. Formal application procedures will be sent to selected applicants after they are deemed admissible by the admissions committee.  

Example Course of Study for PhD in Nutrition
(for students entering with BS degree in nutrition)
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Fall Semester                                                              Spring Semester
Year 1:

*FSHN 601	The Science of Food Systems	2		*FSHN 685	Nutrition & Disease: Cellular & Molecular Aspects	2
*PH655	Biostatistics I	3		*FSHN/PH 631	Nutritional Epidemiology	3
TPSS 654	Information Research Skills	1		PH 658	Computer Applications in Public Health	2
*FSHN 681	Seminar in Food & Nutritional Sciences	1		*FSHN 699	Directed Reading & Research	2
Elective	(with advisor's approval)	1-3
	Total Credits	8-10			Total Credits	9

Summer Semester
*FSHN 699    Directed Reading and Research    variable credits (V)
Year 2:

*FSHN 682	Topics in Nutritional Sciences	1		*Elective	Specialty discipline course #1	3
*FSHN 681	Seminar in Food & Nutritional Sciences	1		*Elective	Nutrition course #1	1-3
*FSHN 699	Directed Reading & Research	3-4		*FSHN 699	Directed Reading and Research	2-4
*Elective	(with advisor's approval)	1-3			(Qualifying exam taken)
	Total Credits	6-9			Total Credits	6-10

Summer Semester
Dissertation proposal defense taken
*FSHN 699   Directed Reading and Research    variable credits (V)
Year 3:

FSHN 699	Directed Reading and Research	V		*FSHN 699	Directed Reading and Research	V
*Elective	Specialty discipline course #2	3		*Elective	Career-building course #1	3
*Elective	Nutrition course #2	1-3		*FSHN 681	Seminar in Food & Nutritional Sciences	1
	Total Credits	4-6			Total Credits	4

Summer Semester
Comprehensive exam taken
*FSHN 699    Directed Reading and Research    variable credits (V)
Year 4:

*FSHN 800	Dissertation Research			*FSHN 800	Dissertation Research
*Elective	Career Building Course #2	3		*FSHN 681	Seminar in Food & Nutritional Sciences	1

Summer Semester
*FSHN 800 Dissertation Research    variable credits (V)
Year 5:

FSHN 800

Dissertation Research

*FSHN 800

Dissertation Research

V

(Dissertation Defense / Final Exam)
1Students entering with a MS in Nutrition would begin at Spring semester, Year 2.  Course requirements are subject to change at any time.  Each student's specific course of study will be developed in consultation with their dissertation advisor and will depend on their background preparation and interests. The table is for example purposes only.
*Required course for degree.

Examples of Specialty Discipline Courses1			Examples of Career-building Courses1
Cell and Molecular Biology:			Education:
ANSC/FSHN 650	DNA and Genetic Analysis		ETEC 600	Theory & Practice in Educational Technology
CMB 621	Cell Molecular Biology I		ETEC 448	Links to Lifelong Learning
CMB 622	Cell Molecular Biology II		ETEC 649	Development of Online Courseware
CMB 654C	Molecular Biology of Cancer		EDEA 662	Curriculum in Higher Education
MBBE 651	Signal Transduction & Regulation of Gene Transcription		EDEA 657	Introduction to Higher Education
MICR 475-475L	Bacterial Genetics - Bacterial Genetics Laboratory		EDEP 664	Instructional Psychology
Biomedical Sciences:			Communications:
BIOM 640	Clinical Research Methods		FSHN 697	Grant Writing for Graduate Students
BIOM 642	Applied Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics		TPSS 654	Communication in the Sciences
BIOM 643	Applied Biostatistics		COM 420	Communication in Multicultural Organizations
BIOM 644	Bioanalytical Methods		ECGC 610	Counseling in Theory & Practice
BIOM 645	Clinical Protocol Development		JOUR 410	Writing for Public Relations
PSY 675	Treatment Research		JOUR 460	Media Ethics
PH 702	Health Promotion Research		FAMR 455	Consumer Communications
Biotechnology:			PH 701	Health Communication
MBBE 401	Molecular Biotechnology		Policy and Sociology:
ANSC 491	Topics in Animal Biotechnology		PH 602	Introduction to Health Services
Biochemistry/Metabolism:			PH 623	Social Science & Public Health
MBBE 412	Environmental Biochemistry		PH 649	Needs Assessment & Program Planning
MBBE 621	Metabolic Engineering		PUBA 601	Policy and Organizational Processes
BIOC 471	Clinical Biochemistry		Business and Marketing:
Immunology:			MKT 331	Marketing Communications
MICR 461-461L	Immunology- Immunology Laboratory		BUS 311	Information Systems for Global Business Environment
MICR 625	Advanced Immunology		BUS 315	Global Management & Organizational Behavior
Epidemiology/Biostatistics:
PH 656	Biostatistics II
PH 661	Epidemiology Study Design Critique
PH 663	Principals of Epidemiology I
PH 664	Principals of Epidemiology II
PH 747	Statistical Methods in Epidemiological Research
PH 702	Health Promotion Research
PH 748	Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Food Science:
FSHN 607	Advanced Food Science I
FSHN 608	Advanced Food Science II
FSHN 609	Advanced Food Safety
ANSC 454	Meat Science & Muscle Biology
FSHN 701	Topics in Food Science
Physiology:
PHYL 603	Medical Physiology
PHYL 601	Physiology of Exercise
KLS 602	Metabolic Analysis

 

Program Graduate Faculty
Graduate Faculty	Research Interests / Affiliation	E-mail
C.L. Albright, Ph.D (1983, Univ Houston)	Intervention research on energy balance/weight control; physical activity; dietary fat, fiber, fruits and vegetables/ CRCH	calbright@crch.hawaii.edu
M.J. Berry, PhD (1986, UC Santa Barbara)	Selenoproteins; antioxidants and human disease/ JABSOM	mberry@hawaii.edu
J. R. Carpenter, PhD (1976, Cornell University)	Protein and fiber utilization, Animal and marine mammal nutrition/ CTAHR	cjim@hawaii.edu
R. Cooney, PhD (1981, UC San Diego)	Tocopherols, carotenoids and Coenzyme Q-10 mechanisms of action in health and disease/ CRCH	Bob@crch.hawaii.edu
J. Dobbs, PhD  (1983, UC Davis)	Food Composition and Health Education/ CTAHR	dobbs@hawaii.edu
D. A. Dooley, PhD (1988, U. Wisconsin-Madison)	Diet and Behavior, Nutrition Education, Ethics/ CTAHR	dian@hawaii.edu
M. A. Dunn, PhD (1985, Penn State)	Nutritional Biochemistry, Mineral Metabolism, Aluminum Toxicity/ CTAHR	mdunn@hawaii.edu
A.Franke, PhD (1985, Freiburg, Germany)	Analytical chemistry, lab assessment, phytochemicals/ CRCH	adrian@crch.hawaii.edu
J. Grove,PhD (1969, University of Hawaii)	Biostatistics,epidemiology/ JABSOM	jgrove@hawaii.edu
R. Hetzler, PhD (1988, Southern Illinois)	Exercise physiology, sports nutrition/ Dept. of Kinesiology and Leisure Sciences	hetzler@hawaii.edu
C.Y. Hu, PhD (1984, UC Davis)	Animal growth, adipose differentiation, lipid metabolism/ CTAHR	hucy@ctahr.hawaii.edu
A. S. Huang, PhD (1985, U. Wisconsin-Madison)	Food Chemistry, Taro Processing/ CTAHR	ahuang@hawaii.edu
W. T. Iwaoka, PhD (1972, Univ. Illinois)	Food Chemistry, Food Safety/ CTAHR	iwaoka@hawaii.edu
L. N. Kolonel, MD, PhD (1968, Harvard, 1972, UC Berkeley)	Nutrition and cancer, cancer epidemiology/ CRCH	lkolonel@crch.hawaii.edu
Y.S. Kim, PhD (1988, UC Davis)	Muscle biology, regulation of growth and muscle mass/ CTAHR	ykim@hawaii.edu
J.D. Latner, PhD  (2002, Rutgers University)	Clinical psychology,eating behaviors and disorders, obesity/ Dept. of Psychology	jlatner@hawaii.edu
L. LeMarchand, MD, MPH, PhD. (1987, U. Hawaii)	Nutritional epidemiology, genetic markers/ CRCH	loic@crch.hawaii.edu
Q.X. Li,  PhD  (1990, UC Davis)	Environmental biochemistry, proteomics/ CTAHR	qingl@hawaii.edu
Y. Li, PhD (2004, Univ. Missouri)	Food microbiology, food safety, probiotics/ CTAHR	liyong@hawaii.edu
G. Maskarinec, MD, MPH, PhD. (1996, University of Hawaii)	Nutritional epidemiology, soy, hormones and cancer/ CRCH	gertraud@crch.hawaii.edu
S. Murphy, RD, PhD. (1984, UC Berkeley)	Diet assessment, Community nutrition/ CRCH	suzanne@crch.hawaii.edu
P. V. Nerurkar, PhD (1990, Bombay University, India)	Metabolic disorders and alternative medicine/ CTAHR	pratibha@hawaii.edu
C. R. Nigg, PhD. (1999, U. Rhode Island)	Theory of health behavior change, intervention, physical   activity/exercise and nutrition behavior, research design/ JABSOM	cnigg@hawaii.edu
R. Novotny, PhD, RD (1986, Cornell University)	Community and global nutrition, anthropometric assessment, nutritional epidemiology/ CTAHR	novotny@hawaii.edu
M. Stewart, PhD (2008, U. Minnesota)	Dietary fiber content of foods, fiber fermentation, functional foods, intestinal health/ CTAHR	mstew@hawaii.edu
C. A. Titchenal, PhD, CNS (1986, UC Davis)	Nutrition and human performance, dietary supplements, nutrition journalism/ CTAHR	titch@hawaii.edu
J. Yang, PhD (1999, Univ. of Alberta, Canada)	Molecular biology of muscle growth, molecular mechanisms and prevetion of obesity and diabetes/ CTAHR	jinzeng@hawaii.edu

 

Affiliate Graduate Faculty
Graduate Faculty	Research Interests/ Affiliation	E-mail address
D. Galanis, PhD (1994, Cornell Univ)	Pacific island nutrition, nutritional epidemiology/ Hawaii State Department of Health	djgalani@mail.health.state.hi.us
J. Gittelsohn, PhD (1989, U. Conn.)	Nutritional anthropology, nutrition intervention/ Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health	jgittels@jhsph.edu
S. Sharma, PhD (1996, Manchester University Medical School, England)	Nutritional epidemiology, global nutrition/ North Carolina Research Campus	sangitas@email.unc.edu
H. Turner, PhD (1998, U. London, UK)	Cell biology and immunology/ Dean of Research, Chaminade University, Honolulu, Hawaii.	hturner@chaminade.edu
T. Vogt, MD, MPH. (1971, UC San Francisco; 1974, UC Berkeley)	Dietary intervention trials/ Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research Hawaii	Tom.M.Vogt@kp.org