Applicants to the Ph.D. program should have demonstrated excellence in at least one course in each of the following areas: chemistry (quantitative analysis, lectures and laboratory; organic chemistry, lectures and laboratory; physical chemistry; advanced organic chemistry), biochemistry (general biochemistry, lectures and laboratory), biology (general zoology, including genetics and embryology), physics (general physics, minimum of one year), mathematics (analytical geometry), and physiology (general human physiology).
Applicants to the master's degree in nutrition science program should hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an acceptable GPA. The program will accept only students whose undergraduate training includes a significant amount of course work in one or more of the following areas: nutrition, food science, biochemistry, organic chemistry, physiology, biology or related fields. Admission into the program is dependent upon receipt of acceptable GRE scores.
Applicants must supply to the graduate student coordinator all undergraduate and graduate transcripts and Graduate Record Examinations scores, a letter stating their reasons for wishing to obtain a Ph.D. in pharmacology and nutrition or a Master of Nutrition Science, an outline of their research interests (if relevant), and three letters of recommendation. Whenever possible, applicants will be interviewed personally by all members of the graduate training committee.
Final acceptance of applicants in each class will be made by majority vote of the graduate training committee, but no earlier than January of the year prior to beginning the program.
Course Requirements A minimum of 60 units is required for the Ph.D., while a minimum of 24 units is required for the M.S. Two thirds of the units are to be provided by courses offered by the department. Excluding units for directed research and seminars, the student must have a 3.0 GPA (A = 4.0).
The student is required to take all courses that are offered in pharmacology and nutrition; the guidance committee will define the appropriate courses that must be taken in other departments.
The program leading to the Ph.D. requires study in such related disciplines as physiology, biochemistry, neurophysiology, microbiology, toxicology and others. The student begins individual research early and participates in an active program of seminars.
All students are required to complete satisfactorily a course in physical chemistry and a course in advanced organic chemistry before taking the qualifying examination. The following courses will fulfill these requirements: physical chemistry, CHEM 430 or BIOL 506; organic chemistry, an organic chemistry 400 or 500 level course or BIOC 503 or 505 or 506.
Screening Procedure In the first year each student is assigned a three-member faculty committee to formulate the sequence of course work, recommend any course work needed to fill background deficiencies and oversee the student's performance. Progress is evaluated by this committee at the end of the first and second semester and approval must be given before the student is allowed to register for the second year.
Guidance Committee Trainees with laboratory experience can begin work on their dissertation or thesis project; other trainees must rotate among various faculty members to participate from one to two months in several research programs. By the end of the first year, the trainee will propose a faculty member to serve as a graduate mentor. The final decision as to a trainee's mentor will be made by the graduate training committee.
The guidance committee for the doctoral dissertation or master's thesis is chosen by the student and the graduate mentor. The doctoral committee consists of four department members and one alternate member; three of the regular members will be from the department. The master's committee consists of three regular members.
Qualifying Examination The Ph.D. student should take the qualifying examination near the end of the second year of study. The subjects in which the student will be examined will be outlined by the guidance committee.
Dissertation and Oral Defense Approximately six months before submission of the dissertation, the Ph.D. student will submit an outline of the dissertation to the dissertation guidance committee and will formally present and defend the conclusions of the dissertation. At the committee's discretion, seminar presentations and research propositions may be required.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995