Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Nutrition Major, BS in Health and Human Sciences – Biomedical Nutrition Science Concentration – Five-Year BS/MS


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For qualified students, the Department of Nutrition offers a 5-year BS/MS accelerated degree program with a major in Nutrition and a concentration in Biomedical Nutrition Science. Central to this program is that a qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the BS degree and the MS degree. Students will be considered for conditional admission to the program by the end of their junior year of undergraduate study at UT. Students can choose from a project option or a thesis option, based on their original research. Those who choose the thesis option will begin working on their research project not later than the beginning of their senior year of undergraduate studies by enrolling in NUTR 493  and/or NUTR 499 . For each student in the program, a graduate advisory committee composed of a minimum of three faculty members must be established before completion of Term 7. To be considered for conditional admission to the program:

  • A student must be a declared Nutrition major, Biomedical Nutrition Science Concentration, with a minimum GPA of 3.30, must have completed at least 15 credit hours of Nutrition courses, and must have completed at least 90 credit hours of the 120 credit hours of coursework required for the BS degree with a major in Nutrition.
  • A student must provide three letters of support from Nutrition faculty members serving on the graduate and undergraduate committees
  • A student must obtain a commitment from a Nutrition graduate research faculty member to serve as their graduate mentor-advisor (i.e., major professor) and as the chair of their graduate advisory committee.
  • The Department may consider other relevant factors such as an applicant’s work experience and level of maturity before conditionally admitting a student to the BS/MS program. Conditional admission of a student into the 5-year BS/MS program must be approved by both the Department of Nutrition and the Graduate School. Students will be typically informed of the outcome of their application before they start their senior year of undergraduate study.

Any graduate course taken before satisfying all requirements for the BS degree must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. These graduate courses must be identified in advance in consultation with the undergraduate advisor and the graduate advisory committee.

A student that is conditionally admitted to the BS-MS program may complete up to 9 credit hours of graduate level coursework during the student’s undergraduate study and apply those 9 credit hours to satisfy both the BS degree requirements and also the MS degree requirements, provided that these graduate credit hours were approved by both the Department and by the Graduate School.

The form “Nutrition Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” is available from the Director of Graduate Studies and must be completed and signed by the undergraduate advisor, undergraduate coordinator, and graduate advisory committee by May 1 of their junior year. After review by the Department, the form will be signed by the Director of Graduate Studies and submitted to the Graduate School for approval and processing.

To receive graduate credit for the 9 credit hours listed on the Nutrition Conditional Admission Form and approved by their graduate advisory committee, and others granting approval by signing that form, the student must complete and submit the Senior Requesting Graduate Credit Form to the Graduate School. If the graduate courses are to be taken during different semesters, the student will need to submit this form per each relevant semester.

Conditional admission into the BS/MS program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MS program. Students in the BS/MS program must submit an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions and to the MS program during their senior year of undergraduate study for the term immediately following the completion of their undergraduate study, following the same procedures of all other student applicants. Students will be fully admitted to the MS program after they have been accepted both by the Graduate School and by the Nutrition Department. Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

uTrack Requirements


Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students.

Term 1


  • Unrestricted Elective 3 Credit Hours

Credit Hours 16


Term 1 Milestone Notes


  • 2.6 cumulative GPA

Term 2


Credit Hours 15


Term 2 Milestone Notes


Credit Hours 15


Term 3 Milestone Notes


Credit Hours 16


Term 4 Milestone Notes


Term 5


Credit Hours 13


Term 5 Milestone Notes


Term 6


Students interested in completing the 5-year BS/MS program MUST complete and submit the “Nutrition Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” form available from the Director of Graduate Studies by May 1st of their junior year.
 

Credit Hours 16


Term 6 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Term 7


Credit Hours 15


Term 7 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Term 8


Credit Hours 14


Term 8 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Total Credit Hours 120


Footnotes


  1. Select any courses not already required for the major. Some pre-health tracks specifically require SOCI 120 *, PHYS 221 *, and PHYS 222 *. Students pursuing a health professional career may choose to complete the pre-health professions minor and should consult with their advisor, relevant pre-health guide, and undergraduate catalog in selecting electives to fulfill requirements. Students NOT pursuing a health professional career, should consult with their advisor in selecting electives. Course recommendations include NUTR (any 200+ not already required for the major), NUTR 412 , NUTR 415 *, NUTR 416 , and NUTR 493 ; BIOL (any 200+); BCMB (any 200+); KNS (any 200+); MICR (any 200+ not already required); EEB (any 200+ not already required); FDSC courses; ANSC 320 , ANSC 330 , ANSC 380 ; CFS 210 *, CFS 211 , CFS 213 , or CFS 240 ; PSYC 301 , PSYC 370 , PSYC 385 *, PSYC 445 , PSYC 450 , PSYC 459 , or PSYC 461 ;  PUBH 202 , PUBH 315 , PUBH 401 , or PUBH 420 .
  2. Students pursuing a pre-health track should consult with their advisor and the relevant pre-health guide for Quantitative Reasoning  Elective recommendations/requirements.
  3. Select courses from the Volunteer Core  list. 
  4. Students in some pre-health tracks are required to also take the lab class (CHEM 269 ) associated with CHEM 260  and should consult with their advisor and the relevant pre-health guide.
  5. Students in some pre-health tracks are required to also take the lab class (CHEM 359 ) associated with CHEM 360  and should consult with their advisor and the relevant pre-health guide .
  6. Must be taken at UTK.
  7. Some pre-health tracks require SOCI 120 *, which also meets the Global Citizenship – US  Volunteer Core requirement.
* Meets Volunteer Core  Requirement.
** Students interested in completing the 5-year BS/MS program must complete and submit the “Nutrition Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” form available from the Director of Graduate Studies by May 1st of their junior year.
*** Students accepted into the 5-year accelerated BS/MS program, with approval from their Graduate Committee, should use these Unrestricted Electives to enroll in 9 hours of graduate level coursework in their senior year. This will allow these courses to count toward both the BS degree and the MS degree.

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