Degree Requirements

Credit requirements:
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal, Nutrition, and Food Sciences requires a minimum of 75 credit hours (beyond the baccalaureate degree) in courses and in dissertation research.  All candidates for the doctoral degree will satisfactorily complete a minimum of 51 credit hours in residence at the University of Vermont.  As per the University Graduate College policy, a minimum of 15 hours in courses used in compilation of the grade point average must be taken in residence at the University of Vermont.  The courses to be taken will be determined in consultation with the students academic advisor and graduate committee.  In addition, doctoral candidates must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours of dissertation research. 

Course Requirements:
All ANFS doctoral candidates are required to take a course in Research Methods and Proposal Writing (ANFS 305, 3 credits), Cells to Society (ANFS 308, 3 credits), two credits of Journal Club (ANFS 303, one credit),  and at least three credits of Doctoral Seminar (ANFS 301, one credit).  The remaining credits to complete the doctoral program course requirements will be determined in consultation with the students Dissertation Defense Examination Committee.  With the prior approval of their Committee and the Graduate College, doctoral students may apply two 100-level, three-credit courses towards their graduate programs. A student`s advisor must petition the Graduate College for approval before the student enrolls in the course.  Under no circumstances will a course numbered below 100 be applicable to a doctoral program.

Teaching Requirement:
All doctoral candidates must acquire appropriate teaching experience in their chosen field (animal science, nutritional science, or food science) prior to the award of the degree.  The nature and amount of teaching, for which no academic credit is allowed, will be determined by each candidate`s Defense Committee and Department Chair.

Dissertation Defense Examination Committee:
Within one year of entering the ANFS Doctoral Program, the candidate, in consultation with his/her advisor, will submit to the Graduate College a list of graduate faculty members to serve as the students Dissertation Defense Examination Committee.   This committee will consist of a minimum of four University of Vermont Graduate Faculty members.  At least one of the committee members must be from the Department of Animal Science and one must be from the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences.  In addition, at least one member must be from outside of either of these departments.  This external member will serve as the designated chairperson for the defense committee. 

Research and Dissertation:
Each candidate in the ANFS Doctoral Program is expected to complete an acceptable, hypothesis-driven, original research project which contributes new knowledge or techniques to the field.  Each candidate must enroll in a minimum of 20 credits of dissertation research.
A dissertation must be prepared and submitted in compliance with the "Guidelines for Writing a Thesis or Dissertation," available from the Graduate College Office.  A formatted copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate College for a Format/Record Check at least three weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense.  Each student must also provide defendable copies of the dissertation to members of the Dissertation Defense Examination Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled examination.  Students must enroll in GRAD 499: Dissertation Defense prior to defending their thesis.  The oral defense of a dissertation can be scheduled only after successful completion of the comprehensive examination.

Comprehensive Examination:
All ANFS doctoral candidates must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination at least six months prior to defending their dissertation.  The examination is prepared and administered by the members of the candidates Dissertation Defense Examination Committee, plus the necessary additional faculty members from the two Departments to ensure an appropriate representation of the various areas of expertise that the Committee determines are required.  The written portion of the examination will be taken first, followed within one month by the oral examination.  Only one re-examination for the written or oral portions of the exam is permitted.  Success in both the written and oral comprehensive examinations is a prerequisite to standing for the oral dissertation defense examination.  Students must enroll in GRAD 497: Doctoral Comprehensive Examination prior to taking the comprehensive examination.
There is no fee. A grade of "S" or "U" is recorded.

Oral Dissertation Defense Examination:
The Chairperson of the Dissertation Defense Committee has the responsibility for ensuring proper conduct of the examination, appropriate documentation of the results, and that the signatures of endorsement are added to the acceptance page of the dissertation following a successful defense.  The acceptability of the dissertation is determined by the Dissertation Defense Committee.  A grade of "S" or "U" is awarded.  If a student`s Defense Examination performance is not satisfactory, then one reexamination, and one only, is permitted.  After a successful dissertation defense, candidates must forward an original and three copies of the corrected dissertation to the Graduate College within the time period specified by the Dissertation Defense Committee and/or the Graduate College.