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Student Handbooks

Food Science

MS Plan A
MS Plan B
PhD

Nutrition

BS/MS Integrated Program
Dietetic MPS
MS Plan A
MS Plan B
PhD

TA Info and Application

Teaching Assistantships (TA) are appointments for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Students interested in becoming a TA must fill out an application form. A new application must be completed every year. Please note that all TAs, regardless of experience, must be available to work one week before and one week after the course term.

Undergraduate students will be paid by the hour ($13.00). For graduate students, there are both paid and unpaid positions. It is possible to hold simultaneous TA and RA positions within any academic semester.

Only one application per student will be accepted. Email Andrew Howe ([email protected]) directly if you need to make changes after submission. 

To avoid scheduling conflicts, please make sure you check the class offerings for any class you want to TA before you apply.

APPLICATION FORM

Eligibility

The following are required to be eligible for a graduate student paid TA position:

  • Must be a full-time FScN student.
  • Must not hold any additional assistantships in excess of 50%.
  • Cannot be a TA while enrolled simultaneously in CPT, OPT or GRAD 0999.
  • All non-native speakers of English must have an English Language Proficiency (ELP) rating of 1 or 2 on file with the University at the time of application. You can also view SETTA testing information.

Undergraduate and volunteer graduate TA appointment eligibility requirements may vary. 

Am I guaranteed a position if I apply?

No. The information provided on your application will be used as a guideline by professors to help determine the best placement for applicants. However, applying DOES NOT guarantee a TA position.

Scholarships and Awards

Graduate Student Registration Info

Students are required to enroll every semester (fall and spring) from the time of matriculation until degree conferral. Students will be required to seek readmission if they do not register every fall and spring term. After you discuss your course plans with your advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator, you can go online to register at OneStop. This page includes all the information needed to register, including a tutorial for first-time users and course schedules. If a course is closed or you are unable to register, contact the instructor or your Graduate Program Coordinator. For closed courses offered through other departments, you need to directly contact the instructor or department for registration permission. To avoid late fees, students should register before the start of the semester. Full time status is 6–14 credits. Students should register for courses and use the remaining credits (up to 14) to register for thesis credits.

Directed/Independent Study Credits
The Independent study is intended for individual project work that is arranged with a faculty member, usually the advisor. To register, complete the Directed/Independent Study form (Forms and Applications section of this page) with the faculty who will determine the total credits and grading option.

Advanced Status: Full Time Status with One Credit Registration)
Advanced Status is for students who need full time status and have completed all their Degree Program coursework and thesis credits. This includes students with a graduate assistantship. There is a deadline to apply.

MS students register for FSCN or NUTR 8333.
PhD students register for FSCN or NUTR 8444.

Grad 999
This is a zero credit, no fee registration option that keeps you in active status, which students need to graduate, without having to pay tuition. This does not meet full time status requirements. Graduate students may register for up to four semesters of GRAD 999 while continuing to work on a thesis or Plan B project. A hold will be placed on the student’s registration after four semesters of GRAD 999. In order to register for each additional semester of GRAD 999 in excess of four, the student will be required to get the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The DGS will confer with the student’s major adviser to determine whether the student is making progress towards completion. If the student demonstrates that he or she is continuing to work on a thesis or Plan B paper and has a plan to complete the degree, the hold on the student’s registration will be removed and the student will be allowed to register for GRAD 999. The CFANS Scholarly Work Contract must be completed outlining all requirements that must be fulfilled during the semester, and filed in the student’s graduate program file.

For more information on Advanced Status and GRAD 999 visit this website.  

Dietetic Internship Registration
Students participating in the Dietetic Internship must continue to register as an active student during the two semesters of the internship. Options include Grad 999 or Advanced Status (NUTR 8333 or 8444). Please see this link for a comparison of these registration options.

Graduate Seminar

All Nutrition graduate students are required to attend the weekly Graduate Seminar unless they have a class or teaching conflict. The seminars are usually held each Wednesday during fall semester and Tuesday during spring semester from 3:30-4:30 pm. They are offered jointly with the Food Science seminar. There are no regularly scheduled seminars during summer or intersession. A schedule of seminar speakers and titles is available on the FScN website. Seminars consist of presentations by faculty members, educators, and professionals within and outside the department, and may include students presenting their thesis or Plan B project work.

M.S. students are required to present a seminar as part of their thesis defense. PhD students may choose to present if they would like. For M.S. Plan A and Ph.D. students, the seminar is a report on the thesis research. For M.S. Plan B students, the seminar describes the independent work done as a project, survey, data analysis, etc.

Recommended Grad Level Courses

See more recommended courses

Suggested Research Methods Courses to Meet Nutrition Requirement

ANSC 5091 Research Proposals: From Ideas to Strategic Plans (3 cr)
The students will go through a step-by-step process that starts by choosing and defining a research idea, then proceeding to do literature reviews and to the development of hypothesis, aims, objectives and a research strategy. The aim of this course is to provide students with tools to understand the structure of scientific reports and proposals, literature searches and basic data interpretation. The student will learn about different research approaches and how to achieve consistency in their research projects. The student will be guided in how to begin and develop a written research proposal that will satisfy the requirements of their advisers, institution and funding organizations.

NURS 8173. Principles and Methods of Implementing Research. (3 cr; Stdnt Opt. [S] SAPH 8173. Prereq-8114 or other 8xxx grad research methods course, 2 grad stat courses)
Integrates scientific, statistical, and practical aspects of research. Inter-relationships among design, sample selections, subject access, human subjects requirements, instrument selection and evaluation, data management, analyses plans, grant writing, and research career issues. Field experiences required.

PUBH 6341 - Epidemiologic Methods I (3.0 cr [max 6.0 cr]; Prereq-AHC student or #; A-F only, fall, every year)
Subject matter science, research methodology. Study designs applied to human populations. Randomized trials. Four types of observational studies: cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, ecological. Causal inference, bias, effect modification.

PUBH 6617 - Practical Methods for Secondary Data Analysis (3.0 cr; Prereq-Public health [MPH or certificate] student or epidemiology PhD major or #; fall, every year)
Introduction to methods for finding, transferring, and processing existing data sources. Focuses on practical approaches to pre-statistical data processing and analysis with STATA using a PC with an MS Windows operating system. Complex survey samples, other survey biases.

PUBH 6803 - Conducting a Systematic Literature Review (3.0 cr; Prereq-Basic knowledge of epidemiology; OPT No Aud, spring, every year)
Developing skills built on evidence-based practice. Draws on staff of Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center.

PUBH 6806 - Principles of Public Health Research (2.0 cr; Prereq-Pub hlth or grad or professional school student or #; fall, every year)
Evaluation of public health research literature and planning for independent research projects. Formulation of research question, research design, sampling techniques, use of research concepts, and data analysis. Data collection techniques, including questionnaires, interviews, and data analysis. 

Student Advocacy and Engagement

This is a list of the recognized student governments and organizations that represent student interests to FSCN, CFANS, and UMN

Other Forms and Applications

Graduate School Forms

Other Forms

CFANS Forms

General University Forms

Other Helpful Resources

Helpful Tips for Grad Students and Their Advisors

Student Success Center

Student Conflict Resolution Center

Add your Canvas calendar to your google calendar

Graduate Assistant Info from UMN HR

Estimated Graduate Student Fees ('21-'22)

  • (These fees are not covered by an Assistantship and must be paid out of pocket by students. The linked document is an example of fees paid by students in the '21-'22 academic year)