Preliminary Exam and Forms

Overview of the Preliminary Exam

The Nutrition and Metabolism Graduate Program has one Preliminary Exam. The exam is focused on a written research proposal that you prepare and distribute to your committee prior to the exam. Your PhD advisory committee will also serve as your examination committee for this exam. The student is responsible for presenting all necessary forms and files at examinations. You must complete all coursework prior to taking your preliminary exam.

Timing and Scheduling of the Exam
Note that you must take the exam by the end of the sixth semester; summer session does not count as a semester. Under exceptional circumstances (i.e., an interruption in graduate training) this policy can be modified if the student and faculty advisor petition the Graduate Program Coordinator. It is recommended that you complete this before year three.
Note that the exam requires a warrant from the Graduate School requested 3 weeks prior to the exam.
The Preliminary Warrant Request Form is available at the bottom of this page. This form will go directly to the Graduate Program Coordinator who will then request your warrant from UW-Madison’s Graduate School.

When this exam has been successfully completed, the committee members will sign the warrant and the Graduate School will admit you to dissertator status.

Forms and Items Needed for the Preliminary Exam:

1. Warrant—requested from the Graduate Program Coordinator 3 weeks prior to preliminary exam. The form to request can be found at the bottom of this page.

2. Overall Evaluation of Preliminary Exam — print one copy for your committee chair

3. Evaluation of Preliminary Exam Performance — print one copy for each committee member

Policy of Retaking Examinations:
Should your committee decide that the exam needs to be taken again you must, except under special circumstances, do so within 6 months. You and your mentor must petition the Graduate Program Coordinator, in writing, to receive a waiver of this requirement. Students may not take an exam more than twice.

Preliminary Warrant Request Form

Preliminary Exam Request Form

Submission of details for the student's preliminary exam.

"*" indicates required fields

Date of Request*

Student Name*

Campus ID*

Date of Preliminary Exam*

Minor

Enter "distributed" if more than one

Thesis Advisor*

Committee Member 1*

Your committee must consist of 3-4 IGPNS members (one of whom must be a member of the Department of Nutritional Sciences) and 1-2 must have a graduate program affiliation outside of the IGPNS. If a committee member is a trainer in the IGPNS and also in another program (e.g. IPiB, CMB, etc.) and their name can be found on that second program’s website, they can fulfill the role of the outside member.

Committee Member 2*

Committee Member 3*

Committee Member 4*

Committee Member 5*

Title for Preliminary Exam*