Master's
Degree
(Doctoral
Degree)
1) How and when
should I identify a faculty mentor?
Ideally, students should identify a professor with similar interests prior
to enrolling in the graduate program. To determine faculty interests, students
should examine the vitas of faculty members, located in the main KHP office
in the Seaton Building. A summary of faculty interests is also available
on the departmental website. If a mentor has not been named prior to enrolling,
a chair will be appointed. Ultimately, the student must choose an appropriate
chair for his/her committee after determining personal needs, interests,
and faculty strengths.
2) Can I change
my faculty mentor at any time?
Students may change mentors prior to the scheduling of the written exam (non-thesis
option), or prior to the scheduling of the thesis proposal defense (thesis
option). If the student wishes to change advisors, s/he should first determine
that the intended new advisor is willing to serve, and then request that
chance with appropriate personnel (KHP Department Chair and KHP Director
of Graduate Studies).
3) When should
I seek advising about my coursework?
Before registering each term, students must obtain approval of their proposed
schedule from their advisor.
4) How many credit
hours should I take per term?
Students must take 9 credits during a single term to be considered full-time
during that term. However, they may take up to 15 credits during a single
term. Teaching assistants may not take more than 10 credits in a single term
without approval of the Graduate School Dean and the KHP Director of Graduate
Studies. Students employed full-time in any setting may not take more than
6 credits in a single term.
5) What is the
difference between the "thesis" and "non-thesis" programs?
The thesis program is designed for students who want to gain experiences
with the research process and possibly continue their education (i.e., Ed.D.
or Ph.D.). The non-thesis program is designed for those who are in clinical
practice, and/or those who anticipate that the M.S. will be their terminal
degree.
For both the thesis
and non-thesis tracks, students will form an advisory committee with
the advice of the student's advisor. The committee will consist of
the chair and two other faculty members from within the department.
The chair and at least one of the other committee members must be either
associate or full members of the graduate faculty. The students should
ask his/her advisor for a current list of the graduate faculty status
of all faculty members, and get to know potential committee members
well. The committee should generally be established as soon as possible
before the student is ready to take the written exam (non-thesis option),
or before the thesis proposal is finalized (thesis option). All decisions
other than coursework are made by majority vote of the committee. The
committee determines whether the written and oral grades are passing
(non-thesis option), whether the thesis proposal is acceptable (thesis
option), and whether the thesis had been approximately prepared and
adequately defended (thesis option).
The student who chooses
the thesis option is allowed to prepare a thesis proposal as early
as the first semester, but usually s/he should wait until certain basic
competencies are learned.
The student who chooses
the non-thesis option will complete both written and oral exams. A
form must be filed with the Graduate School to schedule the oral exam.
The student should remind his/her committee chair to ask the KHP Director
of Graduate Studies to send the form prior to his/her exam date. The
students' advisor schedules the written exam after the student makes
specific arrangements with each committee member. All three committee
members will submit the material covered on the written exam. If the
written exam is passed, the oral exam is given. The oral exam may cover
anything on the written exam, as well as anything within the student's
program of study. Classes must be in session when the oral exam is
given, and all committee members must be present. The exam must be
given no later than two weeks before the last day of classes for the
semester in which the degree is to be awarded.
Students in the thesis
option do not take a written exam. The oral exam is limited to a defense
of the thesis. Students must submit copies of the thesis to the committee
(with a minimum of two weeks lead-time), defend the thesis before a
committee, incorporate the recommended changes, and satisfy the chair
that the changes have been made. The Masters Thesis must be complete
except for pagination before the final defense is scheduled. The student
should obtain a copy of the "Instructions for the Preparation
of Theses and Dissertations" from the Graduate School office to
assure that the style and form of the thesis conform to the requirements.
The thesis should be consistent with the APA style manual. Classes
must be in session when the thesis is defended, and all committee members
must be present. The thesis must be defended no later than two weeks
before the last day of classes of the semester in which the degree
is to be awarded. Master's students have two chances to pass the thesis
defense. The thesis must be accepted by the Graduate School by the
last day of the semester in which the student plans to graduate, and
the student is responsible for complying with any changes to the thesis
the Graduate School may require prior to the deadline.
6) What is the
residency requirement for the program?
Candidates, who are actively pursuing a degree, yet are not enrolled in coursework
must be enrolled in KHP 768 for at least one credit hour each semester. Masters
Degree candidates have no residency requirement.
7) What are the
academic requirements for remaining in the program?
To obtain an advanced degree, each student must maintain an overall GPA of
3.0 (B) for all graduate work. If the GPA falls below a 3.0, the student
must raise it back to 3.0 or higher during the next 9 hours of coursework.
A student may repeat one graduate course during their degree program, and
count only the second grade as part of the GPA if the KHP Director of Graduate
Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School approve their petition.
8) How long can
I take to finish my degree?
Masters students have eight years to finish their degree requirements unless
they apply for, and receive an extension.
9) When do I apply
for graduation?
Students must file an application with the Graduate School within 30 days
after the beginning of the semester (15 days in the Summer Session) in which
they expect to complete their work. This application is good for one year
(after the end of the semester in which the application was made). Deadline
dates are posted in the Course Schedule booklet for each term.
10) Can I transfer
credits from another institution to UK?
Students may transfer up to 9 semester hours of graduate work, or up to 25%
of the semester hours required for the degree concerned (exclusive of residence
or thesis credit), whichever is greater. To receive transfer credit, grades
attained must be a B or higher, and courses must be approved by the student's
advisor, the KHP Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. To
obtain transfer credits; the KHP Director of Graduate Studies must submit
a written request to the Graduate School.
11) Do I have
access to my graduate file?
KHP student records are kept in the Seaton Building. Students have the right
to inspect their file at any time. Should a student desire to see his/her
file, a request should be submitted to his/her mentor.
Doctoral
Degree
(M.S. Degree)
1) How and when
should I identify a faculty mentor?
Students will be
assigned a faculty mentor/advisor by the KHP Director of Graduate Studies
(DGS) or by the Health Promotion faculty upon admission to the graduate
program. The faculty mentor/advisor's role is to guide the student
regarding coursework and potential research direction. In planning
for the dissertation, the student, in consultation with the faculty
mentor/advisor will select a dissertation committee chairperson.
2) Can I change
my faculty mentor at any time?
Even though it is
not recommended to make changes to the advisory committee, if the student
wishes to change advisors, s/he should first determine that the intended
new advisor is willing to serve, and then request that change with
the KHP DGS.
3) When should
I seek advising about my coursework?
Before registering
each term, students must obtain approval of their proposed schedule
from their advisor.
4) How many credit
hours should I take per term?
Students must take
9 credits during a single term to be considered full-time during that
term. The University allows you to take up to 15 credits but we recommend
that you take no more than 12 credits in any one semester. Teaching
assistants may not take more than 10 credits in a single term without
approval of the Graduate School Dean and the KHP DGS. Students employed
full-time in any setting may not take more than 6 credits in a single
term.
5) What is an
advisory committee, and how is it formed?
An advisory committee
guides the student's educational program. Students should form an advisory
committee with the advice of their advisor/major professor. The student's
advisory committee is formally appointed by the Dean of The Graduate
School upon recommendation of the KHP Department DGS. This normally
occurs before 18 hours of course work are completed, and at least one
year prior to taking the qualifying exam. Students will provide the
committee with personal career goals, educational background, work
experiences, and planned degree program. The committee, led by the
chair, will examine the student's degree plan and suggest changes (if
necessary). The doctoral committee consists of four members, three
of whom must be from the KHP Department.
6) When should
I start preparing the dissertation proposal?
The dissertation
proposal may be prepared as early as the first semester if the student
is able to establish a committee early and focus on a topic of interest.
The student should obtain a copy of the "Instructions for the
Preparation of Theses and Dissertations" from the Graduate School
Office or online at [http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/thesdissprep.html] to
assure that the style and form of the dissertation conforms to the
requirements (i.e., APA style).
7) What is the
qualifying exam?
The doctoral qualifying
exam consists of both written and oral components and its purpose is
to verify that students have sufficient understanding of, and competence
in their fields to become candidates for the degree. The examination
is typically given after four semesters of graduate work. A majority
vote of the core of the advisory committee is required for passing.
Doctoral students have two chances to pass each component of their
qualifying examination. The committee may set certain conditions that
must be met prior to re-taking either component. The repeat exam must
be taken at least four months after the initial exam but within one
year after the first examination. A third exam will not be permitted.
8) What is the
residency requirement for the program?
Immediately after
passing the qualifying examination, doctoral students must fulfill
the doctoral residency requirement through either Model I or Model
II. Specific information about these Models is detailed in the current
issue of The Graduate School Bulletin. Generally speaking, Model I
requires the candidate to be enrolled full time (9 hours) in KHP 769
for two consecutive semesters. Model II may be fulfilled by enrolling
in 6 hours of KHP 769 for three consecutive semesters.
Model I. a) master's
degree or 18 graduate hours at the University of Kentucky, or transfer
of residence credit from an awarded master's at another accredited
school; plus, b) two consecutive semesters enrolled full-time, i.e.
nine or more credits per semester (may include combined four-week and
eight-week summer sessions); c) enrollment for two consecutive full-time
semesters of KHP 769 after successfully passing the qualifying examination.
Model II. a) master's
degree or 18 graduate hours at the University of Kentucky, or transfer
of residence credit from an awarded master's at another accredited
school; plus, b) enrollment part-time (at least six graduate credits
per semester during three consecutive semesters); c) enrollment for
two consecutive fulltime semesters of KHP 769 after successfully passing
the qualifying examination.
9) What are the
academic requirements for remaining in the program?
To obtain an advanced
degree, each student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) for all
graduate work attempted. If, after completion of 12 semester hours
of graduate course work, the GPA falls below a 3.0, the student will
be placed on academic probation by The Graduate School. The student
then must attain a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the next 9 hours of
coursework.
10) Can I repeat
a course?
Yes, a student can
repeat a course and count only the second grade as part of his/her
grade point average. The student must contact KHP DGS to begin the
petition process. The KHP DGS will sign the form and send it to the
Dean of The Graduate School for his/her approval. A student may use
the repeat option only one time in a particular degree program.
11) How long can
I take to finish my degree?
Doctoral students
have five years from the time they pass their qualifying examination
to complete their degree requirements unless they apply for, and receive
an extension.
12) When do I
apply for graduation?
Students must file
an application with the Graduate School within 30 days after the beginning
of the semester (15 days in the Summer Session) in which they expect
to complete their work. This application is good for one year (after
the end of the semester in which the application was made). Deadline
dates are posted in the Course Schedule booklet for each term.
13) Can I transfer
credits from another institution to UK?
At the doctoral level,
students really do not transfer course work into their program. Students
may, with the approval of their committee, apply course work taken
at other colleges/universities to their program. Additionally, courses
applied to the student's program cannot have been applied to any previous
degree, including the masters degree.
14) What is the
joint doctoral program?
Joint study programs
are available for students who will complete at least 18 hours (one
academic year) in residence at UK, and do the remainder of their coursework
at Eastern or Western Kentucky University, Morehead, or Murray. In
such a program, the student will select three advisory committee members
from the full graduate faculty at the University of Kentucky, and two
members from the regional University will be appointed to the student's
advisory committee. This program requires students to apply to the
graduate school at their respective university. Following a decision
at that institution, the application file will then be sent to The
UK Graduate School for an admission decision. Students interested in
the joint doctoral program should contact the KHP Director of Graduate
Studies for instructions prior to applying to either institution.
