Nutritional Sciences, PhD
A PhD in Nutritional Sciences prepares scholars to advance our understanding of how diet, nutrients, and food systems shape human health. Through coursework and research, students develop expertise in areas such as metabolism, chronic disease prevention, public health nutrition, and food policy.
Program overview
The Nutritional Sciences PhD program offers two distinct concentrations designed to prepare scholars for impactful careers across diverse sectors. The Biomedical Nutrition Science concentration equips graduates with advanced knowledge and skills that open doors to excellent opportunities in applied, industrial, research, and academic health settings. The Community Nutrition concentration takes a population-focused approach, preparing students for research, teaching, and advanced-level practice across institutions of higher education, government, and the public and private sectors.
Both pathways combine coursework with independent research to develop the expertise needed to address today’s most pressing nutrition challenges, from understanding how nutrients influence disease at the cellular level to translating evidence-based interventions into real-world community health solutions. Graduates leave the program as well-rounded scholars and practitioners ready to drive meaningful change wherever their careers take them.
Concentrations
- Biomedical Nutrition Science
- Community Nutrition
Why study Nutritional Sciences?
Nutrition sits at the intersection of science, public health, and human well-being, making it one of the most relevant and dynamic fields of our time. Chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are deeply tied to diet, yet significant gaps remain in our understanding of how nutrients interact with the body and communities at scale.
The demand for credentialed nutrition scientists continues to grow across academia, government agencies, healthcare systems, and the food industry. By pursuing doctoral study in Nutritional Sciences, you join a field where your work has the potential to shape dietary guidelines, improve population health, and ultimately save lives.
What can you do with a PhD in Nutritional Sciences after graduation?
Policy Advisor
Product Development Specialist
Public Health Nutritionist
Clinical Nutrition Researcher
Featured Courses
Current Trends in Nutrition
Presentations on current nutrition topics and trends by students, faculty, and outside speakers.
Applied Human Nutrition
Overview of nutrient functions in fundamental biological processes.
Statistics in Applied Fields
Applications of descriptive and inferential statistics to problems in applied fields. Topics include data visualization, central tendency, variability, correlations, introduction to probability, normal distribution, interval estimation, and univariate hypothesis testing.
Public Health Nutrition Systems, Programs and Services
An in-depth examination of food and nutrition-related public health systems, programs, and services.
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