Welcome to the Department of
Nutrition and Public Health Sciences
With guidance and support from our dedicated faculty and staff, students gain the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to understand the many factors that influence health and to improve well-being in individuals, communities, and populations.
About Our Department
Our Public Health and Nutrition programs at the University of Tennessee prepare students to improve health in individuals, communities, and populations. Students gain a strong foundation in the biological, social, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence health while building skills for a wide range of careers in the fields of nutrition and public health.
With a long history of excellence and hands-on learning through community-based projects, volunteer opportunities, and applied practice experiences, our programs help students become knowledgeable, skilled, and workforce-ready professionals.
Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences offers undergraduate degree paths in biomedical nutrition science, community nutrition, dietetics, and public health, preparing students for careers in clinical and community health, medical and professional school, or public health practice.
Students gain hands-on experience through lab-based research, community-based class projects, and applied practice opportunities, including an accelerated path from a bachelor’s to a Master of Science in just five years.
Graduate Programs
Graduate students can pursue an MS in Nutrition, a PhD in Nutritional Sciences, a Master of Public Health (MPH, accredited since 1969 as the first program of its kind outside a school of public health), or a PhD in Public Health Sciences, with additional options like a DVM/MPH dual degree and a Maternal & Child Health focus.
Our faculty’s research spans molecular nutrition science to clinical, community, and population health, and students build real-world experience through applied practice experiences, teaching assistantships, and Tennessee’s first academic health department.
In the News
Public Health Data Hangs in the Air
An interdisciplinary report by UT researchers indicates strong historical correlations between air pollution and instances of childhood ADHD over time.
National Grant Aims to Increase Organ Donation Among Those with HIV
The National Institutes of Health-funded project aims to increase organ donation among those with HIV, which could reduce the demand for organs from people without HIV.