PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences
PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences
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Programs Overview
The PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences (NHS) prepares students to be leaders in the field of nutrition by training them to understand nutrition from the molecular to the population level. NHS is an interdisciplinary program, drawing faculty from across the University, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, and other local partners. Core strengths of the program faculty include metabolomics and predictive medicine, clinical nutrition, population-based intervention and implementation trials, epidemiology, and public nutrition.
Curriculum
Required Courses
The NHS program is committed to a curriculum and research that addresses important questions about nutrition and human health and the interface between these perspectives.
Other Degree Requirements
All PhD students must participate in the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunities (TATTO) program. This includes a three-day summer teacher training workshop (normally taken in the summer before the second year in the PhD program), serving as a teaching assistant during the second and third years in the program and practical experience in statistical consulting.
There are three formal examinations.
- A master's equivalency examination is taken after the first year. This is a written comprehensive examination covering the knowledge base required of a graduate student in nutrition.
- The NHS program requires the student to prepare an original research proposal in the form of a National Institutes of Health or National Science Foundation research grant application, which is then critiqued by the student's thesis committee. Successful defense of the proposal is the criterion for advancement to candidacy, the final step before a student can be examined for the PhD degree.
- The student's PhD research will culminate in a doctoral dissertation, typically following the three-manuscript format. The doctoral dissertation is presented in a public seminar, and the student is examined by the committee.
All PhD students are required to complete and defend a dissertation. Students are encouraged to begin exploring potential research topics as soon as they enter the program by meeting with faculty.
The doctoral dissertation must meet the requirements of both the department and Laney Graduate School. In particular, the dissertation must make a new contribution to the student’s field of study, or present a unique new interpretation on existing knowledge. Students are required to pass an oral defense of the dissertation proposal.
All PhD students need to complete the Jones Program in Ethics. This program provides students with a foundational, cross-disciplinary introduction to the question of ethics for their research, training, and careers.
Admissions
Admissions Requirements
The application cycle for consideration for admission next year begins in September. The application deadline is December 1.
You can submit your application before your letter writers have submitted their letters of recommendation. Make sure you upload the correct version of your statement of purpose, resume and transcripts, as our office is unable to remove or add any document in your application once it has been submitted.
The application includes:
- Application to the Laney Graduate School
- Three letters of recommendation
- Identification of at least two epidemiology graduate faculty members with whom they would be interested in working
- Statement of purpose describing your reasons for pursuing a PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences, your research interests, and why you feel the NHS doctoral program is a good fit for your doctoral training. (500 words)
- Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended
- Resume/CV
Contact
Get in Touch:
Joan Lynfatt, program coordinator