Nutritional Sciences (Ph.D.) Program Details
Degree Requirements
❱ Required coursework
❱ Qualifying or comprehensive examination
❱ Graduate School writing proficiency requirement
❱ Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement
❱ Dissertation
❱ Final oral examination/Dissertation defense
Research Specializations
❱ Community nutrition
❱ Experimental nutrition
Program Objectives
- To foster a program of excellence with specialized expertise in the study of human nutritional issues with particular emphasis on the needs of the underserved poor, ethnic minorities, and disadvantaged populations;
- To prepare competent graduate professionals in human nutrition with the skills and abilities to improve nutritional well-being and the quality of life for individuals and families; and
- To conduct interdisciplinary research to improve the nutritional well-being and the quality of life of ethnic minorities and the underserved.
Research Areas & Interests
Faculty Research Interests
A sampling of research interests
- Nutrigenomics: The role of diet in chronic disease prevention (obesity, diabetes, cancer)
- The role of exercise in health and disease
- Impact of sleep on dietary intake
- Diabetes and cardiovascular disease in minority males
- Molecular bases for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and metabolic syndrome
- Bioactive herbal constituents and functional genomics
- Nutrition education in patients with chronic diseases
- Risk factors for overweight/obesity
- Cardiovascular health in faith-based populations
- Nutrition competencies of health care professionals
- Use of technology for tailored interventions
- Regulatory toxicology: Safety evaluation and risk assessment of food ingredients and color additives
Program of Study*
COMMUNITY NUTRITION TRACK
CORE COURSES (47 CR)
NUTG 310 Graduate Seminar in Nutrition (1 CR)
NUTG 311 Graduate Seminar in Nutrition (1 CR)
NUTG 517 Micronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 516 Macronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 527 Micronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 526 Macronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 284 Community Nutrition (3 CR)
NUTG 316 Evaluation of Nutritional Status (3 CR)
Statistics I or Biostatistics* (3-4 CR)
NUTG 318 Techniques in Community Nutrition (2 CR)
NUTG 503 Nutrition Policy (3 CR)
NUTG 502 Health Planning and Promotion (3 CR)
NUTG 518 Nutrition Health and Disease (3 CR)
NUTG 501 Global Health and Nutrition (3 CR)
Statistics II (3 CR)
Epidemiology (3 CR)
Students are required to apply for the Comprehensive Examination. Comprehensive Examination is graded as PASS or FAIL
*Course may be selected from Introduction to Statistical Methods (HUDE-205), Statistics I (PSYC-207), or Biostatistics (BIOG-430)
ELECTIVE COURSES (18 CR)
A sampling of elective courses
NUTG 350 Dietetics & Nutrition Education (3 CR)
NUTG 208 Nutrition in Aging (3 CR)
CCMS 730 Health and Communication of African Americans (3 CR)
CCMS 702 Qualitative Research (3 CR)
CCMS 716Advanced Qualitative (3 CR)
CCMS 718 Health Comm and Culture (3 CR)
CCMS 728 Health Comm (3 CR)
CCNS 726 Intercultural Communication (3 CR)
Courses may be selected from graduate courses in NUTG- Nutrition, BIOC-Biochemistry, PSYC-Psychology, SOCI-Sociology, CHEM-Chemistry, EDUC-Education, COMM-Communications, or ANTG-Anthropology level 200 and above. Courses outside of these codes can be considered for approval by the program director.
DISSERTATION (12 CR)
NUTG 700 Series Ph.D. Dissertation (Dissertation Writing)
EXPERIMENTAL NUTRITION TRACK
CORE COURSES (53 CR)
NUTG 310 Graduate Seminar in Nutrition (1 CR)
NUTG 311 Graduate Seminar in Nutrition (1 CR)
NUTG 517 Micronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 516 Macronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 527 Micronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 526 Macronutrients I (4 CR)
NUTG 319 Research Methods in Experimental Nutrition (4 CR)
NUTG 316 Evaluation of Nutritional Status (3 CR)
CHEM 251 Chemistry I (Biochem I) (3 CR)
CHEM 252 Biochemistry II (3 CR)
BIOC 203 Biochemistry Lab (3 CR)
Statistics I or Biostatistics* (3-4 CR)
NUTG 284 Community Nutrition (3 CR)
NUTG 518 Nutrition Health and Disease (3 CR)
Statistics II* (3 CR)
BIOL 441 Endocrinology (4 CR)
Epidemiology (3 CR)
Students are required to apply for the Comprehensive Examination. Comprehensive Examination is graded as PASS or FAIL
*Course may be selected from Introduction to Statistical Methods (HUDE-205), Statistics I (PSYC-207), or Biostatistics (BIOG-430) NUTR 516 and 526 Macronutrients I and II (8 CR)
ELECTIVE COURSES (12 CR)
A sampling of elective courses
NUTG 350 Dietetics & Nutrition Education (3 CR)
NUTG 208 Nutrition in Aging (3 CR)
NUTG 501 Global Health and Nutrition (3 CR)
NUTG 503 Nutrition Policy (3 CR)
NUTG 502 Health Planning and Promotion (3 CR)
NUTG 350 Dietetics & Nutrition Education (3 CR)
NUTG 208 Nutrition in Aging (3 CR)
CCMS 730 Health and Communication of African Americans (3 CR)
CCMS 702 Qualitative Research (3 CR)
CCMS 716 Advanced Qualitative (3 CR)
CCMS 718 Health Comm and Culture (3 CR)
CCMS 728 Health Comm (3 CR)
CCNS 726 Intercultural Communication (3 CR)
DISSERTATION (12 CR)
NUTG 700 Series Ph.D. Dissertation (Dissertation Writing)
*Courses included in the sample program of study are subject to change. Students should consult with their programs regarding their required program of study.
Admission to Candidacy
Students are admitted to formal candidacy by the Graduate School when they have completed the required coursework, passed the qualifying or comprehensive examination, submitted an approved topic for research, and been recommended by the Department. Candidates must also have satisfied the Graduate School writing proficiency requirement and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement.
Graduate Funding
Admitted students may be eligible to compete for Graduate School competitive awards, which provide tuition remission and a stipend during the academic year. Additionally, graduate research or teaching assistantships may be available at the department level. Research assistants and teaching assistants work no more than 20 hours a week under the program's direction, usually in support of faculty research (research assistants) or in support of assigned courses (teaching assistants). Please see the Funding website for more detailed information.