Nutrition — Ph.D.

Program director
Sujatha Rajaram

The aim of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in nutrition is to prepare students to effectively conduct nutrition research, apply nutritional science knowledge and appropriate research methods to address public health problems. The program is designed to provide an advanced curriculum in nutrition, professional skills, and competencies required to support careers in teaching and research. This program is unique in that it is situated in the School of Public Health in a health sciences university.  The program engages in interdisciplinary research that encourages collaboration across public health disciplines and the basic sciences. The program promotes and builds on its core legacy of vegetarian and plant-based nutrition. Areas of curricular strength and research emphasis include plant-based diets and the health of the individual, populations and the planet, nutritional epidemiology, diet and chronic disease risk reduction, and community nutrition.

Students enrolled in this program are able to concurrently complete coursework and practice experience necessary to sit for the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) exam if not already an RDN.

Program learning outcomes

Upon graduation from the Ph.D. in Nutrition program, the graduates should be able to:

• Evaluate advanced knowledge in nutritional science and explain the biological mechanism underlying the relationship between nutrients, foods, and diet pattern and health;
• Critically evaluate the evidence base and advocate for the role of plant-based diets in promoting health of the individual, population groups, and the planet;
• Apply analytical and fundamental concepts in nutritional epidemiology;
• Conduct a research study that addresses a nutrition problem, collect/abstract, analyze, and interpret the data and report findings;
• Effectively communicate nutritional science, orally and in writing, to the scientific community and the public, to advance the field and to promote public health;
• Use best-practice modalities in pedagogy to deliver educational experiences in an academic setting;
• Apply the principles of scientific and professional ethics in research, teaching, and practice.

Educational effectiveness indicators

• Assessment from required courses
• Comprehensive examination
• Dissertation proposal defense (qualifying examination)
• Dissertation manuscript: submission of two manuscripts from the dissertation to peer-reviewed journals. One manuscript published in peer-reviewed journal (from dissertation or non-dissertation).
• Oral defense of dissertation
• Teaching assistant
• Presentation at a scientific conference

Prerequisites

• Master's degree in nutrition preferred; or an M.S. or M.P.H. degree with completion of all prerequisite courses; or a health professional degree at the master's level or higher (M.D. or equivalent)
• Advanced biochemistry (may be taken concurrently with the program)
• Anatomy and physiology, microbiology, general chemistry and organic chemistry
• G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher preferred
• GRE or equivalent (above the 40^th percentile in each section is favorable)

Individuals who may benefit from the program

Individuals seeking careers in:

• Academia (teaching and research)
• Researcher in private industry, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, research institutes
• Public health nutritionist
• Leadership role in academia and public health sector

Culminating experience

As a part of the culminating experience, the student publishes one manuscript in peer-reviewed journal (co-authorship or review article acceptable, can be from dissertation or non-dissertation related research), submits two publishable  papers from their dissertation research  to peer reviewed journals, successfully defends dissertation, and submits a committee approved dissertation manuscript. Further details provided in the SPH Ph.D. Doctoral Handbook.

Normal time to complete the program

Four (4) years based on full-time enrollment