Doctoral Degree in Nutritional Sciences
OVERVIEW
Who is this program for?
Our doctoral program in nutritional sciences is ideal for individuals passionate about understanding the relationship between diet, health, and disease, with a focus on advancing research in areas such as metabolism, chronic diseases, and public health nutrition. Graduates can pursue careers in academia, clinical research, public health policy, or the food industry, contributing to innovations in nutrition therapy, health promotion, and dietary guidelines.
Program Overview
The Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences provides advanced training in the science of nutrition, with a focus on how diet influences human health, disease prevention, and metabolic processes. Students engage in interdisciplinary research spanning molecular nutrition, public health nutrition, clinical nutrition, and food systems, working closely with faculty mentors in state-of-the-art laboratories. The program prepares graduates for careers in academia, biomedical research, healthcare, government agencies, and industry, where they contribute to advancing nutritional knowledge and promoting health at the individual and population levels.
More than 60 faculty members provide teaching and individualized research guidance across 28 departments and divisions at the University’s Colleges of Medicine, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Nursing and Agriculture, as well as the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education. The impact of nutrition on health and disease is becoming increasingly complex and important. Questions related to the impact of nutrients on everything from genetics to whole body metabolism continue to multiply, especially as obesity and associated chronic diseases become increasingly pervasive in industrialized societies. The Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Kentucky is an ideal setting to study these multifaceted issues. The Division offers an interdisciplinary program led by nationally renowned faculty that provides a high-quality educational experience across a wide spectrum of nutrition-related subjects. Primary research and training areas target obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Other areas of specialty include nutrition and oxidative stress, nutrition and aging, clinical nutrition, animal nutrition and food science.
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What You'll Learn
Degree requirements, course descriptions and academic policies for all programs are detailed in the University Catalog.
Admission Requirements
Please view the Graduate School's Admission Requirements. If there are Additional Requirements listed below, those program-specific requirements also apply.
Application Requirements
Please view the application requirements for the Graduate School. If there are Additional Requirements listed below, those program-specific requirements also apply.
Program Specific Requirements
There are two ways to be admitted to the PhD in Nutritional Sciences program - either direct admission, or through admission to the Integrated Biomedical Sciences PhD program. If accepted into the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS) Program, and after successful completion of the 1-year curriculum, students can select the Nutritional Sciences doctoral program to pursue their dissertation research and PhD degree.
Application Deadlines
Domestic Students
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Fall
- 07/15/2025
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Spring
- 12/01/2025
International Students
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Fall
- 04/15/2025
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Spring
- 09/15/2025
Explore Funding Options
As a graduate student, there are additional opportunities for student funding. Once you are admitted into a degree-bearing graduate program at UK, you can apply for a wide variety of financial assistance, including assistantships and fellowships. These opportunities can be tied to your program’s availability, so you should inquire with your program director about opportunities available within your program!
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