| |
Dec 06, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
2025-2026 University Catalog
Nutrition, PHD
|
|
 Return to: College of Health and Human Sciences (Graduate)
|
About the Program
Nutrition and health research integrates information from many disciplines. Biochemistry, physiology, psychology, food science, genetics and cell biology are at the heart of our understanding of nutrition and its application. The Nutrition Science Graduate Program curriculum incorporates the Interdepartmental Nutrition Program (INP) concentration, providing interdisciplinary training for students interested in nutrition science. Faculty from several departments provide a wide range of expertise and training opportunities. The program is governed by four committees that oversee program operations, admissions, and courses. Interested students should apply to the nutrition science graduate program. Once admitted, students train under a Nutrition Science faculty mentor and learn a variety of approaches to address important nutrition issues. When applying to the graduate program, prospective students should indicate their preferred area of training by selecting one of the following training groups: - Animal health, growth, and development
- Biochemical and molecular nutrition
- Human and clinical nutrition
- Population nutrition and health promotion
Program Website Program Requirements
90 Credits Required (30 credits from a Master’s may be applied.) Required Courses (25 credits)
In addition to the courses below, students must take two 2-credit, graduate-level (500/600-level) courses in advanced nutrition, totaling 4 credits. Students are also required to register for NUTR 69500 INP Seminar for 0 credit each semester when they are not registered for NUTR 69500 INP Seminar for 1 credit. Specialty Area Courses (4 credits)
Students should choose a specialty area, listed below, to fulfill remaining credit requirements. Animal Health, Growth, and Development
Students and faculty in this training group examine the role of nutrition in fostering optimal growth and development of production animals and improving the health of production and companion animals. These researchers utilize animals in their studies and depend upon knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. This work is often directly applicable to the field or in clinical veterinary practice. Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition
Students and faculty in this training group are interested in examining the mechanisms controlling nutrient or phytochemical metabolism or defining diet-disease relationships. These researchers depend upon the basic sciences of cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and biochemistry. This work provides the foundation for future, more applied studies that lead to improved dietary practices or the use of nutrition in the treatment of disease. Human and Clinical Nutrition
Students and faculty in this training group conduct translational research that extends beyond the more basic research to examine the mechanisms controlling nutrient or phytochemical metabolism, define diet-disease relationships and understand the basis for food selection. They utilize human subjects and animal models and depend upon knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. This work is often directly applicable in clinical practice or in public health. Population Nutrition and Health Promotion
Students and faculty in this training group examine nutrition in the context of human populations and communities. These researchers integrate knowledge of nutrition, epidemiology, social science and prevention in their work. This training area includes developing nutrition interventions and educational programs, investigating new approaches to measure and characterize nutrition exposures and engaging community partners to improve food behavior and health. Dissertation Research (xx credits)
Concentrations
Departmental concentrations: Interdisciplinary concentrations: Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
|
Return to: College of Health and Human Sciences (Graduate)
|
|
