PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University
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    PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America
    United States of America, University Park
    University Rank:#82
    PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University offers the PhD of Nutritional Sciences as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its University Park and World Campus campuses in United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for nutritional sciences and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on June 1, 2027.

    About PhD in Nutritional Sciences

    PH.D., M.S., DUAL-TITLE PH.D. (NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES AND CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES or SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE)

    Graduates of the M.S. and Ph.D. programs are prepared for careers in basic and applied research in nutrition and in college teaching. The course of study is planned to meet the professional objectives of the individual student. Students may emphasize molecular and cellular nutritional sciences, nutritional biochemistry, applied human nutrition, applied animal nutrition, nutrition education, and nutrition in public health. Supporting courses are available in biochemistry, physiology, genetics, microbiology, biophysics, food science, health policy and administration, human development and family studies, anthropology, sociology, psychology, public health sciences, and statistics.

    Current research emphasizes minerals, vitamins, lipid metabolism, metabolic disorders, nutrition and behavior, nutrition education strategies, evaluation of dietary intake and nutritional status, nutrition policy and health promotion and disease prevention across the life cycle.

    Facilities include well-equipped nutrition science laboratories with animal facilities supervised by a University laboratory animal resource staff. The Diet Assessment Center and the metabolic kitchens serve as laboratories for students in community nutrition, nutrition education, and metabolic nutrition.

    M.P.S.

    The online professional master's degree (M.P.S.) is designed for those seeking to become registered dietitians, for those already registered and interested in enhancing their careers, and for those interested in pursuing a career with a focus in Nutritional Sciences. Graduates of the program may expect to become leaders on the health care team and other practice teams, and share their knowledge and expertise with other health care professionals and colleagues. Graduates will be positioned for career success and will be innovators in today's dynamic health and wellness sector.

    The M.P.S. degree is also offered with an experiential learning track that requires additional course work. Upon completion of the experiential learning track, students will receive a Verification Statement which qualifies them to take the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credentialing examination.

    This is a supervised experiential learning track of the M.P.S. degree program. This track requires that the student complete an additional 9 credits for a total of 39 credits and includes an experiential learning component (6 credits) integrated with the coursework. Three credits of coursework for the Experiential Learning Track of the M.P.S. are online and 6 credits of the coursework are in residence at either the Hershey, PA or University Park, PA and remote/distance geographical locations. Remote geographic locations require students to obtain preceptors/sites in the geographical location in which they reside. These preceptors/sites must be approved by the program prior to admission.

    1. Know: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of advanced principles of food and nutrition while incorporating primary literature in the application of nutrition in practice. The core knowledge demonstration will include comprehension of current evidence in the field and an understanding of metabolism, nutrition assessment, clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition education and program planning, research, and leadership.
    2. Apply/Create: Graduates will be able to analyze and synthesize the research findings and the skills to translate research to best practices in various nutrition practice settings including clinical, research, management, and community. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to evaluate high-quality research to build an evidence base for practice decisions and generate ideas for a novel capstone project. Graduates will be also able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate a capstone project and effectively demonstrate the ability to disseminate their findings to other health care professionals and colleagues.
    3. Communicate: Graduates will be able to convey ideas, arguments and practice-based decisions in clear, concise, well-organized papers, proposals, videos, posters, and oral presentations.
    4. Critical Thinking: Graduates will be able to critique and interpret primary food and nutrition literature, consumer nutrition information, and contemporary discourse in the field of nutrition. Critical thinking skills will be demonstrated by the student's ability to analyze, evaluate, interpret, and apply the principles of nutrition assessment, clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition education and program planning, research, and leadership in diverse, practical formative and summative assessments.
    5. Professional practice: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of ethical principles relevant to leadership and professional practice in the field of nutrition and those related to authorship, plagiarism, conflicts of interest, and will develop a breadth and depth of understanding relevant to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Students will also demonstrate the skills needed to become innovators and leaders in today's dynamic health and wellness sector. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, leadership, cultural humility.

    1. Know: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of nutrition science and an understanding of the primary literature both in basic and applied areas of research. The core demonstration will include comprehension of current knowledge in the field and an understanding of study design, methods, results, and significance and the application of this comprehension/understanding to problems in biology, biochemistry, medicine, and public health.
    2. Apply/Create: Students will be able to synthesize the research findings in their specialty area and generate ideas for a novel research project; they will be able to articulate the rationale for the proposed novel research project and clearly describe a specific hypothesis to be tested; they will demonstrate the ability to use best practices in the field of nutrition science to design a research study to test this hypothesis and carry it to completion.
    3. Communicate: Students will be able to convey ideas or arguments in clear, concise, well-organized papers and proposals as well as in formal, oral presentations.
    4. Critical thinking: Students will master the ability to critique the primary nutrition science literature. This will be demonstrated by the student's ability to identify the research question, experimental design and conclusions in a scientific article in the field; they will also be able to apply their knowledge of statistics and experimental design to critique methodology and conclusions in a scientific article in the field.
    5. Professional practice: Students will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of research ethics issues which are relevant to the field of nutrition science including working with animal and human populations, ethical principles related to authorship, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest. They will also contribute to the profession through service.

    1. Know: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of nutrition science and an understanding of the primary literature both in basic and applied areas of research. The core demonstration will include comprehension of current knowledge in the field and an understanding of study design, methods, results, and significance and the application of this comprehension/understanding to problems in biology, biochemistry, medicine, and public health.
    2. Apply/Create: Students will be able to synthesize the research findings in their specialty area and generate ideas for a novel research project; they will be able to articulate the rationale for the proposed novel research project and clearly describe a specific hypothesis to be tested; they will demonstrate the ability to use best practices in the field of nutrition science to design a research study to test this hypothesis and carry it to completion.
    3. Communicate: Students will be able to convey ideas or arguments in clear, concise, well-organized papers and proposals as well as in formal, oral presentations.
    4. Critical thinking: Students will master the ability to critique the primary nutrition science literature. This will be demonstrated by the student's ability to identify the research question, experimental design and conclusions in a scientific article in the field; they will also be able to apply their knowledge of statistics and experimental design to critique methodology and conclusions in a scientific article in the field.
    5. Professional practice: Students will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of research ethics issues which are relevant to the field of nutrition science including working with animal and human populations, ethical principles related to authorship, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest. They will also contribute to the profession through service.

    Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University

    Entry Requirements

    Degree Requirements and Academic Credentials:
    4-6 year Bachelor's Degree.
    Official transcript; official certification of degree and date awarded; documents required in English only. Documents must be issued by the school with the official stamps and signature.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University

    Application Fee 75

    How to Apply for PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University

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    PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America

    United States of America, University Park

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