School Overviews
Students who want to pursue advanced studies in nutrition can enroll in Ph.D. programs in the subject. These programs involve advanced coursework and research leading to a dissertation.
Top schools with Ph.D. programs in nutrition include Tufts University, Emory University, and Arizona State University. All of these schools were nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 2020, and they all offer several areas of focus for their Ph.D. programs in nutrition. Tufts offers four separate doctoral programs in the field, and Emory is located in close proximity to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tufts University in Medford, MA
Tufts University is a private, postsecondary institution ranked 29th (tied) on U.S. News & World Report's 2020 list of top national universities. Tuft's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy is the only independent graduate school of nutrition in North America. The school offers the Friedman Fellowship that allows students to share their work with the greater community at large.
The Friedman School offers four doctoral programs. The Ph.D. in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition prepares students for positions with public policy groups, nonprofit agencies, and research institutions. The Ph.D. in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition program includes courses in statistics, nutrition, molecular biology, physiology, and biochemistry. The Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology program is based on population health and disease patterns affected by nutrition, and doctoral candidates focus on research and data analysis. And finally, the Ph.D. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment program fuses the three disciplines and public policy.
Emory University in Atlanta, GA
Emory University was 21st among national universities in U.S. News & World Report's 2020 rankings. The school was also ranked 19th for best science lab facilities in The Princeton Review's 2019 edition of 'The Best 385 Colleges'. The Nutrition and Health Science faculty are also highly ranked nationally in terms of research productivity.
Students at Emory can earn a nutrition and health sciences Ph.D. degree. The Laney Graduate School offers the program with areas of focus in areas including metabolomics, predictive medicine, and public nutrition programs.
Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ
The College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University offers a Ph.D. in Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Wellness with an emphasis on nutrition and health. Students in this program are expected to choose between eight areas of emphasis, which include energy balance; metabolism and physiology; behavioral aspects of nutrition and physical activity; and public health, community, and health policy, among others. For 2020, ASU was tied at #117 among all national universities by U.S. News & World Report and the most innovative school.
Top Schools for a Ph.D. in Nutrition
There are many other schools that offer strong Ph.D. programs in nutrition.
| School Name | Location | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | Programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. |
| New York University | New York, NY | Tied at #29 among all national universities by U.S. News & World Report for 2020 |
| Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | Students in the interdisciplinary doctoral program in nutrition have access to four colleges on the Columbus campus, the Food Innovation Center, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center |
| Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | Ranked tied at #18 on the U.S. News & World Report list of top public schools in 2020 |
| University of Georgia | Athens, GA | Financial aid is awarded to more than 90% of full-time grad students |
| University of Texas | Austin, TX | Graduates are hired by entities as diverse as St. Jude's Hospital, Pepsico, and the USDA |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | The Nutritional Sciences program is closely connected to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the university's Health Sciences Center |
Students who want to pursue doctoral work in nutrition can find Ph.D. programs at highly-ranked public and private universities, including Tufts University, Emory University, and Arizona State University. These schools offer opportunities for research, excellent science labs, and more.