Information About The PhD in Nutritional Science

General Program Description

The philosophy of the program for a PhD in Human Nutrition incorporates the guidelines from the University of Washington Graduate School. The Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition will be prepared for academic and research activities directed towards the acquisition of new knowledge and will also be prepared for professional practice at the frontiers of existing knowledge.

Specific goals for the Nutrition PhD program are to:

• Prepare scholars in nutrition to meet the recognized need for expanding both the base of knowledge in nutritional science and the application of the science in health care settings. The program is designed to assist students in gaining advanced knowledge in nutrition and related biological, biochemical, and/or behavioral sciences, in acquiring skills in research methods and in the ability to develop theories in nutritional science.
• Provide an educational structure that directly facilitates the pursuit of advanced study and research training in the field of human and clinical nutrition, and/or public health.
• Meet the substantial state, regional and national need for doctorally prepared faculty in schools or departments of nutrition and the Health Sciences and for leadership positions in agencies in which PhD level nutrition researchersstudy the relationships between human nutrition and health.

Requirements for admission to and completion of the program:

Pre-admission Requirements

• Students entering the program must have completed a basic course in Foods and a basic course in Human Nutrition prior to or during the first year of this program. In addition, at least nine quarter credits or equivalent of Advanced Nutrition and Diet Therapy are required, and, either prior to entry or during the graduate program, courses must be completed in Laboratory Methods in Nutrition and/or biological sciences.
• Students entering the program must also have completed within 7 years prior to admission or during their first year: three quarter credits or equivalent in Statistics; 4 quarter hours in Biochemistry with an appropriate laboratory experience; 6 quarter hours in Physiology. Evidence of success in advanced level science must be presented prior to admission.
• Students applying for admission must complete the Graduate Record Examination and provide scores in verbal and quantitative tests. Where appropriate, other test results indicative of proficiency in the English language must be provided.
• Other factors that will be considered in review of applicants will be appropriate grade average in previous academic work, past work experience, personal recommendations and quality of the letter of intent.

It is expected that most applicants will hold a Master's degree in Nutrition; however, students wishing to bypass the Master's degree, or qualified holders of graduate degrees in related discipline, may apply to the program. Students enrolled in this Master's degree program in nutrition have the option to complete a qualifying examination to enter into the doctoral program after approximately a year.

Students are appointed an appropriate academic advisor from the core faculty, and throughout the program, this faculty advisor monitors the student's progress and assists in mapping out an appropriate plan of study. During the course of their study, students will choose a dissertation chair and select a research topic that coincides with their individual interests.

The curriculum for the PhD may be seen on our PhD web page.

NOTE: Students in the Dietetic Internship may apply 8 credits of the internship toward the Nutritional Sciences PhD Degree requirements

Admission Requirements

• Master's Degree, preferably with Science Emphasis
• Completion of the following courses

General Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Biochemistry (two quarters at the 400 level)

human anatomy/physiology (two quarters or one semester)

basic human nutrition

above-listed preparation

• 3.00 GPA or greater for the final 90 quarter credit hours or 60 semester credit hours completed
• GRE (general exam) - competitive scores should be at or above the 50th percentile for both the verbal and quantitative sections.

Transfer Credits Not Accepted for PhD program

According the the Graduate School, "Approved transfer credits are applied toward total credit count for the master's degree only. (Transfer credits are not applicable toward a doctoral degree.)

Transcript Evaluations

Due to the high number of inquiries we receive we are not able to do transcript evaluations for prospective applicants. With some exceptions, it should not be difficult for you to determine yourself which courses you have satisfied or need to take at another school. Here are some tips.

You may use the UW Equivalency guide to check which classes at local community colleges will fulfill prerequisite requirements.

A complete application uploaded on the Graduate School website will include the following:

• Nutritional Sciences Application
• Graduate School Application
• GCPD Application if you applying to the Graduate Coordinated Program
• Unofficial copies of your transcripts
• 3 letters of recommendation (Letters may come from employers, professors, or previous colleagues; NOT from family members or spouses)
• Official TOEFL or TOEFLC scores (if international student)
• GRE scores. The code for the University of Washington is 4854. The Department Code for Nutritional Sciences is 0214. The official scores will be transmitted electronically to the UW. Scores older than 5 years will not be accepted.

Useful Links

University of Washington Home Page

Graduate School Home Page

Academic Calendar

Time Schedule

Tuition Rates

American Dietetic Association

Washington State Dietetic Associations

Equivalency Guide for Washington Community and Technical Colleges

Last updated May 10, 2011