Graduate Ph.D. Program

 

Our doctoral degree prepares students for careers in healthcare, government, industry, and universities in research and teaching positions.  Graduates of our doctoral program are employed at the Centers for Disease Control, United States Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and several universities including Auburn University, Emory University, Penn State, University of Georgia, University of Illinois, and University of Tennessee. 

Preference for admission to our doctoral program includes:

• BS or MS degree in foods and nutrition, food science, biology, zoology, biochemistry, chemistry, nursing, public health, or other closely related health science.
• At least one course in each of the following with grades of “C” or better in each: organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology.
• Verbal GRE of 400 or higher.
• GRE of 1,100 or higher (verbal plus quantitative).
• GPA of 3.4 or higher (on a 4.0 scale).
• TOEFL iBT score of 80 with a minimum score of 20 in each of the four exam sub-sections (international students).
• Work or volunteer experience in at least one of the following: laboratory research, clinical research, food industry, nutrition education, health promotion, or other area related to health, nutrition or food science.
• At least one faculty who agrees to serve as the student’s doctoral advisor.  See the list of faculty advisors at: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/grad/advisors.html.

Doctoral students are eligible for graduate assistantships for teaching or research, which require thirteen to twenty hours per week of work for the department. In 2009-2010, our doctoral assistantships paid $16,000 to $22,000 annually.  Other scholarships ranging from $500 to $3,000 annually also are available.

Doctoral students complete a research-based dissertation. Examples of doctoral dissertations include advanced research on molecular and cellular processes of nutrient metabolism related to obesity and chronic disease, mechanistic studies on the role of dietary supplements and functional foods in health, and identification of the predictors of successful food and nutrition education programs to promote healthy eating habits related to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and food safety in settings such as public health, schools, and senior centers.  Examples of masters theses and doctoral dissertations can be found at: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/pubs/thesis.html.

Travel funds are available for doctoral students to present their research findings at professional meetings.  The majority of our doctoral students publish their research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Our doctoral degree generally requires four to five years to complete the courses and research for the doctoral dissertation.