Food Science & Human Nutrition, PhD and Public Health, MPH

for the joint program Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science & Human Nutrition and Master of Public Health in Public Health

The M.P.H. can be earned jointly with the Ph.D. in Food Science & Human Nutrition. In the joint program, up to 12 hours of coursework may be applied to both degrees, and the degrees are conferred simultaneously at the completion of the program.

Research Areas

In addition to receiving training in the general field of food science or human nutrition, students have the opportunity to conduct research in the following areas of specialization:

Food processing, engineering, and biotechnology
Food ingredients, properties, and interactions
Food microstructures, micro-carriers, and nanotechnology
Food chemistry
Food microbiology and biomass conversion
Food safety and security
Sensory sciences
Dietary quality and food and nutrition patterns for optimal health
Nutrition and disease interactions, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and gastrointestinal health
Nutrition across the life span
Biochemical and molecular nutrition
Clinical nutrition
Community nutrition

Admission

In addition to meeting the Graduate College admission requirements, a student planning to pursue a graduate degree in the department should have a baccalaureate degree in a recognized field of biological, physical, agricultural, or engineering science. Background deficiencies may be removed with graduate credit courses designed for this purpose.

You can review all Food Science and Human Nutrition Admission requirements online.

International Applicants

Please visit the Illinois Graduate College resources for further admission requirements.

Admission requirements by country

Applicants whose native language is not English

The Food Science and Human Nutrition PHD are STEM-designated program.

Internship in Dietetics

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers a dietetic internship for master's and doctoral students specializing in human nutrition. Completion of the degree and the internship qualifies the student to take the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. For information on our dietetic internship program, please contact Ms. Jessica Madson (jamadson@illinois.edu).

Graduate Teaching Experience

Teaching is neither a Graduate College nor a FSHN requirement. A limited number of teaching assistantships are available to FSHN graduate students. Students are selected to be Graduate Teaching Assistants by the Department Head in consultation with the course instructor.

Financial Aid

Financial aid for thesis track graduate students is available in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and tuition and partial fee waivers. Qualified candidates are considered for financial support upon application.

for the joint program Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science & Human Nutrition and Master of Public Health in Public Health

The M.P.H. can be earned jointly with the Ph.D. in Food Science & Human Nutrition. In the joint program, up to 12 hours of coursework may be applied to both degrees, and the degrees are conferred simultaneously at the completion of the program.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
CHLH 410		4
CHLH 469		4
CHLH 540		4
CHLH 550		4
CHLH 572		4
CHLH 573		4
CHLH 575		4
CHLH 577		4
CHLH 594		4
CHLH 587		4
CHLH 589		2
Area of concentration coursework from approved list, min 3 (may be met by Ph.D. core courses)
Electives and seminars, min 3 (may be met by Ph.D. core courses)
FSHN Concentration-specific coursework selected in consultation with advisor ¹		26
Electives from Ph.D. departmental list (may be met by M.P.H. core courses) (At least 3 must be must be graded courses at the 500-level)
FSHN 599	Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree)	32-38
Total Hours		100

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements
Requirement	Description
Other requirements may overlap
Minimum 500-level hours required overall in the program:	12 (8 within M.P.H.)
Additional courses may be required beyond the concentration minimum per Advisory Committee.
Approved Masters Degree Required for Admission?	No
Qualifying Exam Required:	Yes
Preliminary Exam Required:	Yes
Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required:	Yes
Minimum GPA:	3.0

Graduate Degree Programs in Food Science & Human Nutrition

Graduate Majors:
- Food Science & Human Nutrition, MS
  - concentrations:
- Food Science & Human Nutrition, PhD
  - concentrations:
    - Food Science
    - Human Nutrition
Joint Degree Program:
- Food Science & Human Nutrition, PhD and Master of Public Health, MPH

for the joint program Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science & Human Nutrition and Master of Public Health in Public Health