Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition Focus Area
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nutrition
Interdepartmental Nutrition Program
The Interdepartmental Nutrition Program bridges the departments of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Animal Science, and Food Science and Technology. By integrating the strengths and expertise of these departments, the program provides students greater flexibility in tailoring their research and coursework to their personal and professional goals.
With an extensive curriculum and wide range of cutting-edge research opportunities, program graduates are well-equipped to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges within their areas of interest.
Students will acquire core competencies in the following areas:
Human Nutrition
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Metabolism
Bioinformatics
Cell biology
Genetics
- Human Health
Content will be delivered through graduate-level research in faculty laboratories along with courses instructed by faculty from:
- Biochemistry
- College of Engineering School of Computing
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
- Department of Animal Science
- Department of Food Science and Technology
- Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences
- Department of Statistics
- School of Biological Sciences
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Careers
- Health Care and Clinical Roles
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (ACEND-accredited program completion required)
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Nutrition Consultant
- Public Health Nutritionist
- Research and Academia
- Nutritional Scientist
- Biochemist
- Food Scientist
- Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry
- Product Development Specialist
- Nutraceutical Scientist
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- Government and Policy
- Policy Analyst
- Public Health Advisor
- Food Safety Specialist
- Specialized Fields
- Sports Nutritionist
- Genomic Nutrition Specialist
- Obesity and Chronic Disease Specialist
- Non-Profit and Advocacy
- Nutrition Outreach Coordinator
- Food Security Advocate
Application to this program
Select the following options when completing the Office of Graduate Studies online application:
Major/Degree: Nutrition (Interdepartmental) (Ph.D.)
Specialization: None
Degree Requirements
Minimum of 90 semester hours of credit, including 12-55 hours of dissertation.
At least one-half of the required work must be completed at the University of Nebraska after filing the Program of Studies for the Doctoral Degree.
At least one-half of the required work, including the dissertation, must be taken in the student’s major area of study (i.e., courses having the prefix NUTR or ASCI). The remaining work may be in supporting courses in the same or in related departments, or in a minor field of study outside of the major department or area.
The student’s Supervisory Committee is not obligated to accept credits beyond the masters degree which were completed prior to the Committee’s appointment.
Minor field of study must include at least 16 semester hours, with 6 hours in courses open exclusively to graduate students (900 level or 800 level without 400 or lower counterparts).
Two credit hours of NUTR 921 Interdepartmental Nutrition Seminar.
Select from other courses offered, with approval of the student’s Supervisory Committee, to complete degree requirements.
Courses often taken by our students:
Courses often taken by our students:
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE TITLE | CREDIT HOURS |
| NUTR 805 | Research Methods | 3 |
| NUTR 806 | Advanced Teaching Strategies | 3 |
| NUTR 812 | Multimedia Applications for Education and Training | 3 |
| NUTR 820 | Molecular Nutrition | 2 |
| NUTR 821 | Molecular Nutrition Techniques | 3 |
| NUTR 830 | Nutritional Anthropology (ANTH 830) | 3 |
| NUTR 856 | Clinical Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| NUTR 857 | Classroom and Outreach Experiences in Food and Nutrition | 1-3 |
| NUTR 858 | Exercise, Sports, & Performance Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 859 | Nutrition: A Focus on Life Stages | 3 |
| NUTR 871 | Vines, Wines, and You | 3 |
| NUTR 875 | Applied Dietetic Practice and Concepts | 6 |
| NUTR 884 | Physiology of Exercise | 3 |
| NUTR 893 | Oral Science Communication Strategies | 1 |
| NUTR 896 | Independent Study | 1-5 |
| NUTR 921 | Interdepartmental Nutrition Seminar | 1 |
| NUTR 925 | Energy Metabolism | 3 |
| NUTR 926 | Carbohydrate and Lipid Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 927 | Protein and Amino Acid Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 950 | Integrated Principles of Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 952 | Applied Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| NUTR 954 | Fundamentals of Nutrition Counseling | 3 |
| NUTR 956 | Community Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 996 | Research other than Thesis | 1-6 |
| ASCI 842 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| ASCI 845 | Animal Physiology I | 4 |
| ASCI 846 | Animal Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOS 820 | Molecular Genetics | 4 |
| BIOC 831 | Biochemistry I: Structure and Metabolism | 4 |
| BIOC 832 | Biochemistry II: Metabolism and Biological Information | 2 |
| BIOC 833 | Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOC 935 | Metabolic Function and Dysfunction | 3 |
| FDST 805 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| FDST 806 | Food Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| FDST 825 | Food Toxicology | 2 |
| FDST 830 | Sensory Evaluation | 3 |
| FDST 848 | Food Chemistry | 3 |
| FDST 849 | Food Cheimstry Laboratory | 1 |
| FDST 870 | Nutriceuticals and Functional Foods | 3 |
| FDST 880A | Food Carbohydrates | 2 |
| FDST 880P | Food Proteins | 2 |
| STAT 801A | Statistical Methods in Research | 4 |
| STAT 802 | Design and Analysis of Research Studies | 4 |
| VBMS 843 | Immunology | 3 |
| EDPS 973A | Evaluation Theory and Practice | 2-3 |
| EDAD 822 | Instructional Design in Human Resource Development | 3 |
| EDAD 839 | Educational Facilities | 2-3 |
| EDPS 800 | Foundations of Educational Research | 3 |
| EDPS 859 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| EDPS 860 | Applications of Selected Advanced Statistics | 3 |
| EDPS 900K | Qualitative Approaches to Educational Research | 3 |
| EDPS 936 | Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| EDPS 941 | Intermediate Stastistics: Experimental Methods | 3 |
| EDPS 942 | Intermediate Statistics: Correlational Methods | 3 |
| EDPS 972 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
| COMM 852 | Media and Culture | 3 |
| ALEC 800 | Overview to Program Planning | 3 |
| ALEC 807 | Supervisory Leadership | 3 |
| ALEC 826 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| ALEC 866 | Leadership and Diversity in Organizations and Communities | 3 |
| ALEC 877 | Leadership and Motivation | 3 |
