Interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program - Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare research scholars, academic faculty and professionals who study physical activity promotion, nutrition science, healthy eating and lifestyles and exercise sciences. The doctoral degree in physical activity, nutrition and wellness is an individualized interdisciplinary program that integrates graduate classes from several academic units to provide a sound foundation for research leading to a dissertation.

What Makes the Program Unique

In contrast to programs that divide nutrition science and exercise science into separate specializations, the PhD program is uniquely designed to train scholars to conduct high impact, multidisciplinary health promotion research that combines both exercise and nutrition disciplinary fields. The PhD program is the only doctoral degree in the country that prepares researchers, scholars and leaders to meet the increasing demand for developing effective health promotion, physical activity and nutrition programs to all segments of society.

Goals of the Program

• To produce researchers with a solid foundation in the knowledge base underlying healthy lifestyle promotion including an understanding of the empirical evidence, the underlying theories, strategies and principles, and the best practices in the field,
• To provide experts, for all levels of instruction, in the design, implementation, and evaluation of healthy lifestyle promotion programs for a variety of priority populations, and;
• To prepare scholars who can provide leadership to the evolving field of physical activity, nutrition and wellness.