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Nutrition, Food and Human Health MPhil, PhD

Next start date
September 2026 January 2027 April 2027
Typical entry requirements
View full entry requirements
Course delivery
On Campus

Course information for entry year:

Overview

Our Nutrition, Food and Human Health PhD and MPhil programmes ground students in the methods and research approaches to understand how nutrition and food affect human health and wellbeing.

Within your research, you'll get the opportunity to work in our exciting multi-disciplinary teams. Our work explores how nutrition affects:

  • human biology and physiology - including human athletic performance and the microbiome
  • health and ageing
  • disease process - including cancer, cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and NAFLD
  • how food security affects biology and wellbeing
  • nutrition and health challenges in global sustainability
  • the outcome and management of disease (dietetics)

Our research is multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary. We centre core nutrition research in The Human Nutrition & Exercise Research Centre (HNERC). Our researchers collaborate with food scientists and food systems experts from across Ãå±±½ûµØ. They have access to two University farms. This allows us to tailor multidisciplinary research programmes across pure and social sciences. This means the HNERC can apply science projects from “farm to fork”.

For self-funded students, please read our list of available projects and supervisory teams on the HNERC homepage. You'll find these under self-funded PhD and MPhil projects.

Important information

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Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

What you'll learn

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

We make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described.

View our academic experience page. This gives information about your study experience for the academic year 2025-26.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information. This gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

How you'll learn

 

Your development

Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

  • perform better as a researcher
  • boost your career prospects
  • broaden your impact
  • Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

  • techniques for effective research
  • methods for better collaborative working
  • essential professional standards and requirements
  • Your programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the FMS researcher development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Ãå±±½ûµØ within a:

  • Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
  • Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) / Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA)

Being part of a CDT or DTP/DLA has many benefits:

  • they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
  • you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
  • they’re often interdisciplinary
  • your PhD may be funded

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Ãå±±½ûµØ. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our expert Careers Service is here to help you take the next steps in your professional life. We will support you while you’re studying with us and for up to three years after you graduate.

You will have access to expert one-to-one advice and guidance through our campus careers centre and online, along with digital resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and careers and recruitment events.

We’ve been awarded 5 QS Stars for Student Employability (2025). Many of our degrees are shaped by strong links with national and international businesses. We are committed to helping you access real-world experience opportunities and develop key skills through paid work placements and internships.

Visit our Careers Service website

Facilities

Our modern laboratories provide important teaching and research environments. They have analytical equipment such as:

  • HPLCs
  • GCs
  • CNS analyser
  • centrifuges
  • spectrophotometer
  • molecular biology equipment

Our specialist research facilities include:

  • a tissue culture laboratory
  • plant growth rooms
  • a Class II laboratory for safe handling of human biological samples
  • taste panel facilities and test kitchen
  • a thin section facility for soils analysis

Find out more about our lab facilities

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

Search for funding and scholarships

Find funding available for your course

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

  • matriculation
  • registration
  • tuition (or supervision)
  • library access
  • examination
  • re-examination
  • graduation

Find out more about:

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

 

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.


Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Ãå±±½ûµØ in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Ãå±±½ûµØ.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Science
Email: mres.admissions@ncl.ac.uk

Enquiries

If you've got a question about your application, send us an enquiry via the application portal you applied through.

If you haven't applied yet, or have a general enquiry, you can send your questions via our enquiry form.

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