We engage in innovative and interdisciplinary approaches that encourage collaborations across disciplines and capitalize on both these schools’ historical approaches to health; and thus our department has an unusual breadth of scientific and policy approaches, literally spanning from cell to society and moving from discovery to delivery. The work of our faculty and students is carried out throughout North Carolina and spans the globe to communities and populations in China, India, Malawi, Spain and The Philippines, to name a few.The Practice and Continuing Education (PACE) Division supports students during their training to become Registered Dietitians; furthers the practice of nutrition through services within our practice component; and provides professional continuing education to current practitioners.
Our Mission: The Department of Nutrition's mission is to improve and protect the public's health through teaching, research and practices that foster optimal nutrition. Our vision is to achieve optimal nutrition for all people around the globe.
The nutrition department’s organizational chart can be found here.
Our History
The Department of Nutrition of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was established in 1946 with the aid of a grant from the General Education Board of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Support from the U.S. Children’s Bureau enabled the first three students to complete a one-year Master’s of Public Health program in 1951. From 1951 to 1972 students admitted to the graduate program in public health nutrition were required to have an undergraduate degree in food, nutrition, dietetics or home economics. With greater public interest in nutrition, increasing numbers of graduates from diverse baccalaureate programs started to seek careers in public health nutrition, and the Department began to recruit into the program persons with a broad educational base in the arts, humanities and behavioral sciences. In 1972 the Master’s Program in Public Health Nutrition added a two-year track to admit students with undergraduate degrees in the basic sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities. The Doctor of Public Health degree was offered in 1977 but with the growing popularity of the PhD program this program was discontinued in 2009. In 1991 the Department was approved to grant the Doctor of Philosophy degree, with specialization in nutritional biochemistry, nutrition epidemiology or nutrition intervention and policy. Now named the Department of Nutrition, it is recognized globally for research and training. It has also expanded to be part of both the School and the School of Medicine.
Inclusive Excellence
At the Gillings School, diversity and inclusion mean we welcome, value and learn from individual differences and perspectives. By cultivating inclusion within the School, we better prepare our students, faculty and staff for the diverse world that awaits them. A globally-interconnected world needs culturally competent people to serve as its leaders. Diversity and inclusion are assets that contribute to our excellence.
Students fund their education through a combination of sources, including loans, fellowships and awards, assistantships and grants. Several awards and scholarships are supported by generous contributions to the School and University who value the current and future contributions of our students.
Contact: Sarah Kitchens, Funding and Awards Coordinator, sarah_kitchens@unc.edu
Career Opportunities
