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Nutrition, Food and Human Health MPhil, PhD

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.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:


Start date(s):

  • September 2025
  • January 2026
  • April 2026
On campus Postgraduate Open Day. Wednesday 5 February, 12pm to 5pm. Sign up now

Overview

Within your research, you'll get the opportunity to work in our 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 Newcastle. 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.

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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.

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Important information

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

Qualifications explained

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

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 Newcastle within a:

  • Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
  • Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP 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:

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

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 and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

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:

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. 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

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.


Apply Online  

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Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

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:

Medical Sciences Graduate School
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7002
Email: fmsgradschool@ncl.ac.uk

Online

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

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You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

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