Program in International and Community Nutrition
Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition
A formal Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition is available to doctoral students in the following programs: the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology(GGNB), the Graduate Group in Human Development (GGHD), the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (DARE), the Department of Anthropology (DAn), and the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE). Students from other doctoral programs may also become eligible for the Designated Emphasis following consultation with the Director of the Program in International and Community Nutrition (PICN) and approval of its Executive Committee. Successful completion of the requirements for the Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition will be recognized on the student's diploma at the time of awarding the doctoral degree. For example, students of the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology will receive a "Ph.D. in Nutritional Biology with emphasis in International and Community Nutrition".
The term "Designated Emphasis", as applied at UC Davis, refers to an area of specialization or an important field of application relevant to two or more existing Ph.D. programs. The structured curriculum that has been developed for the Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition is comprised of a combination of previously existing and specially developed courses in nutrition and in related population sciences and social sciences, as well as a weekly seminar series. For the purpose of the program, International and Community Nutrition is defined as all aspects of human nutrition of particular importance to populations of lower income countries and to disadvantaged sub-groups within more affluent countries. Implicit in this definition is the recognition that these populations are especially vulnerable to undernutrition and overt deficiency diseases. Moreover, nutritional status in these settings is often conditioned by a variety of environmental factors, including high rates of infection and, possibly, exposure to environmental contaminants.
Because of the complex interplay of socio-cultural and biological factors that influence the nutritional status of disadvantaged populations, the Designated Emphasis actively encourages students to familiarize themselves with a broad range of disciplinary skills in addition to their core knowledge of nutrition science. Moreover, in an effort to emphasize the importance of human functional indicators in the assessment of nutritional adequacy, the Designated Emphasis devotes special attention to the behavioral and developmental outcomes affected by nutrition. Faculty members from the Departments of Nutrition, Pathology, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Environmental Studies, Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Anthropology currently participate in the Program.
More information
- Academic program of the designated emphasis
- Tables of required courses and effect on normative time
- Description of courses