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PhD Students

Doctor of Philosophy
Food Studies

The doctoral degree in food studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of food. Employing methods from the humanities and social sciences, this PhD prepares you to teach and conduct research at the university level as well as at institutions outside academia.

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Nutrition Doctoral Student Biographies

Degree Details

Official Degree Title

PhD in Food Studies

Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
36–48*
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline

*A 36-credit track is available to those who have already earned a master's degree in Food Studies or the equivalent.

In consultation with an adviser and a doctoral committee, you will tailor your studies and dissertation to a particular research interest. 

Current program research focuses on themes such as:

  • The evolving relationship between food and ideas about health in a hospital setting
  • The intersection of food, culture, and identity
  • Immigrant foodways, ethnic restaurants, street vending, and questions of power and cultural difference
  • The economics of policies and private sector efforts designed to address social and environmental costs of the food system
  • Cultural politics, in particular local and traditional foods in the global market
  • Immigration history, social movements, racial formations, agricultural labor, and questions about workers and American food systems
  • The relationship between public policies and health, including programs aimed at improving food and exercise environments

Learn more about the Food Studies PhD degree process and view the full curriculum.

Our PhD in Food Studies prepares you to thrive in positions as researchers and educators at the university level, or within institutions outside academia.

Funding for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student without an alternate funding source, you are eligible for our generous funding package, which includes a scholarship and tuition remission. Learn more about our funding opportunities.

All applicants to full-time doctoral study will automatically be considered for Steinhardt-based fellowships.

Questions 

If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact Krishnendu Ray at krishnendu.ray@nyu.edu.

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DEPARTMENT OF

Nutrition and Food Studies

411 Lafayette Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-998-5580
Email: nutrition@nyu.edu

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