UK has a strong faculty core that supports more than 200 academic programs spread across 16 degree-granting colleges. In the last several years, UK has received nearly 100 national rankings for excellence in academics, research, health care, and economic development. U.S. News and World Report ranks several of UK’s graduate programs among the nation’s best: The College of Pharmacy is ranked sixth and the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration is ranked fourth. The University of Kentucky has earned 28 Top 10 rankings and 50 Top 25 rankings over the last several years.

UK-related graduate programs

College of Medicine

Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS) is an undifferentiated first-year core curriculum that serves as the entry point for six doctoral programs housed in the UK College of Medicine. Students are admitted to IBS and, at the end of the IBS year, select their doctoral programs in one of these basic science departments:

• Neuroscience
• Toxicology and Cancer Biology
• Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
• Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences
• Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
• Physiology

IBS provides exposure to cellular and molecular concepts in the biomedical sciences, development of interdisciplinary approaches necessary for innovative research, and flexibility in choosing a research emphasis among 186 faculty in six departments. As part of IBS, students complete coursework, engage in biomedical research through laboratory rotations that facilitate selection of a dissertation mentor and participate in research seminars. The IBS curriculum is designed for students beginning graduate studies in the fall semester.

Prospective graduate students can also apply to the direct-admit graduate MS and PhD program in Nutritional Sciences. While the program is housed in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, the affiliated faculty of the Nutritional Sciences graduate program come from multiple UK colleges, including Medicine, Health Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, and Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Graduate certificate in Applied Nutrition and Culinary Medicine

Discover evidence-based strategies to address your patients' and clients' specific nutrition needs as well as their toughest questions. Connect with nutrition educators at UK to learn about nutritional approaches and practical culinary strategies to promote health. This graduate certificate is designed for these health professionals: physicians, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists and medical professionals in postgraduate training.

MD/PhD Program

The UK MD/PhD Training Program leverages the strong institutional environment to prepare exceptional students to assume leadership positions at the forefront of scientific and medical discovery. The MD/PhD Program has benefited from broad institutional investment to promote basic, translational and clinical science by attracting top-caliber students and producing well-prepared physician scientists. As one of only a handful of universities to have six healthcare colleges on the same campus, we offer a wide array of graduate training opportunities. The range of multidisciplinary research is what makes UK unique.

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship

The subspecialty fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at UK is designed to train physicians in the knowledge, skills and experience required for excellence in endocrinology. The trainees who successfully complete this program will be fully trained and equipped to function as clinical endocrinologists, clinical educators or clinician scientists.

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Animal and Food Sciences

Our program prepares animal and food science professionals for advanced positions in many private and public organizations. Graduates of our program work for pharmaceutical companies, veterinary consultants, universities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and many top food and agricultural companies.

Nutrition & Food Systems

The field of human nutrition and dietetics is growing and in need of the expertise of graduate level-educated practitioners. The MS in Nutrition and Food Systems program seeks to educate students using a multidisciplinary approach that emphasizes the impact of the food system and diet on human health.  Students will learn strategies to reduce the risk and impact of chronic disease using multi-level approaches from the individual to the policy level.

Nutrition & Food Systems Online

Improve the health of individuals and communities with the knowledge gained in this fully online master's program. This graduate degree meets the new eligibility requirements (effective Jan. 1, 2024) to become a registered dietitian.

College of Arts & Sciences

The more than 900 graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences play a critically important role in helping us meet our core mission: to conduct transformative research in the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities – in combination with extraordinary teaching and outreach – to better the lives of students and citizens throughout Kentucky and beyond. The college is committed to continuous improvements in graduate education as we collectively work to strengthen the quality and productivity of our graduate programs and transform our students into accomplished scholars and researchers who contribute to the Commonwealth, the nation and the world.

Biology

Chemistry

Psychology

Statistics

College of Education

The UK College of Education is committed to studying and helping to solve the most critical education and health challenges of our time. This requires us as a college to prepare the next generation of teachers, leaders and scholars to understand these issues.

Kinesiology & Health Promotion

College of Health Sciences

The mission of the UK College of Health Sciences (CHS) is to help the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond attain the highest level of health possible. We fulfill our mission by preparing the next generation of healthcare practitioners through education, innovative research, healing and compassionate care.

Clinical Nutrition

The impact of nutrition on health and disease has produced major clinical and public policy challenges that are shaping research and career opportunities for highly trained nutritional scientists in academia, industry and government. Disease prevention efforts, increased health consciousness and an aging population are further fueling the demand for nutritional scientists.

Rehabilitation and Health Sciences

Students in the program have the unique opportunity to study with faculty from the different health professions offered in the participating institutions – such as athletic training, communication science and disorders, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant training and health services research – and take courses from faculty specialized in these disciplines.

Physician Assistant Studies

Physician assistants are health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians and are uniquely qualified to step in and bridge gaps in health care. Our physician assistant studies program will prepare you to become a well-rounded practitioner with a wealth of clinical knowledge and direct patient-care experience to conduct exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, prescribe medications, and more.

College of Nursing

The University of Kentucky College of Nursing is preparing the next generation of providers, leaders, researchers and policymakers to improve healthcare delivery, promote nursing excellence, revolutionize health care and promote the highest levels of wellness.

College of Public Health

Health Management & Policy

We build partnerships with local, state and national stakeholders to share data and knowledge, empower visionary leadership, and bring about meaningful health improvements.

Public Health

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a career-focused, practice-based graduate degree for change-makers focused on building healthier populations. Our nationally ranked MPH program will give you the skills you need to create what’s possible: a world with less human suffering, more access to care and health equity for all. The program offers concentrations in Epidemiology, Health Behavior, Environmental Health, and Health Management & Policy.

Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

The Graduate School's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is designed to develop the next generation of independent researchers by enhancing the postdoctoral experience at UK. The Postdoc Orientation is built for new postdocs to learn about the postdoc community on campus. The Postdoc Coffee Hour is a weekly meeting that allows postdocs to connect and build their network. Career Enhancement Groups bring postdocs together to work on critical aspects of postdoctoral training. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is dedicated to assessing the success of postdocs by measuring postdoc scholarly output, fellowship success and career outcomes.

Office of Undergraduate Research

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is dedicated to providing coordination, leadership and support for UK undergraduates in all majors and class levels. We offer awards and activities to support undergraduate research across the university. The OUR promotes research as a high-impact student experience to enhance readiness to succeed in future careers and foster student success.