Students studying in the Graduate Program in Food and Nutritional Sciences (GPFNS) are supervised by faculty members belonging to one of two divisions that work closely together, the Division of Food Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences. GPFNS offers Master of Science and Doctoral Degrees in Food and Nutritional Sciences.

The academic field of this department is interdisciplinary, and faculty members from a wide range of fields such as food science, food engineering, agriculture, medicine, nutrition and pharmaceutical sciences, are engaged in research. Each faculty member trains researchers, engineers and highly professionals who can active in their respective fields.

The Division of Food Sciences focuses on functional foods, including tea – of which Shizuoka prefecture has the highest production levels in Japan – carrying out basic and applied research on the production, processing, safety, and function of these foods with the use of technology such as genetic engineering.
The Division of Nutritional Sciences investigates the effects of food components, including trace elements, on organs such as the digestive tract, kidney, skeletal muscle and brain, with a special focus on lifestyle-related illness, cancer, aging, frailty, and stress. Biomarkers, including genetic makers, are also developed and utilized.

The program fosters researchers and other experts with advanced skills in the production of foods for health maintenance, and in the prevention of nutrition-related diseases, as well as highly-skilled dietitians who contribute to the development of the field of clinical nutrition.