Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Nutrition M.S.

Food Science & Nutrition
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, 225 Food Science and Nutrition Building, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108 (612-624-6753; fax: 612-625-5272)
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2014
  • Length of program in credits: 30
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Science
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
Nutrition is the study of how nutrients, both essential and nonessential, affect health and all life processes. Consequently, nutrition is an extremely broad field that encompasses physiology, biochemistry, education, public health, and public policy. The nutrition graduate program is interdisciplinary. Advisers and financial support may come from any of the departments or schools in which nutrition graduate faculty reside, including the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences); Division of Epidemiology (School of Public Health); Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Psychiatry, Lab Medicine and Pathology, and Family Medicine and Community Health (Medical School); Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Studies (College of Education and Human Development); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (University of Minnesota Duluth); University of Minnesota Extension; Hormel Institute (Austin, Minn.); and V.A. Medical Center and Park Nicollet Institute (Minneapolis, Minn.). Three subspecialty areas are offered in the program: human nutrition, nutritional biochemistry, and public health nutrition. Thesis work can be conducted locally or internationally in the laboratory, clinic, or field. Students are allowed a maximum of 5 years in the program.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
Applicants to the program need a bachelor's degree in any field or its international equivalent.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
A strong foundation in the biological and physical sciences is required. This background includes college mathematics, the equivalent of one semester of general chemistry, organic chemistry, general biology, biochemistry, physiology, and statistics. For the doctoral program, additional prerequisite courses include calculus and physics. If there is evidence that the applicant has a good background in the sciences, some of the prerequisites can be met after admission. The M.S. program also requires the following nutrition courses, or equivalent, which may be completed after the student's admission to the program: Principles of Nutrition (FSCN 1112), Life Cycle Nutrition (FSCN 3612), and Human Nutrition (FSCN 4612).
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
  • GRE
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 79
    • Internet Based - Writing Score: 21
    • Internet Based - Reading Score: 19
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 550
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 6.5
  • MELAB
    • Final score: 80
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan A: Plan A requires 14 major credits, 6 credits outside the major, and 10 thesis credits. The final exam is oral.
Plan B: Plan B requires 24 major credits and 6 credits outside the major. The final exam is oral. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:The Plan B project is a combined total of approximately 120 hours (the equivalent of three full-time weeks) of work. The graduate faculty, including the student's adviser and DGS, specify both the nature and extent of the course and project work necessary to satisfy this requirement.
This program may not be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 2.80 is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 1 semesters must be completed before filing a Degree Program Form.
The M.S. is offered under both Plan A (thesis) and Plan B (non-thesis). Plan A requires a minimum of 20 course credits and 10 thesis credits; Plan B requires a minimum of 30 course credits, including a Plan B project. General requirements include the graduate nutrition core series (four courses), an orientation and presentation skills class, graduate courses statistics, an advanced topics course, and presentation of the thesis or project work. All students also are expected to obtain teaching experience, subject to the policies of the adviser's department or division.
Program Sub-plans
A sub-plan is not required for this program.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Rochester
 
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View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2023
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· Fall 2020
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· Fall 2017
· Spring 2016

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