Nutritional Sciences (MS, PhD)
The Department of Nutritional Sciences offers programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Students whose primary interest is in personalized nutrition are encouraged to apply to the Department’s stand-alone online Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition (MSPN) program.
Nutritional Sciences examines how food and nutrients influence human health, growth, and disease, as well as the biological, behavioral, and social factors that shape dietary choices and nutritional status. The field also incorporates food science and technology to ensure food quality, safety, and functionality, and includes sport nutrition to optimize dietary strategies that support physical performance and overall well-being.
Location
- Storrs Campus
Modality
- In Person
Master of Science
There are two options for the Master’s degree Program: Plan A (thesis option) and Plan B (non-thesis option). All M.S. students are required to take a minimum of 30 credits.
Requirements for Plan A (thesis option)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| GRAD 5910 | Responsible Conduct in Research 1 | 1 |
| NUSC 5100 | Concepts of Nutrition | 2 |
| NUSC 5200 | Macronutrient Metabolism | 3 |
| NUSC 5300 | Vitamins and Minerals | 3 |
| NUSC 5394 | Seminar | 1 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Graduate-Level Statistics. Approved courses include EPSY 5605, STAT 5005, BIST 5505. Alternative graduate-level statistics courses may be approved in consultation with the advisory committee. | 3 | |
| Additional Grad-level NUSC Courses 2 | 3 | |
| Additional Courses 3 | 6 | |
| GRAD 5950 | Master's Thesis Research | 9 |
| Total Credits | 31 | |
- 1
Students may satisfy the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) requirement by one of three options: (1) completing GRAD 5910 Responsible Conduct in Research; (2) completing the RCR workshop series offered by the Office of the Vice President for Research; or (3) completing a similar program with advisor's permission. Credits from GRAD 5910 Responsible Conduct in Research cannot be applied toward the credit requirements for this degree.
- 2
A minimum of 3 credits from the NUSC GRAD non-Independent Study courses.
- 3
Additional credits to fulfill a total of 21 content-course credits.
A minimum of 21 content-course credits is required for the Plan A MS degree (thesis option), in addition to 9 credits of Master's Thesis Research. Students earning the Master of Science degree are required to complete an oral examination with the MS Advisory Committee to test their knowledge in nutrition. Plan A MS students are required to submit a research thesis and complete an oral defense.
Requirements for Plan B (non-thesis option)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| NUSC 5100 | Concepts of Nutrition | 2 |
| NUSC 5200 | Macronutrient Metabolism | 3 |
| NUSC 5300 | Vitamins and Minerals | 3 |
| NUSC 5394 | Seminar | 1 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Graduate-Level Statistics. Approved courses include EPSY 5605, STAT 5005, BIST 5505. Alternative graduate-level statistics courses may be approved in consultation with the advisory committee. | 3 | |
| Additional Grad-level NUSC Courses 1 | 12 | |
| Additional Courses 2 | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
No more than 3 credits from the NUSC GRAD Independent Study course can be applied toward the credit requirements for this degree.
- 2
Additional credits to fulfill a total of 30 content-course credits.
A minimum of 30 content-course credits is required for the Plan B MS degree (non-thesis option). Students earning the Master of Science degree are required to complete an oral examination with the MS Advisory Committee to test their knowledge in nutrition. Plan B MS students are required to either submit a capstone paper or deliver a presentation on a capstone project to the public.
Doctor of Philosophy
All Ph.D. students are required to take:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| GRAD 5910 | Responsible Conduct in Research 1 | 1 |
| NUSC 5100 | Concepts of Nutrition | 2 |
| NUSC 5200 | Macronutrient Metabolism | 3 |
| NUSC 5300 | Vitamins and Minerals | 3 |
| NUSC 5394 | Seminar 2 | 1 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Graduate-Level Statistics. Approved courses include EPSY 5605, STAT 5005, BIST 5505. Alternative graduate-level statistics courses may be approved in consultation with the advisory committee. | 3 | |
| Additional Grad-level NUSC Courses 3 | 12 | |
| Additional Courses | 6 | |
| GRAD 6950 | Doctoral Dissertation Research | 15 |
| Total Credits | 46 | |
- 1
Students may satisfy the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) requirement by one of three options: (1) completing GRAD 5910 Responsible Conduct in Research; (2) completing the RCR workshop series offered by the Office of the Vice President for Research; or (3) completing a similar program with advisor's permission. Credits from GRAD 5910 Responsible Conduct in Research cannot be applied toward the credit requirements for this degree.
- 2
In addition to the seminar course, Ph.D. students are required to present a departmental seminar to the public.
- 3
A minimum of 6 credits must be earned from non-Independent Study NUSC graduate courses.
If the student has already completed an MS degree (in the same or a closely related field) prior to entering the Ph.D. program, only a total of 15 credits of content courses are required. To earn a UConn NUSC MS degree in transit, a total of 45 credits (30 credits of content courses and 15 credits of doctoral dissertation research) is required.
In addition to the requirements listed in the Graduate Catalog and a departmental seminar presentation, Ph.D. students are required to complete the pre-doctoral examination. After finishing the written exam, students must take the oral examination. During this exam, students will be asked questions on nutrition-related topics that their advisory committee considers relevant.
The Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences does not require a related area or foreign language.
Learning Objectives
Master of Science
- Knowledge: Demonstrate appropriate breadth and depth of disciplinary knowledge and comprehension of the major topics, theories, and issues of the discipline.
- Applied skills: Uses, disaggregates, reformulates and/or adapts principal ideas, techniques or methods of the field of study.
- Communication: Communicate proficiently and effectively to a specialist and non-specialist audience, verbally and in writing, a coherent argument or explanation summarizing aspects of the discipline.
Doctor of Philosophy
- Knowledge: Demonstrate appropriate breadth and depth of disciplinary knowledge and comprehension of the major topics, theories, and issues of the discipline, including demonstration of specialized knowledge of a sub-field sufficient to carry out substantive independent research or creative pursuits.
- Research/applied skills: Use disciplinary methods and techniques to apply knowledge, critically analyze, and, as appropriate to the degree, create new knowledge or achieve advanced creative accomplishments.
- Communication: Communicate proficiently and effectively to a specialist and non-specialist audience, verbally and in writing, a structured, coherent academic presentation, representation, or argument that cogently summarizes their research or creative pursuit, relevant literature, and its significance at the level appropriate to discipline.
Accelerated Nutritional Sciences BS/MS
University of Connecticut undergraduates can pursue a fast track pathway (4 + 1 program) that allows them to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in 5 years. Students elect to emphasize one of three overlapping areas in human nutrition:
- Molecular Nutrition
- Metabolism
- Community Nutrition
Each emphasis area is interdisciplinary in approach and is supported by a broad range of local, national, and international collaborations.