Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Science

The United Nations estimates that food production will need to double in order to meet future food needs as the world population will exceed nine billion by 2050. There is an urgent need to train students in food and agriculture sciences to meet current and future challenges in this area. The nutrition and food science program integrates the disciplines of chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, health, product development, processing, safety and quality to prepare qualified graduates for food and nutrition-related careers in industry, government, and academia. Students will learn from a team of motivated, supportive and experienced nutrition and food science faculty to prepare you to be successful in your professional career. A minimum of 32 credits is required to graduate from the program, and students may choose to do thesis research, a capstone project, or food industry internship. Depending on the student’s research interest, many electives can be chosen in specific program areas as well.

Student Learning Objectives

• Apply fundamental principles of food science and nutrition in research and required coursework
• Formulate, design, conduct, and interpret food science and nutrition research
• Integrate theoretical food science and nutrition principles and statistical design and analysis principles with practical applications to address real-world issues
• Assess the implications of sustainability in nutrition and food science
• Effectively communicate discipline-specific information in written and oral forms to scientific and non-scientific audiences
• Exhibit leadership and ethical reasoning

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Thesis/Non-Thesis Tracks

This program offers both a thesis and non-thesis option for completion.

Thesis: This option requires 28 credit hours of approved graduate courses and four credit hours of thesis research in nutrition and/or food science.

Non-Thesis: This option requires minimum of 32 credit hours of approved graduate courses, including a capstone paper in food science/nutrition.

Career Opportunities

• Food or Sensory Scientist
• Research and Development for food companies
• Food sales and Marketing
• Quality Assurance or Food Safety Specialist
• Food Technologist
• Food Production Manager

Professional Organizations

• Institute of Food Technologists
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• International Association of Food Protection
• American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
• Sigma Xi