Degree Requirements for the MS in Nutrition

MS in Nutrition course requirements (33 total credits)

Core courses (23 credits):

  • Four courses in nutritional science (12 credits)
  • Two graduate seminars (2 credits)
  • Two SPHHS courses in Biostatistics and Epidemiology (6 credits)
  • One SPHHS course to meet the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requirements (SPHHS#600): Great Challenges in Public Health and Health Sciences (3 credits)

Electives:

For MS thesis:

  • One nutrition elective course (≥1 credits)
  • Master thesis (9 credits)

For MS non-thesis:

  • Three to four electives possibly with one or two from outside the Nutrition Department (≥10 credits)
  • *Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD): If you are interested in receiving DPD verification while pursuing your Master’s degree, we encourage you to contact our DPD director, Jay Patruno, after you are admitted to our Master’s program.
  • A total of 33 graduate credits is required for the MS. The core MS courses listed above account for 23 credits. Certain elective courses (≥10 credits) taken as part of your Master’s program (500 level or higher) may also meet the DPD requirements. Contact our DPD director for information on what you will need to do to meet the requirements of the DPD.
  • *Dietetic Internship (DI): If you are interested in becoming a registered dietitian (RD/RDN), we encourage you to apply to our dietetic internship program. Additional admission requirements are found on the DI admissions webpage. Students enrolled in the master’s program and interested in the dietetic internship at UMass Amherst, should apply before their final semester, as UMass Amherst grants prior learning credit to eligible students. Visit our website to learn more about the prior learning credit or contact the program director, cmaxwell [at] umass [dot] edu (subject: Dietetic%20internship%20question) (Christy Maxwell). Note: The fall application deadline for the DI program is October 8th and the spring deadline is January 15th.