Information on the UMASS Amherst Degree Program in Nutrition

The Department of Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is among the most comprehensive nutrition departments in New England and has an outstanding record in teaching, research, and community service. The award-winning faculty at this department are dedicated to excellence in education. Online learning is available for students and professionals nationally and internationally through UMassONE.

What Is Nutrition?

Nutrition is the science that focuses upon the nutrients contained in foods; their actions, interactions, and balance in relation to health and disease; and the processes by which an individual ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and excretes nutrients. In addition, the study of nutrition is concerned with the social, economic, cultural, and psychological implications of food and eating.

If you want a career that is exciting, challenging, and allows you to succeed, excel, and feel good about what you do, then consider this field. Nutrition is a vital, growing field open to creativity and opportunity — and the possibilities are endless.

What Can I Do With the RDN Credential?

Once you are a fully qualified dietitian you may work in a position in which you provide medical nutrition therapy to patients in a hospital or specialty clinic. Dietitians are also employed as consultants and managers of foodservice operations in health care or other institutional and commercial settings. They work in school nutrition as well as community nutrition programs to educate the public. Dietitians are active in the health and wellness industry and in corporate wellness where they address health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Dietitians also work in national, international, and state government agencies for public health programs such as Women Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-ED). They contribute to public policy in agencies such as the USDA and FDA. A growing number of RDNs work in private practice or as entrepreneurs providing nutrition products and services to consumers. They write books, articles, and newsletters. Here is a video about what a dietitian can do for you

Department of Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts

The nutrition department is housed in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS).

Admission to the University of Massachusetts Graduate School is described here.

UMass Amherst Graduate Admissions is committed to the responsibility of providing access and opportunities for all, while actively upholding diversity as a priority, demonstrating our commitment to inclusion of historically underrepresented communities. We believe that a multicultural and diverse campus is essential to achieving academic excellence, allowing students of all identities and backgrounds to thrive at UMass Amherst.

Assessment of Prior Learning

Each graduate student will be able to use prior learning to meet the requirements of the UMass Amherst DPD if appropriate. The DPD director will assess these courses to see if they meet the requirements of the DPD.

Course of Study

The course of graduate study for the MS in nutrition at UMass is expected to take two years (four semesters) to complete. Students can access their own student file through their UMass Spire account.

Online Classes

All current students in SPHHS have the option to take some of their courses with the University Without Walls (UWW). These courses are offered in spring, summer, fall, and winter terms and are eligible for financial aid, but the cost of taking a UWW course is different from campus-based courses and may be higher, or may not be covered by your particular form of aid. Before you enroll in any UWW course/s, it is highly recommended that you contact Financial Aid to ensure your current aid package allows UWW courses.

For more information, please go to the SPHHS undergraduate online course information page:

The UWW program is firmly committed to ensuring the integrity of its distance education and degree programs. All distance education students must use their university-issued credentials to log in to Blackboard, through which all course materials and assessments are provided. SPHHS strongly encourages faculty to incorporate randomized question pools for graded online assessments. Further, assessments may utilize other identity-verification technologies, including dedicated IP addresses, synchronous observation tools, and third-party proctoring solutions integrated in Blackboard. Faculty have access to anti-plagiarism tools (TurnItIn and Safe Assign) via Blackboard. Students’ access to Blackboard and all posted content is recorded and can be monitored and saved in accordance with university policies. All faculty teaching in distance education programs have access to course design/redesign services provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Instructional Media Lab to assist with ensuring academic honesty through innovative teaching methods and technologies. For more information on UWW and SPHHS classes please go to the following website

Academic Support

The undergraduate program at UMass has robust support services that we strongly encourage all our students to use. In fact, students earning good grades typically are those who use these services frequently.

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