Nutritional Sciences (MSNS)
Department website: https://nutrition.utexas.edu/
The Nutritional Sciences graduate program includes study in the following areas: molecular and cellular aspects of nutrient function; molecular and cellular approaches to the study of nutrition and disease; nutritional biochemistry; behavioral and child nutrition; nutrient requirements and intakes and health assessment; nutrition and cancer, obesity, ingestive behavior, aging, immunity; genetics and genomics, community nutrition, dietetics, and nutrition education.
The Master of Science degree program is designed to prepare individuals for advanced practitioner knowledge, preparation for advanced education in nutrition research, administration in public health programs; research and development positions at food, pharmaceutical, and chemical laboratories; and other nutrition-related fields.
Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD)
The Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) is an accelerated program that offers undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework, as well as the supervised practice hours required for professional certification to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Online Program
The Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences (MSNS) coursework-only online degree program is designed to provide advanced nutrition training to students who have already completed their BS in Nutrition or a related science field such as biology, biochemistry, health education, kinesiology, nursing, medicine or public health. Online master’s students also have the option of completing 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, without completing a thesis or report. This degree does not provide a path to the Registered Dietitian (RD) certification. For additional information about becoming a registered dietitian, please visit Dietetics' website.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
The foundational training of students seeking a graduate degree should include courses in the following fields: inorganic chemistry with laboratory, organic chemistry with laboratory, biochemistry with laboratory, vertebrate or human physiology, cellular and molecular biology, statistics, and nutrition. The Graduate Studies Committee may recommend that some or all of these courses be completed as a prerequisite for admission to the program or in addition to the courses required for the graduate degree.
A handbook available from the graduate coordinator gives details of policies, procedures, and requirements.
Accreditation
The Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago IL 60606, (800) 877-1600.
Licensure
Completion of the Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) qualifies graduates to apply for a dietetic internship or to practice as a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR).
Students who complete the ICPD with at least four upper-division nutrition courses completed in residence will receive a verification statement that qualifies them to apply for an accredited supervised practice program. ICPD graduates who complete an accredited supervised practice program and a master’s degree (as of January 1, 2024) may become active members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and are eligible to write the examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Requirements
In Residence Program
Total hours required: 30
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Nutrition Core | ||
| NTR 390.1 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences I | 3 |
| NTR 390.7 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences II | 3 |
| NTR 380K.3 | Experimental Design and Statistics | 3 |
| NTR 394.6 | Study Design and Research Methods | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic) | ||
| Subtotal | 18 | |
| Additional Nutrition | ||
| Hours chosen from: Minor or supporting field such as biology, anthropology, biochemistry, immunology, educational psychology, curriculum and instruction, health education, public health, pharmacology, or kinesiology | 6 | |
| NTR 698 | Thesis (Master’s thesis involving an original research project) | 6 |
Under specific circumstances, pending GSC approval, a graduate student may be granted a terminal master's report option. | ||
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- Students who complete a Master’s thesis are eligible to transition to the PhD program, while students who complete the Master’s Report are not eligible to transition to the PhD program.
- In-residence graduate students can complete 24 credit hours of graduate coursework combined with six credit hours of original Master’s thesis research OR 27 credit hours of graduate coursework combined with three credit hours of Master’s Report (a review of the research literature in a specified area of study).
Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD)
Total hours required: 150
Undergraduate: 120
Graduate: 30
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | 120 | |
| Subtotal | 120 | |
| Graduate Degree | ||
| Nutrition Core | ||
| NTR 390.1 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences I | 3 |
| NTR 390.7 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences II | 3 |
| NTR 380K.3 | Experimental Design and Statistics (taken as an ICPD undergraduate; reserved for graduate credit) | 3 |
| NTR 394.6 | Study Design and Research Methods (taken as an ICPD undergraduate; reserved for graduate credit) | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: nutrition | 3 | |
| Additional Nutrition | ||
| Hours chosen from: Areas of concentration (health promotion and disease prevention, biochemical and functional nutrition, community nutrition, lifecycle nutrition) | 9 | |
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic) | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 6 | |
| Sequence 1: Hours chosen from areas of concentration (health promotion and disease prevention, biochemical and functional nutrition, community nutrition, lifecycle nutrition) | ||
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic) | ||
| Sequence 2: Thesis option | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| Total Hours | 150 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students who complete a Master’s thesis are eligible to transition to the PhD program, while students who complete the Master’s Report are not eligible to transition to the PhD program.
Online Program
Total hours required: 30
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Nutrition Core | ||
| NTR 390.1 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences I | 3 |
| NTR 390.7 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences II | 3 |
| NTR 380K.3 | Experimental Design and Statistics | 3 |
| NTR 380K.4 | Advanced Experimental Design and Statistics | 3 |
| NTR 394.6 | Study Design and Research Methods | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Additional Nutrition | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 15 | |
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic, selected from among areas of concentration: health promotion and disease prevention or biochemical and functional nutrition) | ||
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students who complete a Master’s thesis are eligible to transition to the PhD program, while students who complete the Master’s Report are not eligible to transition to the PhD program.