Nutritional Sciences, MSNS

The impact of nutrition on health and disease has produced major clinical and public policy challenges that are shaping research and career opportunities for highly trained nutritional scientists in academia, industry and government. Disease prevention efforts, increased health consciousness and an aging population are further fueling the demand for nutritional scientists. The interdisciplinary Division of Nutritional Sciences enables students in Masters of Science program to explore the interrelationship between environmental factors and nutrients and their effect on biochemistry, physiology and disease development. More than 50 faculty members provide teaching and individualized research guidance across over 20 departments and divisions in the University’s Colleges of Medicine, Health Sciences and Agriculture, as well as the Colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Education. A primary area of research and training targets nutrition and chronic diseases, with a focus on obesity and associated disorders of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Other specialty areas include nutrition and oxidative stress, nutrition and aging, clinical nutrition, animal nutrition and food science.

Core courses in the MS Nutritional Sciences program include a broad foundation of nutritional sciences information including macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism and current topics in the field. Courses in research methods, ethics, statistics, and professional skills offer additional training that can be applied to careers at various stages and sectors, from clinical, industry, academic or government settings.

Students complete 16 to 18 credit hours of core courses, and select a concentration area (Clinical Nutrition, Sports and Wellness, Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition, or Community Nutrition) to determine elective courses.

The Clinical Nutrition concentration is now available 100 percent online. This program will take only 18 months to complete, while preparing students for careers in health care, academia, education, wellness, and other nutrition-related fields. The interdisciplinary program allows students to learn from experts in areas of clinical nutrition, culinary medicine and biomedical education. Students will interact with faculty who have diverse biomedical and clinical nutrition backgrounds, providing unique and perspectives, and knowledge and skills to support graduate education and training in a virtual setting.

Admission Requirements

Transcript showing a baccalaureate degree from a fully accredited institution of higher learning.
A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.75 on undergraduate course work and a 3.0 on all graduate work.
For international applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the internet-based TOEFL. The minimum International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) score is a 6.5. All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in verbal and written English.
Admission for the M.S. in Nutritional Sciences with Clinical Nutrition Emphasis is limited to those with a B.S. in Dietetics, having an RD, or being RD eligible.
Course Prerequisites: you would need to have taken an undergraduate physiology course (PGY 206 at UK) and it is highly recommended that you have taken 1 year of general chemistry (CHE 105 and 107 at UK) and 1 semester of organic chemistry (CHE 236 at UK). Biochemistry is also a prerequisite course but it can be taken your first semester for graduate credit (BCH 401G). It has prerequisites of CHE 107 and CHE 236.