Graduate education leading to a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems. There are two concentration areas, the Traditional MS and the Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Only University of Kentucky students admitted to the Accelerated Coordinated Program in Year 3 of the undergraduate degree program (Option B in BS in Dietetics) can enter this concentration area.
The Traditional MS includes a 17-hour graduate-level core emphasizing contemporary nutrition topics, such as research methods and health behavior theories, community programming and intervention development, food systems, chronic disease diagnosis and processes related to lifestyle behaviors, statistics, and a nutrition and food systems seminar. The Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics includes an 18-hour graduate-level core that emphasizes a variety of nutrition topics, such as evidence-based practices, research methods and health behavior theories, community programming and intervention development, food systems, chronic disease diagnosis and process related to lifestyle behaviors.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the MS in Nutrition and Food Systems program is selective and competitive. Students must have a relevant undergraduate degree from an accredited institution; a minimum GPA of 3.0 with conditional admittance considered; a phone or in-person interview with the Director of Graduate Studies or Department Chair; submission of a written essay, a technical scientific writing sample (student topic choice), and three letters of recommendation.
Admission to the Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics is selective and competitive; students are expected to maintain a rigorous schedule in order to complete all required courses for the undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as the hours for the supervised practice within 10 semesters and three summer sessions. The Accelerated Coordinated Program Concentration Area of the MS in Nutrition and Food Systems will only be available to students who were admitted to the Accelerated Coordinated Program (Option B of BS in Dietetics) during Year 3 in the University of Kentucky BS in Dietetics program. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to apply. The application will include a personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and an interview. As such, this program is only available to University of Kentucky students. Students from other colleges and universities can apply for, and be admitted into, the UK MS in Nutrition and Food Systems, but only for the “Traditional MS Concentration Area.”
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science program prepares students for careers in community, education, government, industry, non-profit, health care or private practice settings. A student in the Traditional MS concentration may choose the Plan A - Thesis or Plan B - Project.
Plan A - Thesis requires the 17-hour core, 7 hours of electives to explore areas of personal interest, 6 additional hours of research credit and a written thesis and oral defense.
Plan B - Project requires the 17-hour core, 13 hours of electives, 6 additional hours of special problems, and a project presentation and exam.
A student in the Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics concentration area can only complete Plan B - Project. For these students, the Project requires the 18-hour core, 18 hours of electives, and 16 hours of supervised practice coursework.
Traditional MS Plan A and B Core Courses
A 500-level statistics course is a pre-requisite to the graduate program and may be taken during the existing graduate program.
Accelerated Coordinated Program Courses
Core Courses
Supervised Practice Courses
Elective Courses for MS NFS Concentration Areas
Students may also choose appropriate electives outside the department with the permission from the instructor.