The master's in nutrition emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding nutrition-related needs. Students learn to assess, evaluate, and intervene in the most current and relevant nutrition issues. The curriculum prepares graduates to work for agencies, businesses, and organizations that seek to improve nutrition at the local, national, and global level. This program also prepares students to engage in further study for research careers in nutrition.
The curriculum includes three optional concentrations. The three concentrations are Community Nutrition, Dietetics, and Nutrition and Performance.
Community Nutrition
The Community Nutrition Concentration emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding nutrition-related needs. Students learn to assess, evaluate, and intervene in the most current and relevant nutrition issues. The curriculum prepares graduates to work for agencies, businesses, and organizations that seek to improve nutrition at the local, national, and global level. This program also prepares students to engage in further study for research careers in nutrition
Dietetics
The Dietetics Concentration prepares graduates for successful entrance into the field of dietetics as a competent entry-level dietician. Students learn to use the Nutrition Care Process to provide Medical Nutrition Therapy. Students will participate in learning activities, supervised and alternative experiences in a variety of Nutrition sectors.
Nutrition and Performance
The Nutrition and Performance Concentration emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding nutrition and performance related needs. Students learn to assess, evaluate, and intervene in the most current and relevant nutrition and performance issues. This concentration provides a curriculum focused specifically on interdisciplinary approach to physical activity and nutrition. Upon graduation students will be competitive for a variety of positions related to nutrition and human performance and be prepared to pursue further graduate study in Nutrition or Physical activity related degrees. In addition, the curriculum prepares the student to take the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN) certification.
Admissions
Requirements
Applicants must meet the admission standards and application requirements specified in Graduate Admissions and must apply using the online Application for Graduate Admission. For application deadlines and detailed application requirements, refer to the College of Public Health Admissions website.
Policies
Students must complete 39-45 credits of graduate coursework with at least a 3.00 GPA, which may include no more than 6 credits of courses with a grade of "C". A graduate course in which a grade of C or below is earned may be repeated only once.
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
Transfer of Credit
Transfer of credit is governed by university transfer of credit policy and the university requirements for master's degrees. Transfer credit must be approved by the program director and the dean. Students who enroll initially through non-degree studies should seek course advising through the department prior to taking a course and plan to submit their application to the MS in Nutrition program in their first semester of study.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 39-45
Nutrition Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 500 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| NUTR 515 | Fundamentals of Cooking | 3 |
| NUTR 522 | Nutrition Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUTR 620 | Nutrition Education | 3 |
| NUTR 626 | Food Systems | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Nutrition Assessment | 3 |
| NUTR 670 | Nutrition Research Methods | 3 |
| NUTR 675 | Nutrition Program Development, Interventions and Assessments | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Concentrations
Students may select one of the concentration listed below. Students interested in a concentration should declare a concentration before starting their second semester in the program. Students not interested in a concentration must complete 12 credits of graduate-level coursework in consultation with their faculty advisor.
Concentration in Community Nutrition (CMNT)
The Community Nutrition Concentration emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding nutrition-related needs. Students learn to assess, evaluate, and intervene in the most current and relevant nutrition issues. The curriculum prepares graduates to work for agencies, businesses, and organizations that seek to improve nutrition at the local, national, and global level. This program also prepares students to engage in further study for research careers in nutrition.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 513 | Advanced Community Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 553 | Nutrients | 3 |
| NUTR 583 | Food and Culture | 3 |
| Select one course from below: | 3 | |
| Nutrition and Weight Management | ||
| Perspectives on Food Security | ||
| Food Safety and Defense | ||
| Food and Nutrition Security Policy | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Nutritional Epidemiology | ||
or GCH 653 | Nutritional Epidemiology | |
Other electives as approved by faculty advisor. | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration in Dietetics (DIET)
The Dietetics Concentration prepares graduates for successful entrance into the field of dietetics as a competent entry-level dietician. Students learn to use the Nutrition Care Process to provide Medical Nutrition Therapy. Students will participate in learning activities, supervised and alternative experiences in a variety of Nutrition sectors.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 537 | Food Service Management | 3 |
| NUTR 587 | Profession of Dietetics 1 | 2 |
| NUTR 622 | Nutrition Counseling and Communication | 3 |
| NUTR 662 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| NUTR 667 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
| NUTR 687 | Supervised Experiential Practice 2 | 7 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
- 1
NUTR 587 must be taken three times for a total of two credits.
- 2
NUTR 687 must be taken four times for a total of seven credits. Students must work with their faculty advisor to discuss the total number of credits needed for each semester.
Concentration in Nutrition and Performance (NTRP)
The Nutrition and Performance Concentration emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding nutrition and performance related needs. Students learn to assess, evaluate, and intervene in the most current and relevant nutrition and performance issues. This concentration provides a curriculum focused specifically on interdisciplinary approach to physical activity and nutrition. Upon graduation students will be competitive for a variety of positions related to nutrition and human performance and be prepared to pursue further graduate study in Nutrition or Physical activity related degrees. In addition, the curriculum prepares the student to take the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN) certification.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 553 | Nutrients | 3 |
| KINE 601 | Advanced Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| KINE 606 | Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Any 500-, 600-level NUTR or KINE course or course approved by advisor. | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Electives
Students who do not select a concentration are required to take 12 credits of graduate-level coursework in consultation with their faculty advisor.
Capstone Experience
Students in the Community Nutrition Concentration, the Nutrition and Performance Concentration, or those who do not select a concentration must complete either the Practicum or Thesis option. Students in the Dietetics Concentration do not need to complete the Practicum or Thesis option.
Practicum Option
The practicum option entails a supervised practical application of previously studied theory through fieldwork. Students will be required to engage for a minimum of 200 contact hours per practicum in a nutrition-related organization under the guidance of a preceptor and a faculty advisor. Students must attend one seminar course, complete a project while working in the agency, and produce a formal report and presentation during the practicum. Students will enroll in the Pre-Practicum course the semester prior to conducting the practicum. In their final semester, students will enroll in the Nutrition Practicum.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 788 | Pre-Practicum Seminar | 0 |
| NUTR 790 | Nutrition Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Thesis Option
The thesis option is a research project incorporating an original design to test a theory and resulting in a final written thesis. The topic must fall within one of the areas of faculty expertise within the department, including: food science, food studies, global nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition policy, nutrition assessment, and chronic disease and nutrition. Students may register for the thesis only with approval from their advisor and after they have completed at least 18 credits of the program.
Students in the master’s thesis option are required to work with a committee of three faculty members. It is the responsibility of the student to form a committee at least 9 months before the desired graduation. The thesis director and at least one of the committee members must be members of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies faculty, but the third member may or may not be from the department. Students must take the thesis course (3 credits total) while working on their thesis. Students must develop a proposal and have it approved by their committee and by the appropriate University committees, such as the Human Subjects Review Board, before undertaking the project. The thesis must conform to the format stated within Mason’s University Libraries guidelines.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Three credits of | 3 | |
| Thesis Research | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Bachelor’s Degree (any)/Nutrition, Accelerated MS
Overview
Qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program (BAM) and obtain a bachelor’s degree in any program and an MS in Nutrition in an accelerated timeframe after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 147 credits.
See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.
Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, please visit the College of Public Health website.
Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits, completion of NUTR 295 Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core) or equivalent, completion of BIOL 124 Human Anatomy and Physiology I or BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function (Mason Core) or equivalent, and a minimum overall GPA of 3.25.
Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and course-specific prerequisites.
Accelerated Master’s Admission Requirements
Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MS in Nutrition program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form:
- Overall GPA of 3.25
- Successfully completed NUTR 295 Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core) or equivalent.
- Successful completion of BIOL 124 Human Anatomy and Physiology I or BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function (Mason Core) or equivalent.
- Successfully meeting Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
Advanced Standing course:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 513 | Advanced Community Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 515 | Fundamentals of Cooking | 3 |
| NUTR 522 | Nutrition Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUTR 626 | Food Systems | 3 |
| *Other courses as approved by department chair. | ||
Reserve credit courses: (optional)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 553 | Nutrients | 3 |
| NUTR 670 | Nutrition Research Methods | 3 |
For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees policies.