The Master of Science in Nutritional Science

Course Requirements for the Master’s Degree: 30 units

Continuous enrollment is required. A maximum of 9 semester units of transfer credit may be applied toward the degree.
Graduate Time Limit: All requirements for the degree are to be completed within five years of the end of the semester of enrollment in the oldest course applied toward the degree. See “Graduate Education” in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.

The MS in Nutritional Science provides an opportunity for students to:

1. Specialize in nutrition, food science, clinical nutrition, or community nutrition.

2. Complete a master’s degree and concurrently qualify for membership in the American Dietetic Association.

3. Increase competence in food and nutrition subject matter in preparation for college teaching, research, graduate study beyond the master’s degree, and administrative positions in public and private agencies.

Prerequisites for Admission to Conditionally Classified Status:

1. Satisfactory grade point average as specified in “Admission to Master’s Degree Programs” in The University Catalog.

2. Approval by the department and the Office of Graduate Programs.

3. An acceptable baccalaureate from an accredited institution, or an equivalent approved by the Office of Graduate Programs, which includes a minimum of 24 upper-division units among the subject areas of biochemistry, chemistry, nutrition and food science, mathematics, microbiology, physiology, and statistics. Computer literacy is also required. Students with deficiencies in undergraduate preparation may be required to take prerequisite course work at the discretion of the Graduate Coordinator after consultation with the student and faculty in the subject matter area(s) considered deficient. In addition, prerequisites for graduate-level courses must have been completed within the five years prior to taking the graduate courses. Outdated prerequisites must be validated either by examination or by registration (credit will not be earned for validating this course work).

4. Approval by the Nutrition and Food Science Graduate Coordinator.

Prerequisites for Admission to Classified Status:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

1. Development and submission of an approved program plan in consultation with the Graduate Adviser and a faculty member of the student’s choice.

2. Completion of 12 departmentally specified units of letter-graded 200/300-level course work (of which 9 units must be in residence and part of the approved program) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

Advancement to Candidacy:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

1. Classified graduate standing and completion at the university of at least 15 units of approved course work.

2. Completion of MATH 315 or equivalent.

Requirements for the MS in Nutritional Science:

Completion of all requirements as established by the program graduate committee, the graduate advisory committee, and the Office of Graduate Programs, to include:

1. Completion of 30 units of approved 200/300-level course work as follows:
(a) Units required for both options:

13 units required:

NFSC    300    Research Meth in Nutritional Sci    4.0    Inq

Prerequisites: MATH 315 or similar statistics course.

NFSC    325B    Topics in Macronutrients    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 225; biochemistry.

NFSC    325C    Topics in Vitamins and Minerals    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 225; biochemistry.

MATH    315    Stat Methods for Grad Research    3.0    S1

Prerequisites: MATH 005, MATH 105A, MATH 215, or MATH 103 (only one is required).

3-6 units required:

NFSC    398P    Professional Paper    3.0    FS

NFSC    399    Master’s Thesis    1.0-6.0    FS

2-6 units selected from:

NFSC    325A    Topics in Clinical Nutrition    2.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 226 and biochemistry.

NFSC    325D    Food Science    2.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 120, biochemistry.

NFSC    325E    Topics in Developmntl Nutrition    2.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 127, biochemistry.

NFSC    325F    Nutrition: International Issues    2.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 224, biochemistry.

NFSC    325G    Topics in Community Nutrition    2.0    Inq

NFSC    389    Graduate Internship    1.0-6.0    FS

NFSC    398    Independent Study    1.0-3.0    FS

Completion of one of the following options:

THE OPTION IN GENERAL NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

9 units required:

BIOL    214    Vertebrate Physiology    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: BIOL 006B, BIOL 010; CHEM 028 or CHEM 070.

CHEM    250A    Biochemistry    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: CHEM 170.

CHEM    251    Biochemistry Laboratory    2.0    FS

Prerequisites: CHEM 105, CHEM 250A; CHEM 170L or CHEM 170M.

THE OPTION IN NUTRITION EDUCATION

9-12 units required:

NFSC    327    Nutrition Education    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: NFSC 227.

NFSC    389    Graduate Internship    1.0-6.0    FS

PSY    273A    Counseling Psychology    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: PSY 225 or PSY 235; senior or graduate standing; faculty permission.

(b) At least 18 of the units required for the degree must be in 300-level courses.
(c) Not more than 9 semester units of transfer and/or extension credit (correspondence courses and U.C. extension course work are not acceptable).
(d) Not more than a total of 10 units of Independent Study (398), Professional Paper (398P), and Master’s Thesis (399); not more than 3 units of Professional Paper (398P and 6 units of Master’s Thesis (399).

2. Completion and final approval of a thesis or a professional paper as specified by the graduate advisory committee.

3. Completion of a comprehensive final oral examination in the field of study.

4. Approval by the graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinators Committee on behalf of the faculty of the university.

Culminating Activity:

1. Thesis Plan. The candidate shall submit an acceptable thesis based on original research and developed by the student and agreed to by the student’s graduate advisory committee.
(a) Thesis proposal: A proposal of the thesis must be submitted and approved by the graduate advisory committee before the student begins the research. The proposal includes a literature review, a statement of the problem and purpose or hypothesis of the research, research design, and methods to be used. The proposal is a formal document that must have appropriate attention given to the matters of format, documentation, and quality of writing.
(b) Registration in NFSC 399, Master’s Thesis.
(c) Approval of thesis: Members of the graduate advisory committee shall approve the thesis.
(d) Oral defense: the candidate’s graduate advisory committee shall conduct an oral defense of the thesis. The oral defense is generally limited to matters within the scope of the thesis.

2. Professional Paper Plan. The candidate shall submit an acceptable professional paper based on original research developed by the student and agreed to by the student’s graduate advisory committee.
(a) Professional paper proposal: A proposal of the professional paper must be submitted and approved by the graduate advisory committee before the student begins the research. The proposal includes a literature review, a statement of the problem and purpose or hypothesis of the research, research design, and methods to be used. The proposal is a formal document that must have appropriate attention given to matters of format, documentation, and quality of writing.
(b) Registration in NFSC 398P, Professional Paper.
(c) Approval of professional paper: Members of the graduate adisory committee shall approve the professional paper.
(d) Oral defense: the candidate’s graduate advisory committee shall conduct an oral defense of te professional paper. The oral defense is generally limited to matters within the scope of the paper.

Graduate Literacy Requirement:

Writing proficiency is a graduation requirement.

Nutritional Science majors will demonstrate their writing competence through successful completion of written papers assigned in NFSC 327. For those students not completing NFSC 327 under the Option in General Nutritional Science, a writing portfolio will be evaluated for literacy.

Graduate Grading Requirements:

All courses in the major (with the exceptions of Independent Study-398 and Master’s Study-399) must be taken for a letter grade, except those courses specified by the department as ABC/No Credit (200-level courses), AB/No Credit (300-level courses), or Credit/No Credit grading only. A maximum of 10 units combined of ABC/No Credit, AB/No Credit, and Credit/No Credit grades may be used on the approved program (including 398, 399, and courses outside the major). While grading standards are determined by individual programs and instructors, it is also the policy of the university that unsatisfactory grades may be given when work fails to reflect achievement of the high standards, including high writing standards, expected of students pursuing graduate study.

Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all course work on the approved master’s degree program as well as in all course work taken subsequent to admission to conditionally classified status.

Graduate Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory each semester for Nutritional Science majors. Consult the Graduate Coordinator for specific information.