General Information
You can earn your master’s degree in food science and human nutrition through the Department of Animal Science or Family and Consumer Sciences.
Applicants indicate the research experience they prefer and faculty member they are interested in working with. In this highly competitive graduate degree program, students gain direct experience with data collection, analysis, writing and publication through laboratory and classroom learning experiences. Program faculty are actively conducting research in the areas of eating behaviors, indigenous/traditional diets, micronutrient needs and deficiencies, food product development, sensory characteristics of food products, health and physical performance of active individuals, nutrition and disease, brain-reward pathway, microbial diagnostics, rumen microbiome, nitrogen/protein metabolism, lipid analysis and alternative feed/forages.
General Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework at the 4000/5000 level is required. Only nine credit hours of 4000-level courses are allowed in this master’s program. The student may be required to complete more than the minimum credit hours to satisfy prerequisites or because the student’s committee determines additional coursework is required for the student to reach their professional objective.
Student may choose Plan A - Thesis or Plan B - Non-Thesis Project.
An oral defense of thesis or project is required.
Student must complete the following (approved by graduate committee):
18 credit hours of courses from food and nutritional sciences, biological, natural and social sciences
6 credit hours of supporting research courses
2 credit hours of graduate research seminars
4 credit hours of FCSC 5960 Thesis Research
The student is responsible for meeting all deadlines, submitting all required forms, and for fulfilling all requirements for the degree.
Recommended Prerequisites
The following are recommended for students applying to the program:
- One semester of organic chemistry
- Human or animal nutrition, anatomy and physiology
- Introductory statistics
Application and Admission Requirements
Admission to our graduate program and selection for department-funded assistantships is highly competitive. Faculty in each program area will review the applications for their program area and priority consideration will be given to applicants who meet or exceed admission requirements and possess research interests that parallel those of the faculty. Applicants will also be evaluated based on their fit with the identified faculty member and whether the identified faculty member is currently accepting graduate students. Faculty members typically select promising students to interview before final decisions are made. We do not offer conditional admission.
Application Requirements for All Applicants:
- A bachelor’s degree based on a four year curriculum from an accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). Transcripts from all institutions attended must be submitted.
- A statement of purpose (letter of intent) that includes applicant’s reason for seeking this degree; specific research interests; how educational, research, work and/or other experiences have shaped the applicant’s educational and research interests; the faculty member(s) the applicant is interested in working with and how research interests and experiences fit with that mentor.
- A current professional resume or curriculum vitae.
- At least 3 letters of recommendation about the applicant’s preparedness and/or qualifications for the desired graduate degree program.
Application Requirements for Domestic Applicants:
- Domestic students whose GPA does not meet the basic requirement of 3.0 but who wish to apply based on their extensive experience in the field and/or strong research experience should consider taking the GRE to support their application. A strong background and strong GRE score may offset a GPA that falls slightly below the minimum of 3.0.
Application Requirements for International Applicants:
- The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required. Successful applicants typically have scores at or above the 50th percentile in analytical writing, and at or above the 50th percentile least in at least one of the verbal or quantitative subsections.
** Rarely the GRE may be waived for international students with extreme extenuating circumstances. These requests will be evaluated by the graduate faculty. If approved, alternative materials will be required. For more information, please contact the department at fam-consci@uwyo.edu.
- For international students, a minimum TOEFL score of 540 (76 iBT), IELTS score of 6.5, OPIc score of Advanced Mid, or Duolingo score of 105 average of the Conversation and Production sections. Official scores must be submitted.
- International students must also provide evidence of adequate financial resources.
To ensure full review for fall semester admission, applications must be received no later than March 1. Notification of application decisions will be made by May 1. Applications received at other times of year will be reviewed only if space in the desired program area is available.
Final approval of program entry for an international graduate student receiving an assistantship is contingent upon demonstrated English language oral proficiency.
Financial Support
Financial support is never guaranteed.
Graduate assistantships are awarded after applicants are selected for program entry.
Graduate assistantships require teaching and/or research. Students awarded an assistantship involving any type of teaching responsibility including labs, lectures, paper grading and interpretation to students are required to successfully complete the mandatory Graduate Teaching and Learning Symposium prior to assuming their duties. The department will define teaching responsibilities prior to the student attending the teaching symposium.
A full-time assistantship provides a stipend, health insurance, and a tuition/fee reduction.
The stipend is payable in installments over an academic year (September through May).
Health insurance will be paid for the calendar year. Student medical insurance is mandatory for international students.
The tuition/fee reduction will cover up to 9 graduate credit hours of tuition per semester and most mandatory fees. Some incidental fees are the responsibility of the student. Anyone receiving a full-time graduate assistantship must be registered as a full-time student in 9 credit hours per semester.
If a student is awarded less than a full-time assistantship, the stipend, and tuition and fee reduction will be adjusted to the percentage rate of the assistantship.
Graduate students who receive a full assistantship are required to work an average of 20 hours per week for the stipend.
Renewal of a graduate assistantship is contingent on acceptable progress towards degree completion and maintenance of a grade point average of 3.0 or above.
Financial support is not given for more than two academic years.
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