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 in animals, 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 this graduate program and selection for department-funded assistantships is highly competitive. Faculty review the applications for their program area. Priority consideration is given to applicants who meet or exceed admission requirements and possess research interests that parallel those of the faculty. We do not offer conditional admission.
The application must include the following:
- A bachelor’s degree 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.
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score. In the past, successful applicants have typically had scores at or above the 50th percentile on two of the three subtests (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing). Official scores must be submitted.
- Letters of recommendation – Applicants must submit names and contact information for at least 3 people who will provide letters of recommendation and evaluation of the applicant’s preparedness and/or qualifications for the desired graduate degree program.
- A statement of purpose (letter of intent) that includes applicant’s preparation for the desired degree, research interests, future goals related to the program of interest, and if they wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship.
- A current professional resume or curriculum vitae.
- For international students, a minimum TOEFL score of 540 (76 iBT), IELTS score of 6.5, 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.