M.S. in Human Nutrition Online Degree Program

Program Overview
The University of Bridgeport's Nutrition Institute offers a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition. The program is accredited by the State of Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and has been offered since 1977. For more information on the Univeristy of Bridgeport's accreditations & memberships, click here.

The Human Nutrition program provides a biochemical and physiological study of nutrition and its role in health and disease. The curriculum, highly relevant to health care, promotes the understanding, utilization, and application of nutrition principles. Emphasis is placed on gaining proficiency in counseling in alternative and complementary medicine using nutritional strategies.

Dr. David Brady

The program provides its graduates with a foundation for entering Ph.D. programs in nutrition. Licensure or certification is available through several individual states or national nutritional organizations. Consult with state health departments or specific organizations for exact eligibility. The program is a graduate-level program and is not designed to lead to the registered dietician (R.D.) designation.

UB Nutrition Student in the News

Admission Requirements
Students are accepted into the nutrition program from science and non-science backgrounds. Applicants should have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an above average academic record and course work in human anatomy and physiology (6 credit minimum) and introductory biochemistry (4 credits), and basic nutrition (1 credit minimum). Students can be accepted into the program without the pre-requisites, but must complete the necessary courses prior to beginning graduate coursework.  If an applicant has completed a minimum of 8 credits of organic chemistry with laboratory, the biochemistry pre-requisite requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Program Director. Please note that transfer credit for the core pre-requisite courses listed above that have been taken longer than 10 years ago will only be accepted at the discretion of the Program Director.

Acceptance will be determined by academic performance history and demonstration of application of course-specific content through continued professional or academic experience. Core pre-requisite classes taken longer than ten years previous to application will not automatically be transferable. The baccalaureate requirement may be waived for certain licensed health practitioners holding doctoral degrees from accredited professional programs. The deadline for an applicant to have a completed folder for guaranteed admissions consideration is:

     December 1st for January admission
     August 1st for September admission

A complete folder consists of a completed application, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, 2 letters of recommendation, and a detailed personal statement addressing why you are seeking admission. To apply online, visit our Getting Started page.

Dr. Mark C. Houston

Pre-Requisites
Students are required to have completed course work in anatomy and physiology (6 credits), introductory biochemistry (4 credits), and basic nutrition (1 credit). If an applicant has 8 credits of organic chemistry with labs, the Intro to Biochemistry requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Program Director. Please note that transfer credit for core pre-requisite courses that have been taken longer than 10 years ago will only be accepted at the discretion of the Program Director. Students can be accepted into the program without the pre-requisites, but must complete the necessary courses prior to beginning graduate coursework (transcripts must be received at least one week prior to the program start date). Upon acceptance to the program, students will be notified which pre-requisite courses are needed, if any.  Pre-requisite courses can be completed through UB Online, or through any accredited institution. For a course schedule, please visit our schedule page. To register for pre-requisite courses, please go to our registration page.

Accelerated Entry into the Master’s Degree Program
Basic Nutrition, Introduction to Biochemistry and Anatomy and Physiology may be completed at U.B. in only four months in a weekend on-campus program and through an on-line program. These courses are offered annually, in May and September. Students must complete both courses with a minimum grade of B. In addition, online prerequisite courses are available.

Basic Nutrition Requirement
Students who have not taken course work in basic nutrition must take Basic Nutrition, NUTR 123, which is offered annually, in January and May, both on-campus and on-line. A minimum grade of B is required.

NOTE: Students taking pre-requisite courses for the M.S. Human Nutrition degree program may not be eligible for Financial Aid - check with UB's Financial Aid office to determine your eligibility.

Accreditation
The Human Nutrition Program is licensed and accredited by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Accreditation by The American Dietetic Association is not required, since the Master of Science program is NOT a dietetics training program. It does not include the 900 hours of clinical training required for eligibility to take the registration examination for the R.D. credential.

Dr. Barry S. Kendler

Instructional Format
The M.S. in Human Nutrition is offered entirely online. The courses are designed to be learner-centered in terms of scheduling, duration, learning materials, assignments, and interaction between faculty and students and among students. The online interaction is designed to encourage thoughtful and well-prepared discussions based on both the student's command of the coursework and their personal nutrition experience.

Courses are conducted entirely online and can be accessed at anytime from anywhere. Interaction with professors and other students is done through email and an online discussion board.

Degree Requirements
Degree candidates must complete the courses listed in the 31 credit curriculum with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B average). Onsite students are required to complete an independent research project or literature-review-based thesis, while online students are required to pass a comprehensive examination at the completion of all coursework in order to graduate. All degree requirements are to be completed within a five year period.

 For course descriptions click here.

NOTE: Courses are designed to be taken in the following sequence:

Semester 1: NUTR 560A and NUTR 560B
Semester 2: NUTR 560C and NUTR 560D
Semester 3: NUTR 560E and NUTR 560H
Semester 4: NUTR 560F and NUTR 560M
Semester 5: Elective (NUTR 560P, 560J, 560L, or 560R) and Comprehensive final exam.

NOTE: Courses 560A, B, C and D must be taken in sequence. Courses 560 E, H, F, M and the elective sequence can be varied but it is not recommended.

Courses can be taken one at a time, however there may be semesters where the next course in sequence is not available.  For help selecting courses, students should contact the Nutrition Institute.  For course descriptions, visit our course descriptions page.  For an online class schedule, visit our course schedule page.

Following completion of the core curriculum, all online students are required to complete a one-day Comprehensive Examination. The exam (including re-takes, if necessary) is held twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring, on the main campus in Bridgeport, CT. Typically, students take the exam during their last semester, simultaneously with their elective (which is not covered on the exam). Travel expenses are the student's responsibility.

Tuition & Fees 2008-09: Tuition: $635 per credit                (Graduate courses)             $435 per credit                (Pre-requisite courses) Application Fee:    $40 Registration Fee:  $75 per semester Graduation Fee:    $110 Financial aid: Financial aid is available to those students who qualify Apply for financial aid online (School code: 001416)

 

Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN)
Doctors interested in attaining their Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN) designation please click here for information.

Policies
   1) Policies & Guidelines - Distance Learning
   2) Comprehensive Examination Policy Notice

For More Information
For more information about the online M.S. in Human Nutrition, or to apply online for acceptance into the program, please click on one of the buttons below:

 

Questions?

Amanda Diehl Email: adiehl@bridgeport.edu Phone: 888-822-4476 Mail: Office of Graduate Admissions University of Bridgeport 126 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604

 

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