Accelerated Master of Science Degree Program

The purpose of this degree program is to enable undergraduate students to complete the requirements for a B.S. and M.S. degree in less calendar time than would be required through normal sequential enrollment.  This intensive program is targeted toward high achieving undergraduate students who are seeking a quicker path to a graduate degree.  Students interested in the accelerated M.S. program must apply to the Graduate School for admission and acceptance into the M.S. program.  Students in the M.S. program must re-apply to the Graduate School for admission and acceptance to the PhD. program.  Consult the Graduate School website for application procedures and deadlines.  Admission into the accelerated master's program will be decided by the Nutrition Department Graduate Admissions Committee.  Students graduating from this program will earn both a B.S. and an M.S. degree.  Students interested in this program should contact both the Undergraduate and Graduate advisors.

Timeline:

Students can apply to the accelerated master's program in February of their junior year.  This means that they will need to have completed the general GRE by fall of their junior year.  In order to aply students will need to have earned a GPA of at least 3.5 and have completed the following courses:

  • Nutrition 230
  • Nutrition 372* 
  • Nutrition 430*
  • KIN 270 and 272
  • BIO 151
  • CHEM 111, 112
  • CHEM 261 or  250 

*Students may take these classes in the spring semester they apply to the 4+1 program.  All other undergraduate requirements, including BIOCHEM 420, NUTRITN 230, and NUTRITN 352 must be completed prior to starting the MS.

Course Requirements  -  Graduate Level:

     COURSE COURSE NAME # of CREDITS
BIOSTATS 540 Introductory Biostatistics 3
EPI 630 Principles of Epidemiology 3
NUTRITN 630 (prereq NUTRITN 430)   Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism 3
NUTRITN 640 Public Health Nutrition 3
NUTRITN 714 Vitamins and Minerals 3
NUTRITN 741 Methods in Nutrition Research 3
NUTRITN 793A Graduate Seminar 1
NUTRITN 794A Graduate Seminar 1
NUTRITN 697W                                  Advanced Writin Seminar 1
TOTAL CREDITS FROM REQUIRED COURSES 21


Nutrition electives:
Students choose any 2 courses from list below.
Students cannot use courses that were counted toward their undergraduate degree.

     COURSE COURSE NAME # of CREDITS
NUTRITN 572 Community Nutrition 3
NUTRITN 575 Culture, Nutrition and Health 3
NUTRITN 578 Nutritional Problems in the Developing World 3
NUTRITN 580 Medical Nutrition Therapy 4
NUTRITN 585 Practical Skills in Nutrition Counseling 3
NUTRITN 597G Nutrition and Food Policy 3
NUTRITN 597J Nutritional Genomics 3
NUTRITN 597R Nutrition and Reproductive Health 2
NUTRITN 597S Nutrition and Cancer 3
NUTRITN 678 Topics in International Nutrition 3
NUTRITN 715 Advanced Vitamins and Minerals 3
TOTAL CREDITS FROM NUTRITION ELECTIVES 12-13
                                                                                                                                               TOTAL # CREDITS 33-34


Other Electives:
Students will take two additional 3-credit electives, with at least 3 credits outside the department.

500-level or above (from NUTRITN or another department) 3
500-level or above (from another department) 3
Culminating Experience     (1-credit seminar) 1
TOTAL CREDITS FROM OTHER ELECTIVES & CULMINATING EXPERIENCE 7
   
TOTAL CREDITS 33-34


For more information about the B.S. program, contact the Undergraduate Program Director Claire Norton at: cpnorton@nutrition.umass.edu