Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences
Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Sciences
Our NFS Master`s program offers opportunities to pursue specialized study under the tutelage of a widely-published research scientist in a department full of seasoned scholars. The department funds nine graduate fellowships each year(actual number of available fellowships will vary); individual faculty may also fund additional graduate students through grants.
Faculty research encompasses both basic and applied aspects of human nutrition and food science. Current studies focus on Web-based interactive multimedia tools for teaching and research, Internet-based weight management programs, milk chemistry, cheese technology and food microbiology.
Since our faculty members` research interests are diverse, prospective graduate students should visit our faculty section and contact individual department members for information about ongoing research projects and fellowship/assistantship opportunities.
What coursework/research experience is involved?
Our master`s degree in NFS requires 30 credit hours of research and coursework. This includes:
- Thesis research: 6 to 15 credit hours.
- A course in statistics (e.g. Stats 211).
- Research Methods in Nutrition and Food Sciences: (NFS 360): A graduate-level NFS course focused on advanced research methods, including grant preparation, Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, data analysis and presentation.
- Nutrition and Food Sciences Seminar (NFS 350): Weekly meetings focused on research presentations and critiques within the department (2 credits required).
- Comprehensive Examination (GRAD 387): A written and/or oral comprehensive examination (decided up on by your advisor and thesis committee members).
- Research and Thesis: Original research (and a written summary of it) conducted under the supervision of your faculty advisor. (Most graduate students also submit their thesis results, usually in condensed form to scholarly journals for publication consideration).
- Thesis Defense: After presenting your thesis research findings at a public seminar open to the college community, a thesis defense committee (three University of Vermont graduate faculty members, one outside of the department) engage the graduate student in an oral defense of the thesis.
Am I qualified to apply?
Yes if...(
- You are interested in pursuing research in nutrition and food science and
- You have an undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics, food science or another science (such as biology or chemistry) and
- You have taken an undergraduate course in biochemistry, which has organic chemistry as a prerequisite.
- You took the GREs with satisfactory results in the general (aptitude) portion.
- A TOEFL score of 100 or above is required for a funded assistantship.
Interested individuals whose educational and/or professional experiences are not directly related to nutrition and food science are welcomed, too, but need to complete at least one semester of undergraduate-level biochemistry, which has organic chemistry as a prerequisite, before applying.
Need more info? Contact: Professor Stephen Pintauro, or 802-656-0541.To apply:Access application materials here
Deadline: Feb 15, for students seeking funding
(assistantships, fellowships).
Decisions are made by March 15.
Applications from students not seeking funding are accepted on a rolling basis.
Last modified September 26 2012 10:33 PM