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Curriculum

The University of Texas at Austin’s Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences (MSNS) degree is a 30-credit-hour program (10 courses in total). This rigorous, yet flexible curriculum offers students the choice of studying over one or two years. You can also choose to specialize in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention or Biochemical and Functional Nutrition, although you are not locked into either specialization. This MSNS degree highlights the link between nutrition and human health and disease.

As a learner in the MSNS program, you’ll address critical nutrition issues such as:

  • The nutritional and environmental underpinnings of energy balance and health.

  • The interaction between what we eat and how our genes function.

  • The role of diet on the gut microbiome.

  • The effects micronutrients have on human health.

  • The skills to discern scientific fact from fiction.

This program also fulfills part of the current academic requirements for the Board Certified Nutrition Specialist (BCNS) certification. BCNS requires a graduate degree in the field of nutrition from a regionally accredited university, specific coursework, and 1,000 hours of supervised experience. This certification enables you to practice medical nutrition therapy and other aspects of nutrition care in many states. Learn more about eligibility.

Complete program in 1 or 2 years

Depending on your specific requirements, the MSNS program has two tracks, which you can choose based on your career or educational goals. The one-year track prepares students to study medicine, pharmacology, dentistry or physician assistant programs — students in the MSNS build a strong knowledge base in nutritional science. The two-year track is designed for working professionals, especially current registered dietitians in need of a master’s degree, and offers them the flexibility to successfully complete the program while continuing to meet job and personal life responsibilities.

Required courses

All MSNS students are required to complete the five core courses below to graduate. All courses are worth 3 credit hours. 

  • Advances in Nutritional Sciences I Macronutrient Metabolism

  • Advances in Nutritional Sciences II Micronutrient Metabolism

  • Experimental Design and Statistics

  • Advanced Experimental Design and Statistics

  • Study Design and Research Methods

Concentration: Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

In addition to the five core nutrition courses, students who want to develop specialized knowledge in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention will complete the five courses below:

  • Theories of Nutrition Behavior

  • Obesity

  • Nutrition Through the Lifecycle

  • Nutrition and Disease Prevention

  • Community Nutrition

Concentration: Biochemical & Functional Nutrition

Students who want to focus on learning more about biochemical and functional nutrition will complete the the core nutrition courses, as well as following five courses:

  • Nutrition as Medicine

  • Nutrition and Cancer

  • Nutrition and Immunology

  • Nutrigenomics

  • Molecular Nutritional Sciences

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