Online Master's Degree

MSNS Overview

Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences, 100% Online

As our understanding of the importance of nutrition in human health continues to increase, professionals who are well-versed in nutritional science are in high demand. The University of Texas at Austin’s Master of Science in Nutritional Science (MSNS) online program is designed for a variety of candidates, including students and working professionals in nutrition, wellness, and other health-related fields who want to expand their knowledge base to include the specialization.

Our program is science-based and human-focused and addresses the cutting edge nutrition issues of today, including:

The impact of food preparation and processing on the nutrient quality of food
The role of diet on the gut microbiome
The interaction between what we eat and how our genes function
How to motivate nutritional behavior change
The nutritional and environmental underpinnings of energy balance and weight gain

The Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences (MSNS) offers advanced training in nutritional science to Registered Dietitians and other health and wellness professionals. It also prepares individuals for teaching in community colleges; administration in public health programs; and technical positions at food, pharmaceutical, and chemical laboratories.

This 100% online degree offers the rigor and excellence of the on-campus graduate program to a wider audience.

Graduate students will benefit from the strong support network of fellow students that comes from cohort-based learning and readily accessible faculty. Further, professional students can immediately apply industry-aligned and challenge-based learning strategies to the workplace, whether in a clinical, community, food service, wellness, or private setting.

We are also excited to announce that the MSNS program from UT Austin 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 hour of supervised experience. BCNS reviews each candidate individually, including current course descriptions, transcripts, and experience to determine eligibility. To learn more about becoming a BCNS, visit https://nutritionspecialists.org/

The MSNS program does not satisfy the educational or practice requirements to become a Registered Dietitian. If this is your interest, please refer to our Coordinated and Didactic Programs in Dietetics (undergraduate students) or Didactic Program in Dietetics (undergraduate students and returning students).

The online MSNS program is a 30-credit-hour program with two concentrations:

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Biochemical and Functional Nutrition

All students will complete five core nutrition classes and five courses in the concentration of their choice. This program will provide a unique opportunity for students to choose the concentration best suited for their needs.

Core Courses

Advances in Nutritional Sciences I - Macronutrient Metabolism

Advances in Nutritional Sciences II - Micronutrient Metabolism

Molecular Nutritional Sciences

Experimental Design and Statistics

Advanced Experimental Design and Statistics

Track I: Health Promotion & Disease Prevention	Track 2: Biochemical & Functional Nutrition
Theories of Nutrition Behavior	Biochemical Nutrition: Nutrition as Medicine
Obesity	Nutrition and Cancer
Nutrition Through the Lifecycle	Nutrition and Immunology
Nutrition and Disease Prevention	Nutrigenomics
Graduate Seminar in Nutritional Sciences	Graduate Seminar in Nutritional Sciences

For additional information about classes, please see Course Descriptions.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The final deadline for admission for Fall 2019 is July 15th, 2019.

Admission is based on undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) grades, letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic potential and/or professional experience, and a personal statement of goals from the applicant. A Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score is required for admissions but admission is not based on GRE score cut-points. The Admission Committee also examines the fit between applicant’s goals and the goals of the program.

Applicants to the online MSNS degree program must meet the minimum requirements for graduate study at the University of Texas at Austin. Admission requirements to the Graduate School and the graduate program in Nutritional Sciences are as follows:

A bachelor’s degree in a science-related field from an accredited United States institution or proof of equivalent training at an institute outside the United States. The Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) will determine eligibility for admission in consultation with prospective graduate programs.
A grade point average of at least 3.00 in upper-division work (junior- and senior-level courses) and in any graduate work already completed.
Completion of the GRE or MCAT test is required for admission.
A satisfactory score (minimum score of 83 required) on the TOEFL exam (international applicants only). For more information, please see: Graduate School Admissions for International Students
Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional potential.
Personal statement regarding research and professional experience, goals, and how completion of the program will further those goals.
Applicants should have a background in nutrition or related science and/or meet the pre-requisite coursework for admissions (described below).

If an applicant does not have a bachelor’s degree in a related science field, they must complete the courses below prior to applying for admission to the MSNS degree program:

Introductory Nutrition and Laboratory
Introductory Biology: Cell Biology
Vertebrate Physiology
Principles of Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry

Applications for the Fall 2019 admissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 15th, 2019.

Application

Application Process

Step 1

Take GRE or MCAT. For the GRE, Send official scores using the reference UT Austin code: 6882, no department code is necessary. Scores must be sent from Educational Testing Service (ETS). For the MCAT, upload documentation of MCAT scores to your application as a supplemental document.
International applicants must take TOEFL or IELTS. Send official TOEFL or IELTS scores using the UT Austin code 6882. Scores must be sent from ETS. If you hold bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution or from an institution in another English-only country, you will receive a waiver of the TOEFL. For more information see Admissions for International Students regarding TOEFL scores and international graduate student admission.

Step 2

Apply to the Graduate School at The University of Texas at Austin through ApplyTexas, select Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences Option III (Major Code 671950).

The application requires the names and email addresses of three individuals who will serve as your References. They will receive an email with a link to upload a reference letter.
Include a Statement of Purpose about your background and interest in nutrition.
Include a current Resume.
Pay Application Fee. Your application is not complete until the fee is paid.

Step 3

After you have submitted your application you will receive an email that contains a link to the Status Check website where you will be able to upload your transcript(s). Upload PDF copies of official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities you have attended. All transcripts will be received electronically. Please do not send paper transcripts. For more information, see Graduate Admissions.

All application materials received by the Admissions Center will be available to the Nutritional Sciences Admissions Committee.

From Admissions Status, you can monitor reference requests, upload your curriculum vitae or resume, submit additional items such as publications, resend a request, add a new reference, and revise your FERPA waiver.

Cost & Financial Aid

Total tuition cost for the program is $22,500 ($750/credit hour) plus sutdent fees.

Fees are charged per semester and vary based on number of courses taken per semester.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to ensure enrollment into the program. This deposit will then be applied to the first semester tuition cost.

Applicants for this program are eligible for Federal Direct Loans and some private sector loans. See Financial Aid for more information. Due to the nature of the program other financial support, such as Teaching Assistant positions and scholarship funding, are not available for MSNS graduate students.

All tuition and fees are due by the first day of classes in each respective semester.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this program unique?

What are the prerequisites for admission to this program?

Do I have to follow the curriculum as is? Can I take more or fewer classes per semester?

Courses in the MSNS program are seven weeks long. Four courses per 15-week semester will be offered. The first two are completed during weeks 1-7 and the third and fourth coursesa are completed during weeks 8-15.

We recommend students take all four classes each semester, but students have the option to take only two courses per semester. Students are unable to take additional courses per semester at this time.

The last day to drop a class and receive a refund is the 12th class day in each long semester.

How flexible is the program schedule?

The MSNS program is designed to help students progress at a consistent pace. Students will complete weekly assignments and participate in discussions and activities. Although these activities are required, students have the flexibility to work on them at a convenient time of day. Each course will have unique assignments and schedules presented at the beginning of the course.

The last day to drop a class and receive a refund is the 12th class day of each long semester.

What is the class schedule?

The MSNS program is offered via online classes over seven-week periods. Students are able to access webinars, presentations, readings, assignments and discussions at their convenience. The program begins with one 7-week course in the summer. Then each Fall and Spring semester, four seven-week courses are offered, two at a time and and each pair of courses are offered back-to-back. One final seven-week course is offered in the second summer. Each new cohort begins in the Summer. Admission for each Summer cohort is June 1st of that year.

The last day to drop a class and receive a refund is the 12th class day.

How long does it take to complete the online MSNS degree?

When it is next cohort starting and when I can apply for the next admissions cycle?

How much time should I expect to devote to studying/classwork per week?

Can I become an RD (Registered Dietitian) by completing the MSNS Online?

The MSNS is designed to provide advanced nutrition training to students who have already completed their Bachelor’s in Nutrition or a related science field. This degree does not provide a path to the RD (Registered Dietitian) certification. For additional information about becoming an RD (Registered Dietitian), please see Dietetics.

Does this MSNS degree program satisfy the academic requirement to earn a CNS credential?

The University of Texas at Austin's MS in Nutritional Sciences program 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 hour of supervised experience. BCNS reviews each candidate individually, including current course descriptions, transcripts, and experience to determine eligibility. To learn more about becoming a CNS, visit www.NutritionSpecialists.org.

How much does this program cost?