Graduate Program in Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Faculty

Course Requirements

Applicants for graduate study in the Applied Nutrition & Dietetics concentration must have a bachelors degree, preferably in nutrition, dietetics or a related science-based discipline. Students who do not have a science-based undergraduate degree are required to have taken the following courses with a B grade or above before being admitted into the program:

• General Nutrition [for majors]
• General Chemistry with Lab
• Organic Chemistry [with Lab preferred]
• Anatomy or Physiology with Lab
• Microbiology with Lab [preferred but not required; is required for DPD program]
• Introduction to Statistics [preferred but not required; is required for DPD program]
• Additional courses that are helpful include: microbiology with lab, exercise physiology with lab, advanced nutrition courses, vertebrate physiology, food science

MS Students. All MS students are expected to have human nutrition science proficiently equivalent to NFM 517, 518 and 519. If the student does not have this proficiency these courses must be part of your program of study. Other courses within the program of study are selected with the student's faculty advisor. In addition, each MS graduate student in the Department of Nutrition and Food Management is required to take the following courses:

PhD Students. There are no rigid course requirements for doctoral students except for those listed below, if the student does not already have proficiency in these areas. The current OSU Bulletin Graduate Catalog has university requirements. Students must take a minimum of 108 graduate credit hours. Of these, 18 hours will be associated with a minor degree (15 hours if it is an integrated minor). The remaining hours will be approximately equally divided between course work and NFM 603 Thesis. Programs are individually planned with the major professor and the graduate program committee. Students enrolled in a Ph.D. program should have a background in their field of study equivalent to an MS in the area of study. This may require extra course work for a student changing graduate fields. If you have not had classroom teaching experience, you must take NFM 509T, Practicum in Teaching, or arrange alternate approved experience. No foreign language is required. The following coursework is required by the department for completion of the doctoral degree. Exceptions can be made depending on existing competencies. In these situations, courses can be replaced with other competencies that need to be met.

Exam for Ph.D. Students (Preliminary Comprehensive Written). Ph.D. students are required to take a written comprehensive exam. This exam is usually scheduled after the majority of your coursework is completed. If one passes the written comp exam, an oral exam must be taken.

Time Required to Complete Your Degree

1. MS students. In general, it will take two years; however, if your undergraduate major was in a different field, a longer time may be required.
2. PhD students. In general, 3-4 years beyond the M.S. degree are needed. Courses may be transferred from your M.S. program to the Ph.D. program with agreement by your graduate committee.
4. Becoming an RD. If your goal is also to complete the courses required by The American Dietetic Association Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) so that you may apply for a dietetic internship in preparation to become a Registered Dietitian (R.D.), it will probably take a minimum of an additional three quarters of study. Many of the 400 level professional courses in the DPD may be taken as 500 level if appropriate for your graduate degree.