Nutritional Sciences, M.S. or Ph.D.

About the Program

The Department of Nutritional Sciences offers a graduate program designed to provide advanced education, training, and research to students desiring mastery in an area of nutrition. This program is offered onsite at the Oklahoma City campus and through distance learning at the OU Tulsa Schusterman campus.

The graduate program provides learning opportunities for the purpose of fulfilling two goals:

• Provide interested individuals an opportunity to augment their knowledge and expertise in nutrition; and
• Provide Registered Dietitians an opportunity for advanced education, training, and research.

Two major tracks of study leading to a MS in Nutritional Sciences are offered: Track I is a thesis track and Track II is a non-thesis track.

The Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences can be earned concurrently with the Master of Arts in Dietetics degree. If a student is not a Registered Dietitian and wishes to simultaneously gain the necessary coursework, the two degrees can be completed in tandem.

Career Opportunities

A wide variety of job opportunities are available for graduates of the program. Graduates may be employed in public health settings, hospitals, clinics, local/state/federal government agencies, wellness centers, private practice, food companies, universities (teaching and research), private industry, and other areas. Marketability is significantly greater if the individual is registry-eligible or a Registered Dietitian.

Cost

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.

Prerequisites

Master of Science

• Successful completion of Bachelor’s degree in nutrition or dietetics from a regionally accredited institution.
• Minimum grade point average of 3.0 on last 60 hours of coursework applied to the degree or a minimum of 3.0 on graduated graduate coursework of 12 hours or more.
• Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BIOL 2124	Human Physiology	4
CHEM 3653	Introduction To Biochemistry	3
HES 2823	Introductory Nutrition	3
CHEM 3013	Organic Chemistry	3-4
or CHEM 3053	Organic Chemistry I: Biological Emphasis
or CHEM 3064	Organic Chemistry I

Doctor of Philosophy

• Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in graded graduate coursework. 
• Have completed 34 credit hours of graduate coursework;
• A master's degree is preferred. If the applicant has earned a master's degree, it need not be in Allied Health Sciences. Each student's Advisory Committee reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of any graduate work previously completed by a student and may limit transfer credit. A maximum of 30 hours of master's degree work may be applied to the 90 hours required for the Ph.D. degree;
• Submit a career goal statement with the online application;
• Provide contact information for three (3) individuals who will submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. 

Master of Science Degree Requirements

This degree program requires a minimum of 34 semester hours, and students may pursue either a thesis or a non-thesis option. The thesis option requires 17-19 hours of core course work (seminar, research methods, statistics, thesis, energy nutrients, and non-energy nutrients); 10 additional hours are to be taken from Departmental offerings, and the remaining five-seven hours may be electives from any area. The non-thesis option requires 16 hours of core course work (seminar, research methods, statistics, masters project, energy nutrients, and non-energy nutrients); 12 additional hours are to be taken form Departmental offerings, and the remaining six hours may be taken from any area.

Non-Thesis Track

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Fall - Year 1
NS 5833	Non-Energy Nutrients	3
NS 5233	Research Methods	3
BSE 5163	Biostatistical Methods I	3
Spring - Year 1
NS 5823	Energy Nutrients	3
NS 5272	Geriatric Nutrition	2
HPS 5503	Introduction to Health Education and Health Promotion	3
Fall - Year 2
NS 5990	Special Studies	1-6
NS 5113	Nutrition and Immunology	3
NS 5132	Adult Weight Management	2
HPS 5213	Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health	3
Spring - Year 2
NS 5970	Seminar	1-6
NS 6103	Pediatric Nutrition	3
NS 5103	Master Project	3

Thesis Track

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Fall - Year 1
NS 5833	Non-Energy Nutrients	3
NS 5233	Research Methods	3
BSE 5163	Biostatistical Methods I	3
NS 5132	Adult Weight Management	2
Spring - Year 2
NS 5823	Energy Nutrients	3
NS 5980	Research For Master's Thesis	2-9
NS 5272	Geriatric Nutrition	2
HPS 5503	Introduction to Health Education and Health Promotion	3
Fall - Year 2
NS 5970	Seminar	1-6
NS 5980	Research For Master's Thesis	2-9
NS 5960	Directed Readings	1-6
HPS 5213	Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health	3
Spring - Year 2
NS 5980	Research For Master's Thesis	2-9
NS 6103	Pediatric Nutrition	3

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements

Minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate credit hours; graduate transfer credit hours: 34; plus 56 credit hours per the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Fall - Year 1
BMSC 6202	Preparing Future Faculty - Instructional Methods	2
AHS 6413	Research Methods	3
AHS 6960	Directed Readings	1-3
Spring - Year 1
BSE 5173	Biostatistics Methods II	3
CTS 5143	Foundations of Clinical Research	3
BSE 5013	Application of Microcomputers to Data Analysis	3
Summer - Year 1
NS 5990	Special Studies	1-6
Fall - Year 2
AHS 6950	Practicum in Allied Health Sciences	2-6
BSE 5153	Clinical Trials	3
AHS 6970	Seminar in Allied Health Sciences	1
Spring - Year 2
BSE 5653	Nonparametric Methods	3
AHS 6970	Seminar in Allied Health Sciences	1
AHS Elective		2
Summer - Year 2
NS 6203	Nutrition and Cancer	3
Fall - Year 3
AHS 6980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	2-9
AHS 6970	Seminar in Allied Health Sciences	1
Spring - Year 3
AHS 6980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	2-9
AHS 6970	Seminar in Allied Health Sciences	1
Summer - Year 3
AHS 6980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	2-9

Note: Student’s advisory committee sets the remainder of any needed requirements to meet the 90 hours required for the degree.

Admission Requirements

1. Submission of completed application (including supplemental application from the College of Allied Health);
2. Department interview;
3. TOEFL score of 550 or greater from a student for whom English is a second language;
4. Completion of the following prerequisites: Biochemistry; Human Physiology; Introductory Nutrition.

Program Objectives

The graduate program in the Department of Nutritional Sciences is a flexible program whose primary goal is to provide advanced education, training, and research to selected students desiring to develop mastery in an area of nutrition.