M.S. Concentration in Food and Nutrition Specialization in Food Science and Nutrition Science

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

The Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in Food and Nutrition, specialization in Food Science and Nutrition Science offers a unique resource geared to advanced and traditional interest of the region’s food and nutritional science-based economies. Academic programs that support applied food biotechnologies, food science technology and food engineering, as well as nutritional biochemistry, can be tailored to meet the thesis or non-thesis needs of graduate students.

As a natural extension of the University’s century-long commitment to food and nutritional studies, the Master of Science program is dedicated to the vigorous product development and technical support of the food production, biotechnologies, industrial, and medical sectors of the Commonwealth that will shape the 21st century economy of the region.

Program Requirements

The program requires a minimum of ten (10) courses: four (4) core courses, five (5) concentration courses, and one (1) approved elective course; plus undergraduate prerequisite courses required for students without an appropriate academic background. Students may take courses in any sequence subject to the following general requirements:

  1. Students must have completed all the undergraduate prerequisite courses before registering for core, concentration or elective courses;
  2. NUTR 903 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism must be repeated if passed with a grade lower than B- (2.70).
  3. An oral comprehensive examination is required as the student’s culminating experience.

 

Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses

NOTE: The prerequisite undergraduate courses, if taken elsewhere, must be equivalent to those offered at Framingham State University. Furthermore, these courses must have been successfully completed within the last five (5) years.

 

Required Program Core Courses (4):

Required Specialization Courses (5)

Required Elective Course (1)

  • An 800- or 900-level graduate elective course must be approved, in writing, by the student’s advisor.

 

Application Deadline

Prior to application advising is available and recommended for graduate students interested in Food and Nutrition. Individual appointments are available on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 - 7:30pm (EST) in person or by phone through the Advising Center. You can schedule an appointment with a Food and Nutrition program advisor online or by calling (508) 626-4540.  Be sure to request a Food and Nutrition advisor specifically.

Students who need to fulfill the undergraduate prerequisites and plan to begin their studies in the fall semester must submit a complete application by January 1st to be admitted by February 1st of the preceding academic year in order to register for certain laboratory courses, although availability of seats cannot be guaranteed in advance. Students admitted after February 1st may still begin their studies in the fall if seats are available in required undergraduate prerequisite courses. Other applications are accepted on a rolling admission basis.

 

Admission Requirements

The applicant must:

  1. Complete the online graduate admission application
  2. Submit the $50.00 application fee
  3. Have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, which includes basic courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics.
  4. Have a minimum undergraduate quality point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including acceptable grades in science and mathematics courses taken as an undergraduate.
  5. Provide two letters of recommendation submitted on the Framingham State University Letter of Recommendation form and sent directly to the University’s Graduate Admissions office by the recommender. One letter must be from an employer or supervisor, and the other must be from a faculty member who has taught the candidate at collegiate level if the candidate attended classes in the last five years;
  6. Submit a typed, 300-word personal statement discussing their motivation for seeking a master’s degree in view of prior formal education, current job responsibilities, and career plans;
  7. Submit official test reports for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) which includes verbal and quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Preferred minimum scores are: 150 verbal; 150 math; 4.0 writing.

 

Students are evaluated primarily on the basis of their undergraduate degree program, scores on the GRE General Examination, recommendations, and professional experience where it applies. Specific courses that students are expected to have as part of their undergraduate education, and prior to their making application, are Biology, General Chemistry I and II, and Organic Chemistry I and II (comparable to FSU courses).

Students eligible to apply for admission, but not fulfilling the GPA requirement, and who have (1) a minimum GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale, (2) an analytical writing score of at least 3.50 would be considered for admissions after completing two prerequisite graduate courses. Students must earn a grade of B- (2.70) of better in each prerequisite course, and an overall average of B (3.00). Proficiency examinations, when completed, must be passed with equivalent grades if the student is to receive official admission. Students who earn a grade less than B- in any prerequisite courses will ordinarily be withdrawn from the program.

Applicants whose files become complete during the regular academic year will have their applications reviewed as soon as required documents have been received. Applicants whose files become complete during the summer months have their files reviewed during the summer at the convenience and availability of the admissions committee faculty. Applicants for full-time study should have their files complete by February 1st for fall admission and by September 1st for spring and summer admissions in order to maximize access to prerequisite undergraduate courses.

 

 

Effective as of the 2022-2023 Graduate Catalog