Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, Master of Nutrition Science and Policy

Master of Nutrition Science and Policy

The Master of Nutrition Science and Policy is a one-year academic program consisting of eight courses and a thesis conducted in three 13-week terms, consisting of a 10 day intensive residency period in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, with the remainder of each course taught using the latest distance learning methods and technologies. Building on the Friedman School's joint emphasis on both science and policy, the degree adds a new focus on nutrition and public health issues and challenges in the Gulf, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) selected Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy to help fulfill his vision that RAK be the hub for education and health care. With its picturesque Al Hajjar Mountains and pristine ocean, and rich history dating back to 5,500-3,900 BC, RAK serves as a wonderful host site for the Master of Nutrition Science and Policy residency period.

Learn more about RAK at http://www.raktourism.com

As part of the School's mission to advance the nutritional well-being of people worldwide through excellence in teaching and research, the Friedman School at Tufts University is partnering with Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), United Arab Emirates to establish this hybrid learning model.  The Master's Degree program will focus on nutrition science, policy and research tools and set these concepts into the broad understanding of cellular and human physiology at each stage of the lifecycle. Following the closely held Friedman School tenet that nutrition affects whole populations and regions, the program also will extend into policy areas that affect both nutrition and food security from the home to the country and region. The new degree will go beyond information and theory. Courses are designed to include relevant regional examples and significant prescriptive and practical components. One signature element of this Master's program is the emphasis on providing students both with knowledge and nutrition research tools as well as the ability to apply what is learned to solving the nutrition and lifestyle related problems and challenges in the region.

Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

Tufts University's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, the only self-governing graduate school of nutrition in the United States, is recognized among premier research universities and enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence. The School's Boston-based degree programs, which focus on issues such as famine and hunger, communication of nutrition information to the public, biological and molecular research, and training of nutrition professionals, are renowned for the application of scientific research to national and international policy. The Friedman School's partner institutions include Tufts Medical Center and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, which for three decades has studied the relationship between nutrition and aging. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.

Program Structure

The Master of Nutrition Science and Policy degree is designed to be undertaken as a three-term curriculum, consisting of eight courses and a thesis.

Courses include a residence-based period in Ras Al Khaimah with faculty-led classroom sessions. Classes continue during each term through a learning management system that incorporates recently developed but proven "hybrid learning" techniques that combine in-class teaching with web-mediated classes, activities, exercises, group discussions and student-faculty-student feedback. The first term will include three courses (three credits), the second term will include four courses (three credits of coursework) using a similar format, and the third term will include three courses (two credits) and a thesis.

The residency period in Ras Al Khaimah of ten days during each term includes orientation and student services activities aimed at building Tufts/Friedman School spirit and community. Students, who reside locally, will have the option to commute each day of residency from their homes. For those students who will reside at the residency there will be separate sleeping accommodations for male and female students.

Students will have an academic advisor to assist them during the program, along with providing guidance and support for the thesis. Students will also have access to the Tufts library system, allowing them access to online articles and publications needed for their education.

Information about the program is also presented here in a downloadable catalog  (PDF).

Degrees Offered
Course Curriculum
Career Opportunities
Faculty
About Hybrid Learning
About Ras Al Khaimah
How to Apply & Cost