Course Curriculum

The program will consist of three academic terms over a 12 month period.

During the one year period, students will take a total of seven one-credit and four half-credit courses including a research or project based thesis. The overall learning format for the program combines periods of intensive, face-to-face classroom instruction with on-line distance learning instruction, communication, and activities.

These courses enhance the study of nutrition to supplement medical models that have long dominated higher education in this field and move toward a 'public nutrition' model. Scientific knowledge and skills will be balanced with skills needed to understand key areas such as food security and pricing policies, nutrition assessment, intervention development, and intervention monitoring and evaluation at the level of populations. Nutrition problem analysis will be expanded to include up-to-date techniques for assessing nutrition across a lifecycle and across generations, the implications of nutrition's linkage with wellness, and the importance of processes that influence an individual nutrition and healthy lifestyle behavior. Basic research tools will be complemented with learning about research management and communication including ethical issues.

Please note that our one credit courses are equal to four credits in other institutions.

Click here to read course descriptions.

Please see the Degree Requirement Worksheet for clarification

First Term: September - December (three one-credit courses)

The first term will begin in Ras Al Khaimah with a two-week residency period. An initial program orientation will outline academic requirements and required levels of participation, provide technical instruction on incorporated learning technologies, distribution of equipment, and set up and trial of synchronous and asynchronous communication procedures. During this period, each student will need to bring a laptop computer that has been preconfigured with the software needed for participation in the distance learning systems of the program and with sets of preliminary learning materials supporting each of the first term's three one-credit courses.

Faculty will oversee and assist students in the selection of a thesis topic. In addition, faculty will help students define the scope of the thesis and will mentor them through the process. The thesis will consist of seven sections:

1. introduction (statement and significance of a hypothesis to be tested, a research question to be addressed, or the framing of a meta-analysis);
2. literature review;
3. methods;
4. thesis chapters or sections;
5. conclusion;
6. bibliography;

7. appendices.

Students will use a formal template, defined by the School, to format the sections of the thesis.

During the First Term Residency, students will receive an overview of the thesis process, be introduced to the initial faculty advisors to start the process of selecting a topic, and will be oriented to their personal online thesis communication area (using the program's learning management system). During the distance portion of the first term, students will begin to write a proper thesis proposal.

Over the remaining days of the initial residency, students will enter a period of intensive classroom sessions for the three courses. During this residency, students, faculty and staff will participate in activities focused on sharing cultures and backgrounds, and on information about Tufts, the Friedman School and 'building community' as part of the dynamics of the program.

Following the first residency period, the term will continue for a period of 11 weeks using a distance learning format for all three courses.

Second Term: January - May (two one-credit and two half-credit courses)

The second term will begin with a residency period, similar to the first one. The remainder of the instruction will be carried out online.

The thesis proposal will be presented during the residency portion of the Second Term.  The remainder of the term will be used to gather data in support of the topic.

Third Term: June - September (two one-credit courses and two half-credit courses)

With feedback and guidance from the faculty advisor, students in the Third Term will work on data analysis, thesis writing, and development of a poster presentation to be presented during the final residency.

The 12-month program will culminate in a final residency period in September in Ras Al Khaimah that will include final discussion sessions and group work on the three concurrent courses, defense and presentations of theses, employment counseling, and graduation.

After the first year of the program, graduating students will also be incorporated into the orientation for incoming students, which will overlap in the September residency periods.