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Why This Program?

The course offerings in this certificate program are designed to meet the educational needs of those engaged in implementing nutrition-related programs around the world; build the capacity of practitioners through specialized, graduate level, pre-service or in-service training in program delivery science; and provide the opportunity to engage in lifelong professional development and networking.

Students will gain a broad understanding of the issues inherent in designing, developing, and implementing nutrition intervention programs with an emphasis on developing countries; learn to differentiate between various health and nutrition theories and models in order to apply them appropriately to scenarios they face in their current work; and apply proven methodologies to design, monitor and evaluate interventions and educational health and nutrition programs.

The Delivery Science in International Nutrition certificate is conferred jointly by the Tufts Friedman School and partner institution, United Nations University (UNU). The mission of the UNU is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the UN, its Peoples and Member States. A part of that contribution is to develop educative opportunities for UN personnel and other related non-governmental organization (NGO) member organizations who work closely with the UN in various capacities. Tufts University, being an affiliated institution, is charged with helping to carry out this educative mission by developing and implementing educational programs, particularly in the area of nutrition and capacity building, for UNU’s staff and NGO employees worldwide.

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The Delivery Science for International Nutrition Certificate program consists of the following three courses:

  • Program Development and Delivery (Offered Fall Semester)This course provides presentations, readings, and exercises relating to the broad range of nutrition interventions utilized in global programs, including: growth monitoring and promotion; nutrition counseling and IEC; supplementary feedings and food-based income transfers; household food security and agricultural-based interventions; micronutrient activities; and breast-feeding.The course covers malnutrition causality, nutrition and structural adjustment, social funds, economic and food aid, active learning capacity and the nutrition transition. Students become versed in program design and appraisal techniques including dynamic models and program contraint assessments, and are responsible for major exercises relating to programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
  • Theories of Behavior Change and their Application in Nutrition and Public Health Interventions (Offered Spring Semester)This course explores the theories of behavior change most commonly used in nutrition and public health. Includes an examination of several individual-based, social-based, organization-based and eco-social theories, including the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Trans-theoretical Model, Decision-Making, Social Support, Social Learning Theory, and Diffusion of Innovations. Knowledge of these theories will help inform the design of research and program interventions based on psycho-biological, social, cultural and organizational frameworks. The course emphasizes an understanding of core theory concepts and issues in measurement.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation (Offered Summer Semester)This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of program monitoring and evaluation, as applied to food security and nutrition-related programs in developing countries.  The course content will be imparted through online lectures, case studies, interactive discussion, and assignments that prompt students to grapple with monitoring and evaluation challenges facing ongoing global efforts to combat malnutrition and food insecurity.  By the end of the semester, course participants will: be familiar with the strategies and techniques for monitoring and evaluating projects, particularly those related to nutrition and food security; be able to assess the adequacy of monitoring and evaluation proposals and program evaluations designed by others; be exposed to multiple domestic and international examples of monitoring and evaluation systems, both large and small; and gain experience in the design of monitoring and evaluation plans for real programs.
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How to Apply

You may download the application form (PDF) to register.

There is no fee to apply. Students should submit the application, undergraduate official transcripts from each university attended, a resume/CV, and a personal statement. Official transcripts MUST come directly from the university to the Friedman School. Students cannot submit the transcripts themselves. The admissions committee takes into consideration all coursework, grades, experience and reasons for taking the program.

Deadlines

Applications are accepted through June of each year for the following fall.

Tuition

Tuition for the 2013-14 academic year (i.e., the Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Summer 2014 semesters) is $2300 per course. The total tuition for all three required courses within a certificate program is $6900. We encourage students who are working professionals to contact their employer’s human resources (HR) department for their policies and procedures regarding tuition benefits. Please note that the Friedman School graduate certificate programs are not eligible for Title IV Federal Student Aid. However, the program does qualify for private lending institution student loans and a payment plan is also available through the Bursar’s office. Please contact Student Financial Services at Tufts for more information on billing and payments including payment plans. Tufts University does not accept currently credit cards for tuition.

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Program Faculty

Image of Online Graduate Certificate Faculty MemberShibani Ghosh is the Associate Director of the Global Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (Asia and Africa), an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and a Senior Scientist at the Nevin Scrimshaw International Nutrition Foundation (NSINF).

Dr. Ghosh has over 10 years experience in the area of public health nutrition. Her research interests include the effects of amino acids on health and nutrition in developing countries, improving complementary foods (fortification and bio-fortification) for prevention of malnutrition in children aged 6-24 months, translation of innovative basic and clinical sciences research into applied evidence based community interventions, nutrition and agriculture linkages and the role of nutrition within global agenda, and issues related to capacity building.

Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience working in the Middle East, West Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining Tufts and NSINF, she worked as a Research Fellow at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas in Aleppo, Syria.

Image of Online Graduate Certificate Faculty MemberSara C. Folta, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a research interest in intervention strategies to promote positive behavior change in the areas of physical activity and nutrition. She has conducted behavioral research with both children and older adults. Recent research has included the evaluation of an exercise and nutrition program for older adults in assisted living and senior housing facilities, and a dissemination study of the StrongWomen – Healthy Hearts program, a new StrongWomen program to reduce risk of heart disease in mid-life and older women. She received a BA in biology from Middlebury College; an MS in cell and molecular biology from the University of Vermont; and a PhD in nutrition from Tufts University.

Image of Online Graduate Certificate Faculty MemberJennifer Coates, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Food Policy and Applied Nutrition Program at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, where she specializes in methods for food security and nutrition assessment and the evaluation of programs spanning humanitarian emergency and development contexts. Her current research portfolio includes a study in Kenya of exit strategies from food aid programs; in Haiti and Ethiopia of the impact and cost-effectiveness of food support to HIV+ individuals; and in Ethiopia of livelihood dynamics in chronic emergencies. She has worked to develop and validate universal household food security measures and is currently developing new methods for conducting nutrition causal analysis.