PrintPrint

About the Program

The Master of Nutrition Science and Policy (MNSP) “blended learning” degree program spans the biological aspects of nutrition, the design and impact of nutrition programs, and applied analytical methods used to solve nutrition and lifestyle related problems and challenges. Following the closely-held Friedman School tenet that nutrition affects whole populations and regions, the program also extends into domestic and global policy areas that affect both nutrition and food security. The program focuses on both nutrition science and policy and is the only US-based nutrition program taught in a combination of online and on campus learning. View the complete MNSP curriculum.

Graduates from the Master's of Nutrition Science and Policy program emerge with an understanding of nutrition policy and science, the skills needed to analyze and communicate nutrition-based research, and the ability to apply their learning to solve nutrition and lifestyle-related challenges. This program is ideal for professionals seeking career advancement or continuing education, those working in community-based or international nutrition programs, persons relatively new to the field of nutrition, and for individuals looking to further their understanding of nutrition so they can have a positive impact on their communities. Learn more about careers in nutrition.

Video Introduction

“Blended Learning”: Combining On Campus + Online

The Masters of Nutrition Science and Policy degree is taught through a combination of a sophisticated online environment and intensive residencies on the Boston/Medford campus. This format gives students who are unable to attend class full time in Boston the opportunity to earn a Tufts Friedman School masters degree with minimal interruption to existing career and/or family obligations.

Every semester for approximately one week, students and Tufts faculty meet in Boston for an intensive residency period of course work and study. Residencies give students the opportunity to meet fellow students and faculty face-to-face and to become fully immersed in the experience of attending one of the nation’s premier research universities. Students also experience essential hands-on learning which cannot be taught in a fully-online environment.

The remainder of the semester is facilitated online by Tufts faculty utilizing innovative technologies and instructional methods. Students can complete the program in as few as 16 months, but are able to extend their studies if they choose to take fewer courses each semester. Learn more about how the MNSP program utilizes blended learning.

Learn More

Admissions Timeline and Deadlines

Apply early- Admission to the MNSP degree program is on a rolling basis.  Applicants can expect to hear back from the admissions committee with a decision within a month of submitting a completed application.   The priority deadline for submitting an application is May 15, 2013 for fall semester enrollment.  Applications are accepted after that date in a space-available basis. See the Eligibility page for prerequisite requirements and admissions criteria.

 

PrintPrint

Master of Nutrition Science and Policy

There is only one degree offered, the Master of Nutrition Science and Policy.

PrintPrint

Prerequisites for admittance into the MNSP degree program are listed below. Working professionals are strongly encouraged to apply. All sections of the application are taken into consideration, including professional experience.

Prerequisites:

  • Qualified applicants for this degree program will have earned their bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (out of a 4.0 equivalent)
  • College-level courses in the following:
    • Introductory Nutrition (Tufts offers a 6-week, tuition-free introductory nutrition course online every summer)
    • General Chemistry
    • Organic Chemistry
    • Biochemistry
    • Biology or Physiology
    • Mathematics
  • Completion of the GRE exam is required. The admissions committee is willing to consider waiving the GRE requirement if applicant has an advanced degree in a related field and/or applicable professional experience. 

If you have questions, then please contact Dr. Lynne Ausman, D.SC., Program Director (Lynne.Ausman@tufts.edu, 617.636.3712). Dr. Ausman is available to discuss your eligibility for the program and answer specific questions about prerequisites.  Making up select prerequisite courses is easy to do. We can help with recommendations, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us. 

PrintPrint

The Master of Nutrition Science and Policy (MNSP) degree program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum of advanced study in nutrition science, global and US food policy, global nutrition programs, statistics, applied research skills, plus a two-course concentration area selected by the student.   

Students will complete ten credits of coursework consisting required core curriculum, two electives and a one-credit research or project based thesis. The electives allow students to concentrate in a specific field as perceived important for the student’s education or career objectives.  The curriculum is designed to enhance the study of nutrition at both the science and policy levels.

Required Courses

Please note that one-credit courses at Tufts are equal to four credits in other institutions. 

Science Core (2 Credits)

Policy Core (2 Credits)

Research Skills Core (3 Credits)

Electives (2 Credits)

Students may select any combination of courses below that add up to a minimum of two credits. Students with focused objectives in a specific field may choose courses that would prepare them for careers in, for example, US and global food policy, nutrition and behavior, or science-based fields.

Thesis (1 credit)

 

PrintPrint

Name Title General Research
Ausman, Lynne Program Director,
Professor

Effect of dietary fat, cholesterol, and fiber on coronary artery disease and colon cancer; nutritional primatology;...

Name Title General Research
Coates, Jennifer Assistant Professor

Food security and livelihoods (measurement, assessment, and programming); Risk management and disaster risk...

Das, Sai Krupa Assistant Professor

Energy regulation in humans; obesity; energy expenditure; body weight regulation; caloric restriction.
Hastings, David Adjunct Professor

Organizational behavior and design, management control systems.
Hendricks, Kristy Adjunct Associate Professor

Pediatric nutrition, maternal and child health, clinical nutrition, clinical trials in international pediatric...

Houser, Robert Assistant Professor
Kane, Kelly Assistant Professor
Lichtenstein, Alice Stanley N. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy

General research focus is on assessing the interplay between diet and heart disease risk factors.
Marino-Costello, Elizabeth Clinical Instructor, Frances Stern Nutrition Center
Prelack, Kathy Visiting Instructor
Rogers, Beatrice Professor

Economic determinants of household food consumption; consumption effects of economic and pricing policies; design...

Saltzman, Edward Associate Professor

Obesity and body weight regulation in humans
Van Rompay, Maria Adjunct Instructor

Dietary, sociodemographic, and metabolic risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes in Puerto Rican adults;...

Webb, Patrick
Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor

Food security, humanitarian policy and practice, development policy, agriculture and food systems, micronutrient...

PrintPrint

“Blended Learning” Format: On Campus + Online Course Work

The 10-credit Master of Nutrition Science and Policy (MNSP) degree program is offered in a blended learning format enabling students from around the world to continue living where they choose, while studying at one of the nation’s premier research universities. The program is designed with working professionals in mind, combining intense residency sessions in Boston with facilitated online coursework.

Unlike 100% online programs, MNSP students come together with Tufts faculty once a semester for approximately one week for interactive course work, lectures, seminars, and collaboration with their classmates. Following each residency session, the course continues in a highly facilitated online environment, building on knowledge and relationships that were developed on campus. Students get the best of both worlds in the blended learning format: the flexibility and on-demand access inherent to online courses, and the opportunity to engage with faculty and peers in a scholarly and immersive setting.

The Friedman School's faculty and multidisciplinary curriculum are identical in both our Boston based courses and prepares students interested in a doctoral degree to apply for the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy Ph.D. program. Students can complete the program in as few as 16 months, but are able to extend their studies if they choose to take fewer courses each semester.

Benefits of Blended Learning

Blended learning is an ideal solution for students who wish to remain in their home cities, maintain careers and/or family responsibilities while earning their degree from the world-renowned Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

  • Friedman School Faculty - Students in this unique program receive instruction from the same faculty as students in residence at our Boston campus. Students will work and interact with faculty in-person throughout the residency sessions and will continue engaging with faculty and other students during the online portions of each course.
  • Location & Flexibility - The blended learning format affords students the ability to earn a degree without a permanent residency at the University. Students participate in intensive classroom sessions in Boston. The remainder of the coursework may be completed at the student’s home, or any location in the world by accessing the University’s learning management system.
  • On Demand Access to Course Content – Students have 24/7 access to courses throughout the program. This includes readings, lectures, videos, discussion forums, and collaboration tools. 
  • Tufts University Degree - The Master of Nutrition Science and Policy degree is conferred by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston, Massachusetts. Friedman School alumni are sought after and employed in a wide range of careers. The Friedman School’s doctoral programs were ranked first among 44 US universities who participated in the 2010 National Research Council’s ranking of graduate schools.

Is Blended Learning Right for Me?

The following questions may help you in making your decision:

  • Can you dedicate approximately 10 hours a week per course to learning?
  • Are you a self-paced learner?
  • Are you able to independently problem solve, yet still know when to ask for help?
  • Are you comfortable not having weekly face-to-face interaction with professors and other students? 
  • Will you have regular and reliable access to the Internet?
  • Are you able to be away from your family and work to travel to Boston for the required residency sessions (approximately one week each semester of study)?

The Successful Blended Learning Student Is:

  • Self-disciplined, motivated and committed
  • Able to learn without frequent in-person interaction
  • Well organized
  • An independent worker
  • A problem solver
  • Goal oriented
  • Able to work well in groups
  • Flexible
  • Willing to communicate regularly with professor and other students
  • Able to ask questions through email and in discussions when concepts are not clear
PrintPrint

Graduates from the Master of Nutrition Science and Policy degree program emerge with an understanding of nutrition science and nutrition policy, as well as the ability to apply their learning to solving the nutrition and lifestyle-related problems and challenges, both domestically and globally. Friedman School graduates find employment in the following sectors:

  • Government - health, nutrition, wellness
    • Federal, state, and local public health agencies
    • Food, nutrition, and health regulatory agencies
  • Food and pharmaceutical industry
    • Drugs and nutritional supplements
    • Food manufacturers
    • Food marketing
    • Public relations firms
    • Trade associations
  • Healthcare
    • Hospitals
    • Allied health care
    • Residential and older adult care
  • US and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
    • World Health Organization
    • UNICEF
    • United Nations High Commission for Refugees
    • World Bank
  • Community-based food and nutrition programs 
  • Education/teaching