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Nutrition science affects and informs health, lifestyle habits, government policy, international trade and economic development, societal and political infrastructure, and life itself. Policy not informed by sound science is not sound policy. In our programs of study, students are continually exposed to the interface of science and policy, providing a truly unique educational experience.

Educational opportunities are found not only in the classroom, but in our centers and online for remote learners.

About our Programs

Our degree programs are organized into two Departments: the Department of Nutrition Science, chaired by Associate Professor Edward Saltzman and the Department of Food and Nutrition Policy, chaired by Professor William Masters.  The departments reflect the philosophy that scientific discovery and the application of sound policy are at the foundation of nutritional wellbeing. The academic departments provide a structure for recognizing the complementary nature of the disciplines and specialization while the school provides students with opportunities to broaden their educational experience across the spectrum of the profession.

View the Friedman School Organization Chart.

Department of Nutrition Science:

  • Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition
  • Master of Science/Dietetic Internship
  • Nutritional Epidemiology

Department of Food and Nutrition Policy:

  • Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Food Policy & Applied Nutrition
  • Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance
  • Nutrition Communication

About our Blended Degree Program

The Masters of Nutrition Science and Policy degree program 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. The program was originally introduced in 2009 under a partnership with the government of Ras al Khaimah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates.  

  • Master of Nutrition Science and Policy, Blended Learning Program

About our Centers

John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention

Recognizing that physical activity and good nutrition were related to the reductions of chronic disease, Center Director, Dr. Miriam Nelson realized that meeting the goal of broad societal change meant taking knowledge gained from research out of the laboratory and into communities.

In addition to the Strong Women program, a strength training program for midlife and older women, the Center gained international attention for the groundbreaking research led by Dr. Christina Economos called Shape Up Somerville, one of the nation's first community-based environmental change interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

Since 2003, the Center has mentored seven doctoral students and over 100 masters students. Through both StrongWomen and Children in Balance, the Center has trained thousands of allied health professionals nationally in workshops and conferences.

Feinstein International Center

The Feinstein International Center's research — on the politics and policy of aiding the vulnerable, on protection and rights in crisis situations, and on the restoration of lives and livelihoods — feeds into both its teaching and its long-term partnerships with humanitarian and human rights agencies. Through publications, seminars, and confidential evidence-based briefings, the Feinstein International Center seeks to influence the making and application of policy in the countries affected by crises and in those states in a position to influence such crises.

Among the educational opportunities at the Feinstein International Center is the Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance, designed to provide an academic setting for humanitarian practitioners seeking to develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of nutrition, food policy, and economic, political and social analysis. The one-year program provides an opportunity for practitioners to study, read, reflect and write about current issues and trends of in humanitarian theories, programs and policies as they relate to famines, complex emergencies and other disasters.

About our Certificates

Beginning in the Fall semester of 2011, the Friedman School will offer three certificates that meet the needs of professionals who wish to deepen their nutrition knowledge as they advance their careers. The certificates in Applied Positive Deviance, Nutrition Science and Communications for Public Relations Professionals and Delivery Science In International Nutrition are all taught online by Tufts faculty, and every course is held to the same academic standards and rigor as those taught live on the Boston campus.