We engage every student in creating their own journey through the school, with robust faculty and staff support and hands-on, holistic academic advising. While in some ways there is no “typical” student journey at The Friedman School, we've created a comprehensive M.S. degree viewbook to provide a general overview of the core courses and specialization choices available to all Master of Science students.

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Discover Your Path

Across our master's and doctoral programs, you'll have a wide variety of existing specialization options to choose from that align with our faculty and research strengths. You can also build your own specializations with your advisor. Don't know exactly how to move through the program right now? There's no need to declare upon applying to our programs, because you can create the course of study that sparks your passion after you arrive.  We encourage you to work with your advisor to design the pathway that works for you.

*Indicates specializations available in our Online M.S. program

Explore Specializations

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The Agriculture, Food, and Environment specialization offers a comprehensive set of coursework that empowers you to critically analyze the linkages between the production of food, the natural environment, and the social and governance issues around both. You will learn about approaches for making agriculture and food systems more supportive of the natural environment and society they serve. This coursework will help you develop the expertise to create innovative, sustainable solutions for food production and distribution.

Specialization Contact: Sean Cash-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition specialization offers rigorous training in the biochemical, physiological, and molecular aspects of nutrition, essential for developing science-based dietary and physical activity recommendations to prevent chronic diseases and promote healthy aging globally. This specialization is especially well-suited for you if you have interest in pursuing basic and clinical research and dietetics. Through training and collaboration with expert faculty at leading research centers, you will gain critical analytical, technical, and communication skills, preparing you for leadership roles in academia, industry, and government.

Specialization Contact: Sheldon Rowan-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nutritional Wellbeing

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The Climate, Sustainability, and Food specialization offers an in-depth exploration of the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food systems, emphasizing climate risk assessment, management, and adaptation strategies. You will engage with key topics such as climate-smart agriculture, food policy, and governance, that equip you to tackle the multifaceted challenges of climate change and develop innovative solutions to enhance food security and resilience. 

*This specialization is available for the Online M.S. program

Specialization Contact: Sean Cash-View Profile or Contact via Email

Specialization Contact (Online M.S.): Erin Coughlan de Perez-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Community Interventions and Behavior Change specialization offers coursework on innovative and effective strategies to promote positive behavior change for individuals and communities across the globe. You will learn the theory of behavior change and its application in intervention design from the individual level to the systems level, and how to implement and evaluate these in real-world settings, to improve nutritional well-being in the US and across the world. 

Specialization Contact: May May Leung-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity

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The Data Analytics and AI in Nutrition specialization offers graduate coursework focused on statistical analysis, regression modeling, and data management in the health and nutrition fields. You will develop practical skills in using R/RStudio, STATA, and SAS for data exploration, statistical testing, and complex data workflows, while also learning to create high-quality data visualizations and apply AI-based tools ethically in research.

*This specialization is available for the Online M.S. program

Specialization Contact: Elena Naumova-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing, Sustainable Food Systems

Global food business impacts every facet of our food system, from what we produce and consume to the laws and policies that shape our choices, to the health of our planet and our bodies. Innovators and entrepreneurs are reshaping the food business landscape every day. The Food Business and Entrepreneurship specialization offers interdisciplinary coursework in food business, production, law and regulation, and entrepreneurship, that will position you to not only understand the evolving dynamics of this field, but also be equipped to make a meaningful impact in this exciting field.

Specialization Contact: Jimmy Edgerton-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nutrition Equity, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Food Policy, Programs, and Economics specialization offers foundational coursework in the economics of policies and programs, including policy analysis and the design, implementation, and evaluation of nutrition programs – a key tool of policy. Courses cover food security and food and nutrition policy and programs in the US and globally. You will acquire skills to develop the evidence base that supports effective policy formation and program design, and a perspective that helps you advocate for them. The specialization is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Topics include economic development, the impact of poverty on nutrition outcomes, the economic impact of healthy diets, and determinants of nutritional outcomes in the US and across the globe, food law and regulation, and anthropology of food and nutrition, as well as practical training in quantitative and qualitative research, study design, and survey methods.

Specialization Contact: Beatrice Rogers-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Food Systems Modeling specialization offers interdisciplinary coursework analysis of data related to agriculture and food systems, and on modeling and analysis techniques for studying food systems' sustainability and resource use. You will gain hands-on experience in GIS applications, life cycle assessment (LCA), and system dynamics modeling, equipping you with the skills to address complex agricultural, nutritional, and environmental challenges and to inform evidence-based decision-making in policy and industry. 

Specialization Contact: Sean Cash-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Humanitarian Assistance specialization provides students with state-of-the-art technical, political, and experiential skills required for effective, creative, and empathetic humanitarian leadership. Students will learn how to plan and manage both short-term emergency responses and longer-term prevention efforts. This specialization is especially designed for students who want work at ​​the nexus of ​​nutrition and food security, climate, conflict, AI, protection, localization, and human rights around the world.   

Our flexible, learner-centered courses are purposefully created to accommodate working professionals and those with other substantial time commitments. Students can interact closely with experts from the Feinstein International Center, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The Humanitarian Assistance Specialization will help students advance their careers at the national and international levels and better assist those affected by crises across the globe.   

Interested in learning more? Click here. 

*This specialization is available for the Online M.S. program

Specialization Contact: Dyan Mazurana-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity

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The Nutrition Communication specialization will equip you with the skills to communicate often complex information about food, nutrition, and health in engaging and meaningful ways to diverse audiences through a variety of channels. Courses focus on the impact of communication on behavior change, and demonstrate how simple and effective health messaging and data visualization can promote positive health and nutrition for people around the world.

Specialization Contact: May May Leung-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing

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Dietary patterns and nutritional intake affect health and well-being across the lifecycle from pregnancy to infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. The Nutrition, Diet, and Disease Across the Lifecycle specialization offers foundational coursework in nutritional and biological science that uncovers how the food we eat influences the health and well-being of individuals and populations at all life stages. Courses range from introductory to advanced and include topics like precision nutrition, physical activity and health, and clinical and medical nutrition therapy.

Specialization Contact: Sheldon Rowan-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutritional Wellbeing

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All people should have the opportunity to consume healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods that enable them to thrive. The Nutrition Equity specialization offers foundational coursework in food justice, nutritional and racial inequity, and anthropological food-systems research and advocacy, that will equip you to understand and work towards evidence-based strategies that enable all people to live their healthiest lives with proper nutrition.

Specialization Contact: Beatrice Rogers-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Sustainable Food Systems

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The Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition specialization offers foundational and advanced coursework in epidemiologic methods, with a focus on assessing dietary intake patterns and disparities in the population and understanding the complex interactions of dietary, metabolic, and genetic factors in chronic diseases. Courses include practical training in study design, dietary assessment, data management, and statistical analysis, ensuring that you are well-equipped with critical skills for clarifying the causal relationship between nutrition and health and translating the evidence into public health policies and interventions. 

Specialization Contact: Fang Fang Zhang-View Profile or Contact via Email

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing

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The Nutrition Science and Policy specialization offers an interdisciplinary suite of courses that provide advanced study in nutrition science, global and US food policy, global nutrition programs, and applied research skills. You will be well positioned after coursework in this specialization to thrive in a variety of industries, including healthcare, non-profit/NGO, nutrition counseling, clinical research, academia, and food business. This is perfect if you are looking to change your career, or to level-up in your current profession.

Specialization Contact: Lynne Ausman

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Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing, Sustainable Food Systems

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Not seeing the specialization you're looking for? Work with an advisor to create your own path of study. Available across all degree programs.

*This option is available for all M.S. programs

Need inspiration? Browse our faculty directory and learn more about our research.

Related Research Themes: Nourished Communities, Nutrition Equity, Nutritional Wellbeing, Sustainable Food Systems

How Our Education Relates to Research

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Research

Research Themes

We've been working across all of these specializations in our research for a long time, but are presenting them in a brand new way. You can choose specializations that focus within particular areas of research, or create your own options that cross themes and disciplines.

Learn More About our Research

Program Evolution

Interested in seeing how the newly organized specializations relate to the current program structure? We aren't changing the excellent programs and expertise that we're known for, but we are offering new ways for you to join the School that don't require declaring upon application what your focus will be. Discover what sparks your excitement for learning across our degree programs!

Mapping Programs and Specializations