“Nutrition is the science of food; the nutrients and the substances therein; their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease; and the process by which the organism (e.g., human body) ingests, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and excretes food substances”
American Medical Association)
Students who study nutrition at the Friedman School are expected to have a basic familiarity with the vocabulary of human biology and/or the basic sciences.
All degree programs at the Friedman School (except MAHA) require incoming students to have taken a one-semester, college-level course in either General Physiology (preferred), Biology, or Chemistry prior to their enrollment. Elective versions of these courses are unacceptable. Eligible courses must include all of the following topics:
- General Physiology course requirements: Course should include all of the following: the structure and function of cells, tissues, and human organ systems. A standard Physiology course without Anatomy should be taken. Those taking Anatomy and Physiology courses will need to complete a two-course sequence. Lab not required.
- General Biology course requirements: Course should include all of the following: basic biological chemistry, cell structure and function, metabolism and energy transformation, and genetics. Lab not required.
- General Chemistry course requirements: Course should include all of the following: chemical bonds and structures, chemical reactions, thermodynamics, and states of matter. Lab not required.
Graduate Degree Programs
- Agriculture, Food and Environment: Undergraduate level course in Physiology, Human Biology, or Chemistry.
- Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition: Undergraduate level courses in Nutrition Science, General Biology, General Chemistry (with lab), Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry.
- Food Policy and Applied Nutrition: Undergraduate level course in Physiology, Human Biology, or Chemistry.
- Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance: Applicants must be midcareer professionals. Candidates must have significant field experience and have proven leadership qualities. Please note, if you are a native English speaker, passing a reading comprehension and an oral language exam is required in order to graduate. Non-native English speakers who were primarily educated in an English speaking environment may also be required to demonstrate their proficiency in a second language by completing a reading and oral foreign language examination.
- Nutrition Interventions, Communication, and Behavior Change: Undergraduate level course work in General Chemistry and Human Biology, with recommended courses in Physiology and Biochemistry.
- Nutritional Epidemiology: Track I: Undergraduate level courses in Nutrition Science, General Biology, General Chemistry (with lab), Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Track II: Undergraduate level course work in General Chemistry and Human Biology, with recommended courses in Physiology and Biochemistry.
- Master of Science/Dietetic Internship: Completion of an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics.
- Master of Nutrition Science and Policy: Undergraduate level courses in Nutrition Science, General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. Tufts offers an online Nutrition course every summer and fall that fulfills the Nutrition Science requirement, if needed. Students may start the program with one outstanding prerequisite (with the exception of Nutrition Science) as long as the final prerequisited is completed during the first semester.
Applying to the program with outstanding prerequisites is permitted. Acceptances will be conditional upon completing the class(es) prior to the start of the program. Grades of B- or higher are required for all prerequisites.
Non-degree/Special Student
Non-degree seeking students should contact the Admissions Office regarding prerequisite courses for individual Friedman courses.