The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences offers a coordinated dual program leading to the conferral of both the Master of Science with a major in Nutrition  (public health nutrition concentration) and the Master of Public Health . The dual program allows students to complete both degrees in less time than would be required to earn both degrees independently.

The program is designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in the benefits of majors in both nutrition and public health. Therefore, it accommodates the interests of students who

• Plan a career in public health nutrition and want to acquire the knowledge and skills of the nutritionist and public health professional.
• Plan a career in nutrition and want to acquire the knowledge, skills and perspective of the public health professional.
• Plan a career in public health and want to acquire the knowledge, skills and perspective of the nutritionist.

Concentrations (Required) and Options

• Nutrition — Public Health Nutrition Concentration
  • Thesis
  • Project
• Public Health — Community Health Education concentration, Epidemiology concentration or Health Policy and Management concentration
  • Course Only with Comprehensive Exam

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Applicants for the MS-MPH program must make separate applications to and be accepted by the Department of Nutrition for the MS and the Department of Public Health for the MPH.
  • See the Admissions Standards/Procedures for the Nutrition, Master of Science,  for more detailed information.
• Students who have been accepted by both departments may apply for approval to pursue the dual program any time prior to, or after, matriculation in either or both departments.
• Such approval will be granted, provided that dual program studies are started prior to entry into the fourth semester of the MS and MPH programs.

Academic Standards

• 3.00 grade point average in graduate courses.

Nutrition Major with Public Health Nutrition concentration with a Thesis Option and the Public Health Major with a concentration in Community Health Education, Epidemiology, or Health Policy Management with Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option

Credit Hours Required

63 graduate credit hours, which includes MPH Foundation and Concentration courses and required courses for the MS (Public Health Nutrition concentration-thesis option). A dual degree candidate must satisfy the requirements for both the Master of Science (Nutrition Major with a Public Health Nutrition concentration) and the Master of Public Health degree, as well as the requirements for the dual program.

Required Courses

• Required Courses for Nutrition (Public Health Nutrition concentration-thesis option) (43 credit hours)
• NUTR 500   (Thesis; 6 credit hours)
• NUTR 503   (2 credit hours)
• NUTR 504   (2 credit hours)
• NUTR 507   (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 509   (1 credit hour) *
• NUTR 515   (6 credit hours)
• NUTR 514   (2 credit hours)
• NUTR 543   (3 credit hours)
• NUTR 626   (3 credit hours)
• At least 6 additional credit hours of graduate course work in Nutrition, NUTR (exclusive of thesis), as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the Director of the Public Health Nutrition Graduate Program.
• PUBH 520   (3 credit hours) *
• PUBH 530   (3 credit hours) *
• PUBH 540   (3 credit hours) *

*These courses (10 credit hours) count as part of the 20 total credit hours of Foundation Courses for the MPH.

Additional Course Requirements

• Additional Required Foundation MPH Courses for the Dual Degree (10 credit hours)
  • PUBH 509  (1 credit hour)
  • PUBH 510  (3 credit hours)
  • PUBH 537  (3 credit hours)
  • PUBH 552  (3 credit hours)
• Required MPH Concentration Courses (10 credit hours)
  • Community Health Education — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
  • Epidemiology — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
  • Health Policy and Management — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
• Additional Course Requirements
  • NUTR 515  (6 credit hours) counts for both the block field experience requirement of the MS degree and the applied practice experience requirement of the MPH degree.
  • 6 NUTR credit hours, from the required courses in Public Health Nutrition, excluding NUTR 509  and NUTR 515 , count for electives for the MPH.
  • Students should review the Graduate Student Handbook in Nutrition and the Public Health Graduate Student Handbook, as well as work with their departmental advisors to ensure completion of additional course work specific to their selected Public Health concentration.

Non-Course Requirements

• Completion of a research project is required.
• A proposal hearing is required prior to beginning the research project.
• An oral comprehensive examination is required upon completion of the thesis
• A single block field experience (or public health applied practice experience) with a service learning project and poster presentation are required of all students.
• Dual-degree students who withdraw from the program before completion of the requirements for both degrees will not receive credit towards the MS or MPH for courses taken in the other program, except as such courses qualify for credit without regard to the dual program.

 

Nutrition Major with Public Health Nutrition concentration with a Project Option and Public Health Major with a concentration in Community Health Education, Epidemiology, or Health Policy Management with Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option

Credit Hours Required

60 graduate credit hours, which includes MPH Foundation and Concentration courses and required courses for the MS (Public Health Nutrition concentration project option). A dual degree candidate must satisfy the requirements for both the Master of Science (Nutrition Major with a Public Health Nutrition concentration) and the Master of Public Health degree.

Required Courses

• Required Courses for Nutrition (Public Health Nutrition concentration - project option) (40 credit hours) 
  • NUTR 503   (2 credit hours)
  • NUTR 504   (2 credit hours)
  • NUTR 507   (3 credit hours)
  • NUTR 509   (1 credit hour) *
  • NUTR 515   (6 credit hours)
  • NUTR 514   (2 credit hours)
  • NUTR 519   (3 credit hours)
  • NUTR 543   (3 credit hours)
  • NUTR 626   (3 credit hours)
  • At least 6 additional credit hours of graduate course work in Nutrition, NUTR, as identified by faculty advisor and approved by the Director of the Public Health Nutrition Graduate Program
  • PUBH 520   (3 credit hours) *
  • PUBH 530   (3 credit hours) *
  • PUBH 540   (3 credit hours) *
• *These courses (10 credit hours) count as part of the 20 total credit hours of Foundation Courses for the MPH.

Additional Course Requirements

• Additional Required Foundation MPH Courses for the Dual Degree (10 credit hours)
  • NUTR 509   (1 credit hour)
  • PUBH 510   (3 credit hours)
  • PUBH 537   (3 credit hours)
  • PUBH 552   (3 credit hours)
• Required MPH Concentration Courses (10 credit hours)
  • Community Health Education — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
  • Epidemiology — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
  • Health Policy and Management — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam

Additional Course Requirements

• NUTR 515  (6 credit hours) counts for both the block field experience requirement of the MS degree and the applied practice experience requirement of the MPH degree.
• 6 NUTR credit hours, from the required courses in Public Health Nutrition, excluding NUTR 509  and NUTR 515 , count for electives for the MPH.
• Students should review the Graduate Student Handbook in Nutrition and the Public Health Graduate Student Handbook, as well as work with their departmental advisors to ensure completion of additional course work specific to their selected Public Health concentration.

Non-Course Requirements

• A single block field experience (or public health applied practice experience) and poster presentation are required of all students. MS/project students also complete an analytical field paper focused on their block field experience. This analytical field paper incorporates public health nutrition and the student’s public health concentration.
• Dual-degree students who withdraw from the program before completion of the requirements for both degrees will not receive credit towards the MS or MPH for courses taken in the other program, except as such courses qualify for credit without regard to the dual program.