Also offered is 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.
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, and also the MPH Academic Program Committee. 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.
A dual-degree candidate must satisfy the requirements for both the MS (public health nutrition concentration) and the MPH degrees, as well as the requirements for the dual program. All candidates for the dual degree must successfully complete PUBH 510 , PUBH 537 , and PUBH 555 ; 2 hours (1 hour each) of PUBH 509 and NUTR 509 ; and a minimum of 60 hours. The Department of Nutrition will award a maximum of 9 hours of credit toward the MS for successful completion of approved graduate-level public health courses offered in the Department of Public Health. The Department of Public Health will award a maximum of 11 hours of credit toward the MPH for successful completion of approved courses offered in the Department of Nutrition.
All courses for which such cross-credit is awarded must be approved by the MPH Academic Program Committee and the student’s graduate committee. A single block field experience (or public health internship) is required of all students and the 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.
For thesis students MS courses to be counted toward the MPH program must include 9 hours of NUTR 515 , 1 hour of NUTR 509 , a maximum of 3 hours of NUTR 543 and NUTR 545 , and 3 hours of NUTR 616 . For non-thesis students MS courses to be counted toward the MPH program must include a maximum of 10 hours of NUTR 515 and NUTR 519 , 1 hour of NUTR 509 , and 3 hours of NUTR 616 . For thesis and non-thesis students MPH courses to be counted toward the MS include PUBH 520 , PUBH 530 and PUBH 540 .
