Nutrition and Food Science

Today’s interest in healthy lifestyles is translating into a remarkable range of career opportunities related to diet, fitness, and health.
Students choose to specialize in either food science or nutrition science.
Nutrition science specializes in laboratory research on nutrition.
Food science explores the nature of foods, food safety, and food processing.
Today’s interest in healthy lifestyles is translating into a remarkable range of career opportunities related to diet, fitness and health.
The M.S. program in nutrition and food science prepares students to pursue a wide variety of health-related careers through rigorous coursework. We provide a foundation of essential scientific methods, technical knowledge, practical skills and critical thinking.
A dietetic internship may be available to those who have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) before enrolling in our graduate program
All admitted students are assigned to the non-thesis track. To apply for the thesis track, students must be in good academic standing and have the support of graduate faculty after the first semester.
For exemplary master’s students, a bypass to the Ph.D. degree may be possible after the first year. Among other things, the decision is based on the student’s academic performance during the first year of study.
For students who wish to receive registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) credentials, the department offers a dietetic internship (DI). The internship is built into the M.S. curriculum and allows students to complete the program concurrently. Students that have completed the Didactic Program in Dietetics undergraduate courses may be eligible to apply.
Today’s interest in healthy lifestyles is translating into a remarkable range of career opportunities related to diet, fitness, and health.
The doctoral program in Human Sciences (Nutrition and Food Science major) prepares students to pursue careers in a wide variety of health-related careers as well as academia. It is a research intensive and competency-based program. Current research includes body composition, functional food, chronic disease and aging response, food allergy, and safety/quality detection methods.
If you meet the below requirements, we encourage you to apply to the program.
Attainment of these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission decisions are based on assessments of all aspects of the student’s application materials. The department reserves the right to increase standards if warranted by enrollment limitations and by the number and quality of applicants. Financial aid is a separate process from the admission to a graduate program.
Before you submit your online application and pay the application fee, please carefully review the required documentation on the Application Process tab.
Attainment of these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission decisions are based on assessments of all aspects of the student’s application materials. The department reserves the right to increase standards if warranted by enrollment limitations and by the number and quality of applicants. Financial aid is a separate process from the admission to a graduate program. Other requirements, outside of the admissions application, may be required to qualify for an assistantship.
Before you submit your online application and pay the application fee, please carefully review the required documentation on the Application Process tab.
Admission Semester | Regular Deadline | Deadline for Dietetic Internship (DI) eligibility |
---|---|---|
Fall | April 1 | November 1 |
Spring | October 1 | N/A |
Summer | No admission | No admission |
This program admits in the fall and spring semesters only. All application materials must be received by the deadline posted and only complete applications will be reviewed.
Additionally, admission to the graduate program is term specific. If you decide to apply for a different semester or major, you will need to start a new application. If you are unable to attend the semester for which you were admitted, you will need to reapply for a future term.
Only students in qualifying FSU master’s degree programs may apply to the DI, which starts in the fall semester.
All admissions application materials for the master’s degree program must be received by November 1 of the preceding year.
All students interested in the DI must also 1) have a DPD statement and 2) apply to the Dietetic Internship. Please see DI application details here.
Admission Semester | Regular Deadline | Deadline for graduate teaching assistantship eligibility |
---|---|---|
Fall | April 1 | February 1 |
Spring | October 1 | July 1 |
Summer | No admission | No admission |
This program admits in the fall and spring semesters only. All application materials must be received by the deadline posted and only complete applications will be reviewed.
Additionally, admission to the graduate program is term specific. If you decide to apply for a different semester or major, you will need to start a new application. If you are unable to attend the semester for which you were admitted, you will need to reapply for a future term.
In order to apply for a graduate teaching assistantship (TA), you must be a current doctoral student or have been formally admitted to the program.
Please see the TA application button in the finances tab on our Graduate Resources page.
All items below must be on file, and the fee paid, before an application is considered complete and ready for review. We encourage you to submit and complete your application early. The graduate admissions committee reviews completed applications throughout the open application period, which allows you to receive an admissions decision more quickly.
Send electronic transcripts to:
Send paper transcripts to:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S. Copeland St. / 314 Westcott Bldg
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
USA
International Students:
1. Submit an English Proficiency Score Report:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S. Copeland St., 314 Westcott Bldg.
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
2. Florida State University (FSU) requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants who have taken courses at non-U.S. institutions. International and domestic applicants must submit their official transcripts from international institutions through a NACES-approved evaluator. SpanTran has created a custom application for FSU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. This link is found in the application checklist. Please also see the "Transcript Requirement" section on the Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on university transcript requirements for graduate students.
Please allow the Office of Graduate Admissions time to process your incoming materials.
All items below must be on file, and the fee paid, before an application is considered complete and ready for review. We encourage you to submit and complete your application early. The graduate admissions committee reviews completed applications throughout the open application period, which allows you to receive an admissions decision more quickly.
Send electronic transcripts to:
Send paper transcripts to:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S. Copeland St., 314 Westcott Bldg
Tallahassee FL 32306-1410
USA
International Students:
1. Submit an English Proficiency Score Report:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S Copeland St., Westcott Bldg.
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
USA
2. Florida State University (FSU) requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants who have taken courses at non-U.S. institutions. International and domestic applicants must submit their official transcripts from international institutions through a NACES-approved evaluator. SpanTran has created a custom application for FSU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. This link is found in the application checklist. Please also see the "Transcript Requirement" section on the Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on university transcript requirements for graduate students.
Please allow the Office of Graduate Admissions time to process your incoming materials.
Degree Requirements
In order to be successful in the major, background knowledge in related sciences should be obtained. Students have the option to take the undergraduate courses prior to the start graduate program or as leveling courses during their graduate program. If electing to take these courses while in the graduate program (leveling courses), it may take additional time to complete the other degree requirements due to sequencing of classes.
Undergraduate courses recommended for the Master’s in Nutrition & Food Science program by specialization are:
Nutrition Science | Food Science |
---|---|
Science of Nutrition (B- or better) |
Foods + Lab (C or better) |
Anatomy & Physiology I + Lab (C+ or better) |
Food Science + Lab (C or better) |
Organic Chemistry I & II + Lab (C or better) |
Organic Chemistry I & II + Lab (C or better) |
Survey of Biochemistry + Lab (C or better) |
Survey of Biochemistry + Lab (C or better) |
Metabolism of Nutrients I (C or better) |
Microbiology (C or better) |
Metabolism of Nutrients II (C or better) |
If you feel you have completed or are completing an equivalent course, please contact us.
A related degree is required and the completion of core coursework for the associated master’s degree program offered at FSU (or the equivalent) is highly recommended.
For questions about the application process:
CEHHS Office of Academic Services and Intern Support – HNFS Grad Admissions
HNFS-grad@fsu.edu
850-644-1117