School Overviews
Prospective students who want to study nutrition can find master's and doctoral degree programs at several institutions. Varied degree types and specialization options are available through top-ranked universities throughout the country.
The four schools profiled here provide graduate training in nutrition. Their programs offer students the opportunity to earn degrees such as a Master of Public Health, Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in the field.
Each of the four profiled schools has been recognized for academic excellence by U.S. News and World Report in 2017.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) in New York, NY
As of 2017, CUNY - Hunter College placed 42nd among universities in the North according to U.S. News and World Report. In the same year, the NYC-based institution made the Princeton Review's lists of Best Northeastern Colleges and Green Colleges. Through the School of Public Health, individuals interested in becoming registered dietitians (RDs) can earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in Nutrition. Hunter College has a wide variety of Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) specialization options as well. The M.P.H. in Nutrition program has a track for non-registered dietitians.
2. University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, NC
The oldest public state university in the U.S., the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was designated as a Best Southeastern College by the Princeton Review in 2017. It also ranked as the fifth-best public school among U.S. News and World Report's top national colleges for the same year.
At the Gillings School of Global Public Health, students can pursue an M.P.H. in Nutrition program, which includes specialized tracks for medical students or physicians, aspiring RDs or working RDs. Additional graduate nutrition programs include a M.S. in Nutritional Biochemistry and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nutrition.
The university also hosts a cancer health disparities training program.
3. University of Wisconsin - Madison
A Big Ten University, the University of Wisconsin - Madison placed 44th among national universities according to the U.S. News and World Report in 2017. Graduate students in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences (IGPNS) at the Department of Nutritional Sciences can earn an M.S. and a Ph.D. Areas of specialization include biochemical and molecular nutrition, animal nutrition and human nutrition.
In addition, the university houses a National Institute of Health molecular and applied nutrition training program.
4. Boston University in Boston, MA
Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, hosts a nutrition seminar series and offers multiple graduate programs that prepare students to become registered dietitians. One of the Master of Science in Nutrition options is designed for students who studied nutrition at the undergraduate level, while the other is offered to students who didn't study nutrition as undergraduates. Students in both of these programs have the opportunity to complete a full-time dietetic internship that lasts for 29 weeks.
At the doctoral level, the institution offers a Ph.D. in Nutrition and Metabolism, in which students conduct advanced research and take courses in the biomedical and social sciences.
Boston University ranked #39 among all universities by U.S. News and World Report for 2017.
Top Graduate Nutrition Schools
Here are some more schools with excellent graduate education offerings in nutrition:
| School Name | Distinction | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Drexel University | Option to pursue either an M.S. or a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) | Philadelphia, PA |
| Syracuse University | Dietetic Internship Program | Syracuse, NY |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Professional Science master's degree program in nutrition | Urbana, IL |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Experienced nutrition sciences faculty | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Texas at Austin | Dell Pediatric Research Institute | Austin, TX |
| University of Washington - Seattle | Interdisciplinary approach to the graduate nutrition program | Seattle, WA |
Interested students can find relevant master's and doctoral programs in nutrition. Some offer a counseling emphasis, preparing students for work as registered dietitians, while others focus on academic research in the field.
