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Promote and Integrate the Power of Nutrition

Become an expert in the foundation of health and wellness with a Master of Science in Nutrition degree from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. You'll explore emerging topics and trends, such as genetic applications and plant-based eating patterns, while mastering behavioral concepts and evidence-based practice. Further distinguish your expertise by choosing an optional concentration in areas such as sports nutrition or herbal therapy. You'll graduate a leader in nutrition, with the distinct training and certification needed to advance your career quickly.

Flexible Learning to Fit Your Life

Get the flexibility you need with online and hybrid course options at the NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. You’ll benefit from live, direct interaction with faculty. Whichever way you choose to study and learn, you will establish a network of support through faculty, advisors, and peers.

What I loved the most about the program is that it is well-rounded and can be tailored towards your own personal interests. The classes are well-organized, the workload adequate, and the teachers knowledgeable and approachable. There is also constant support from faculty to guide you through the program.

Rim Makhlouf, M.S. in Nutrition Graduate, Class of 2020

Quick Facts

Tuition

Tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year (subject to change by the Board of Trustees without notice) is $616/semester credit hour.

Credits & Requirements

Earn your degree in as little as one year. The M.S. in Nutrition program is 30 total credits.

Application Deadlines

For Fall Admission: August 1
For Winter Admission: December 15
For Summer Admission: April 15

Term Dates and Additional Deadlines

Delivery Options

The nutrition master’s degree is offered online and as a hybrid so that you can fit class into your busy schedule.

What Can You Do with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition?

As consumers continue to explore new ways to better their health, you can expect this diverse and dynamic field will continue to grow at a faster rate than average. With a master’s degree in nutrition, you can distinguish yourself as an expert in health education, food science, nursing, counseling, and food services.

Dietitian and Nutritionist: What’s the Difference?

What Certifications Can You Earn?

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Dietitians are the health professionals who translate the science and art of nutrition and food into the practice of caring for the health and well-being of people. As part of the M.S. in Nutrition program, the professional practice concentration (MS-RDN) is the only track by which students may become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

Get in-depth training in areas of nutrition therapy, chemistry, biology, counseling, and food systems to become a licensed RDN. Use evidence-based practices to diagnose nutrition conditions or provide nutrition therapy.

 

Learn about the MS-RDN

Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)

NSU's M.S. in Nutrition is approved to meet the academic requirements for the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential. Earn the protected title of CNS to set yourself apart in a variety of services, including education, food science, wellness, sports and fitness, and integrative health practice.

Candidates may be able to receive up to 300 hours of supervised training in this program. The Board of Certified Nutrition Specialists reviews each candidate individually including transcripts and 1000 hours of required practical experience to determine eligibility.

Watch the CNS Information Session

Why Earn Your M.S. in Nutrition at NSU?

Flexible, 30-Credit Commitment

Complete your degree in one year with online, synchronous classes designed to fit your lifestyle.

Customize Your Concentration

Follow your passion for food and health in any direction you want. Choose a generalist track or declare your concentration in areas like sports nutrition, herbal therapy, or professional practice.

Meet and Exceed Future Standards

Stay one step ahead as the standards of practice adjust to require a master’s degree and professional credentials.

The Master of Science in Nutrition, Professional Practice Concentration has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as a Future Education Model Graduate Program. This coordinated program provides required education and 1,200 hours of supervised practice to meet eligibility requirements for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Learn More about ACEND

Professional Practice Concentration Info

Explore the Nutrition Program

Get the NSU Edge

As the field of nutrition becomes more competitive, with NSU's Master of Science in Nutrition you'll get every advantage to enter it as a leader with the NSU Edge. From curriculum that covers the latest breakthroughs in nutritional science to a capstone project that preps you for career success, you’ll stay ahead as a Shark.

About the Edge

Nutrition professor showing nutrition label

Earning Potential

Sports Nutritionist

$69,370 Average Salary per Year

Outpatient Care Dietitian

$70,650 Average Salary per Year

Public Health Specialist

$57,960 Average Salary per Year

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Student-Led Community Resources

Created and curated by students of the Master of Nutrition program, the Community Nutrition Resources are full fact sheets, videos, recipes, and links to services and support. It’s all part of the program’s goal to create graduates who champion service to the community. Take a look at what’s getting posted!

Explore Community Nutrition Resources

Nutrition M.S. Curriculum

Get a core foundation with mastery-level courses in nutrition while pursuing a concentration in sports nutrition, community nutrition, or functional nutrition and herbal therapy. Elective courses expose you to emerging topics and sought-after industry knowledge.

VIEW PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Get Core Knowledge with a Graduate Certificate


If you’re interested in learning fundamental principles of nutrition without pursuing an entire graduate degree, a certificate might be right for you. Both options allow you to enhance your job credentials and follow the same structure:

  • 15-credit graduate certificate program
  • Online only with synchronous and asynchronous work
  • Each course must be successfully completed with a grade of B or better to be eligible for certificate
  • Previous coursework does not guarantee acceptance into a degree-seeking program but may be transferable

Functional Nutrition and Herbal Therapy Certificate

Learn a systems-based approach to whole-person wellness that you can integrate into the care of patients and your current practice.

Functional Nutrition and Herbal Therapy Certificate

Health Education Certificate

Understand the concepts and skills applied to health education, health promotion, and disease prevention.

Health Education Certificate

Explore Nutrition as a Non-Degree Seeking Student

If you’d like to take a few courses for exploration or professional development, or prep for another track, you can enroll as a non-degree-seeking student and take up to 12 credit hours. You must still apply, send in your transcripts, and pay the application fee. Non-degree admittance will only be awarded to students that have demonstrated the ability to successfully complete a graduate course.

If you decide later to pursue the Master of Science in Nutrition degree, you will need to submit a new application. Your previous enrollment as a non-degree seeking student does not guarantee acceptance into the nutrition degree-seeking program. If accepted into the degree program, appropriate credits taken as a non-degree seeking student will be applied automatically toward the degree.

Admission Requirements

Ready for the Next Step?

Let’s get started! You can apply for entry in any one of the three semesters—fall, winter, or summer.

Go to Application

Complete the online application form

If you’re a first-time user, be sure to create a Graduate Account to begin.

Pay the nonrefundable application fee of US $50

You can pay this online through the application portal or send a check to the address below.

Request your transcripts

Request transcripts from all schools attended and/or agency evaluation of foreign degree be mailed to the address below or sent electronically to electronictranscript@nova.edu.

Submit standardized test scores

If GPA is less than 3.0: Submit MCAT, GRE, PCAT, OAT, DAT, GMAT, or LSAT from the past 5 years.

Please have your official scores sent to the mailing address below.

International students should submit TOEFL scores, if applicable. Visit Requirements for Obtaining an 1-20 for more information.

Request one letter of recommendation

Provide one signed letter of recommendation on official letterhead. You may request the recommendation electronically through the application system or have it mailed to the address below.

Submitting Your Materials

Please mail all documents to:

Mailing Address (Domestic)

Nova Southeastern University
Enrollment Processing Services (EPS)
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Master of Science in Nutrition Admissions
3301 College Avenue
P.O. Box 299000
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33329-9905

Applicants or enrollees of the Master of Science in Nutrition program may petition for a maximum transfer of six credit hours toward their degrees from a regionally accredited institution for degree-seeking students. Any exceptions require the written approval of the program director.

To be considered for transfer of credit, courses must have been:

  • Completed less than three years prior to the beginning of the student’s first semester in the program
  • Substantially equivalent to courses offered in the program, as determined by the program director and appropriate faculty members
  • Successfully completed with a grade of B (80%) or better

Transfer course grades are not calculated toward the student’s grade point average.

An accepted applicant to the program who wishes to receive transfer credit must submit a written request and the appropriate verification documents (e.g., official transcripts, syllabi, and catalogs) to the program director.

International students who wish to be considered for admissions must submit an official course-by-course evaluation of all foreign transcripts. Agencies that can complete this evaluation can be found here.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate English proficiency in accordance with the university's policies. The standardized tests listed below currently satisfy the university’s English requirement for nonnative English speakers.

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): score of 213 on the computer-based test or 79–80 on the Internet based test
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): score of 6.0 on the test module
  • Pearson Test of English—Academic: score of 54
  • GMAT: score of 450
  • GRE: score of 1000 (old format) or score of 306 (new format)
  • Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT): score of at least 500 in the reading section
  • American College Test (ACT): score of at least 20 on the verbal section
  • Duolingo English Proficiency: score of at least 100
Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency to the program you applied to. Proof of English language competency can also be in the form of successful completion of a degree at an approved U.S. institution of higher education.

Nova Southeastern University's Master of Science in Nutrition program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist, doctoral, and professional degrees.

The Master of Science in Nutrition program professional practice concentration (M.S.-RDN) has been granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as a Future Education Model Graduate Program. Graduation from an ACEND-accredited program, including approved supervised practice, is required to take the national certification exam for registered dietitian nutritionists. This preparation also meets most state licensing requirements for nutrition practice.

There are many career pathways for legal practice for nutrition professionals. At this time, we have determined that the NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine's Master of Science degree program meets the educational requirements for licensure in all 50 states. For candidates in Florida, please contact www.floridahealth.gov/licensing-and-regulation/dietetic-nutrition/index.html.

It is nonetheless strongly encouraged that students determine any additional requirements for licensure in the state in which they seek to be licensed. Students should refer directly to the state licensing bodies or visit professional websites such as www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy/licensure/licensure-map for licensure requirements across the United States.

If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact Stephanie N. Petrosky, M.H.A., RDN, LDN, FAND at (954) 262-1597 or by email at spetrosky@nova.edu.

After Applying, What Happens Next?

Depending on the time of year, the review process may take a few weeks. You can check your application status at any time via the online application portal. Once a decision has been made, notification is sent via email to the address on file.

Take The Next Step