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MS in Nutrition

In as little as 12 months, you can earn your master's degree and be ready for the next step in your career. 

The Master of Science in Nutrition can be completed as a standalone graduate degree or in conjunction with an ACEND-accredited RDN preparation program at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ.

Program Update

The MS in Nutrition degree plan has officially been reduced to 30 semester credit hours, starting in the Fall 2026. 

This streamlined format is flexible for working professionals and leads to a faster path to graduation and a lower overall tuition cost. 

Program features

Female ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ dietitian talks to a male patient who has food options on table in front of him.
  • High quality, affordable education and career preparation
  • Thesis, coursework-only and 100% online options
  • Electives that merge the science of nutrition with a broader view of wellness, community and the environment
  • Small classes with accessible, knowledgeable and supportive faculty
  • Courses are available online, hybrid and face-to-face on   and 

Why Nutrition at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ?

RDN Preparation Opportunities

Students interested in becoming Registered Dietitian Nutritionists may complete the MS in Nutrition in conjunction with an ACEND-accredited RDN preparation program at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ. Program structure and admission requirements vary by campus and pathway. Visit the RDN Preparation Programs page for details.  

School Nutrition Specialist Practicum

  • Texas Woman's Nutrition and Food Sciences offers the only School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) Internship program in the state. The program is also one of only three approved by the nationwide. This highly selective program available in Denton and Houston prepares you to assess the nutritional needs of diverse populations, especially school-aged children at risk or of limited income. 
  • Learn more about the School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) Practicum.

Research opportunities

At ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ, you have the opportunity to participate in research with faculty in any of the on-campus laboratories. Research possibilities include:

  • Food and nutrition literacy and public health nutrition
  • Dietary assessment of the US population
  • Food security 
  • Pediatric obesity and developmental disorders 
  • Nutritional strategies to prevent and manage cardiometabolic disease
  • Behavioral interventions to improve cardiometabolic health in older adults
  • Molecular and physiological aspects of selenium and selenoproteins
  • Vitamin A metabolism regulation and impacts on hair, skin cancer, and metabolic disease
  • Regulation of reverse cholesterol transport by bioactive compounds
  • Lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in cancer and metabolic disease
  • Food flavor analysis, health benefits, and consumer testing
  • Foodborne pathogen detection and control

Career opportunities

  • Research and development in the food industry
  • Academia
  • Writing and publishing
  • Nutrition consultancy
  • Marketing for nutrition companies

Salaries in these areas vary widely. The  lists a median annual income of $73,850 per year for  with a much faster than the average growth rate.

Requirements

Program Completion Requirements

The Master of Science in Nutrition requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours. Students may complete the degree through either a thesis or coursework-only option.

Thesis Option

Available in Houston and Denton.

  • 13 semester credit hours of required coursework

  • 11 semester credit hours of elective coursework in the major

  • 6 semester credit hours of thesis coursework

  • Total: 30 semester credit hours

Coursework-Only Option

Available in Houston, Denton and fully online.

  • 15 semester credit hours of required coursework

  • 15 semester credit hours of elective coursework in the major

  • Capstone Seminar completed during the final semester

  • Total: 30 semester credit hours

Students completing the MS in Nutrition in conjunction with an RDN preparation program follow a program-specific course sequence that integrates graduate degree requirements with additonal required dietetics coursework and supervised experiential learning. Refer to the applicable RDN Preparation Program webpage for detailed curriculum and sequencing.

Students enrolled in an external ACEND-accredited dietetics program may be eligible to apply NFS 5853: Competency Development in Dietetics Practice as a 3-semester-credit-hour elective, subject to program approval.

A complete list of degree requirements and courses is available in the

Admission requirements

Admission to the M.S. in Nutrition

Program Contact

Helen Everts, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
nutrfdsci@twu.edu
940-898-2639

Application Deadlines

Fall — June 15
Spring — October 1
Summer — April 1

Admission Requirements

  • Undergraduate semester credit hour prerequisites, including:
    • Chemistry, including Organic and Biochemistry (9-12 hours)
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology (3-4 hours)
    • Introduction to Nutrition (3 hours)
    • Upper-level Nutrition, Advanced Nutrition, Macronutrients and Micronutrients (6-9 hours)
  • Minimum 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 undergraduate semester credit hours and all post-baccalaureate and graduate semester credit hours.

Applicants who meet the above criteria with exception of GPA may qualify for provisional admission if they have at least a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) on the last 60 undergraduate semester credit hours. If the applicant has previously earned graduate credits from ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ or another regionally accredited graduate program, the first 12 credit hours completed will be considered in lieu of the last 60 undergraduate hours.

Graduate Admission

Begin by reviewing your program's website to see if there are additional admission requirements and application deadlines prior to applying.  

  1. Apply online.
    Apply to Graduate Programs  via the ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ  following instructions below.  
  2. Submit transcripts to ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ.
    • Domestic Applicants must submit official transcripts for each college or university attended, both undergraduate and graduate. See the Information on Transcripts website for more details. Original transcripts for each college/university attended must be submitted, even if referred to on another schools transcripts.
    • International Applicants are now required to provide an evaluation prepared by a  or  member evaluation service. International transcripts should not be sent directly to ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ. See the International Admissions website for more details.
  3. Submit Recommendation Requests
    If your program requires you to submit names for recommendations you will need to do it in the application. List of programs-majors.  
  4. Pay the application fee.
    The $50 fee ($75 fee for International applicants), which applies to all new and returning applicants, can be paid by:
    1. Credit card - Pay Online through the application as the last step before submitting the application. The second portion of the application will not be available until the application fee has been received.
    2. Fee Waivers - Graduate applicants who are certified McNair Scholars are eligible for a McNair Scholar Application Fee Waiver. ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ Alumni may be eligible for the Alumni Advantage Fee Waiver. Check your eligibility here: /alumni-advantage/. If eligible submit the request using the Application Fee Waiver Submission
    3. Following fee payment return to the application dashboard where supplemental application documents can be uploaded. The online application will list which documents are needed to fulfill the program admission requirements. You can also check the program's website.
  5. Submit Program supplemental documents
    1. Review the specific requirements for your intended program to identify any supplemental materials needed for your application.

Watch for emails from your new program/department that may come to your ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ email address.

For more information or assistance with the application or graduate admissions, visit the Graduate Admissions website.

Students who wish to apply for a must meet the .

For more information

Denton/Online program: nutrfdsci@twu.edu

Houston: nfs_houston@twu.edu  

Apply today

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Page last updated 4:52 PM, August 21, 2026