Food Science and Human Nutrition
Correspondence and Admission Information: Terri Cummings
264 Bevier Hall
905 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-4405
E-mail: FSHN-General@ad.uiuc.edu
Major: Food Science and Human Nutrition
Degrees Offered: M.S., Ph.D.
Graduate Concentrations: Food Science (all degrees), Human Nutrition (all degrees),
Professional Science Master’s (M.S. only)
Off-Campus Program: Food Science and Human Nutrition
Degree Offered: M.S.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Food Science and Human Nutrition and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers traditional graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with either a food science and/or human nutrition concentration. In addition to receiving training in the general field of food science or human nutrition, students have the opportunity to conduct research in the following areas of specialization: food processing and food engineering, food packaging, food chemistry, food biochemistry, food microbiology, food safety, biotechnology, human nutrition through the life cycle, nutritional aspects of exercise, nutrient metabolism, nutrition and disease interactions, nutrient composition of foods, sensory and instrumental evaluation of food quality, community nutrition, and clinical nutrition. For additional information go to fshn.illinois.edu/graduate.
The department also offers a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) concentration. The PSM involves rigorous scientific training in the area of food science and/or human nutrition; additionally, instruction is provided in applied business knowledge and skills. This program is designed for those who seek careers in a science-based setting with significant managerial and leadership responsibilities. For additional information go to psm.illinois.edu/prospectivestudents/programs/foodscience.htm.
Admission
In addition to meeting the Graduate College admission requirements, a student planning to pursue a graduate degree in the department should have a baccalaureate degree in a recognized field of biological, physical, agricultural, or engineering science. Background deficiencies may be removed with graduate credit courses designed for this purpose. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required of all applicants, and those whose native language is not English are required to submit the results of the TOEFL or IELTS as evidence of English proficiency. Minimum TOEFL and IELTS scores can be found at grad.illinois.edu/admissions/instructions/04c. Students can be admitted to start in fall, spring, or summer semesters except for the PSM concentration, which admits fall semester only. For information on the role faculty have in the admissions process go to fshn.illinois.edu/graduate/applying.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science, concentration in Food Science
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option - Required Hours | Non-thesis Option - Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| See handbook for required courses | 17-18 | 17-18 |
| Electives from departmental list | At least 3 hours must be at the 500 level | |
| Thesis Hours Required – FSHN 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 6 max | |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
8 | 8 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall |
12 | 12 |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is required. | A non-thesis degree is considered a terminal degree, and requires a committee as well as an adviser. | |
| Final Exam/Thesis Defense Required | Yes | No |
| Thesis Deposit Required | Yes | No |
| Additional courses may be required beyond the concentration minimum per Advisory Committee recommendation | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Master of Science, concentration in Human Nutrition
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option - Required Hours | Non-thesis Option - Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| See handbook for required courses | 16-18 | 16-18 |
| Electives from departmental list | At least 3 must be must be graded courses at the 500-level | At least 6 must be must be graded courses at the 500-level |
| Thesis Hours Required – FSHN 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 6 max | |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
8 | 8 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall |
12 | 12 |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is required. | A non-thesis degree is considered a terminal degree, and requires a committee as well as an adviser. | |
| Final Exam/Thesis Defense Required | Yes | No |
| Thesis Deposit Required | Yes | No |
| Additional courses may be required beyond the concentration minimum per Advisory Committee recommendation | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Master of Science, concentration in Professional Science Master’s
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| See PSM concentration-specific course work | 24 min |
| Advanced Special Problems FSHN 598 or NUTR 593 (min/max applied toward degree): | 8 max |
| Business courses prescribed by the Illinois PSM program | 10 |
| PSM 501, 502 and 503 – PSM Seminars | 0 |
| PSM 555 – Internship | 0 |
| Total Hours | 42 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
8 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall |
12 |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is required. | A non-thesis degree requires a committee as well as an adviser. |
| Additional courses may be required beyond the concentration minimum per Advisory Committee recommendations | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses: | Concentration in Food Science, Required Hours-Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree | Concentration in Food Science, Required Hours - Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree* | Concentration in Human Nutrition, Required Hours-Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree | Concentration in Human Nutrition, Required Hours - Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| See handbook for required courses | 26 min | 26 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Electives from departmental list | At least 3 must be must be graded courses at the 500-level | At least 3 must be must be graded courses at the 500-level | ||
| Thesis Hours Required – FSHN 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 38 max | 70 max | 38 max | 70 max |
| Total Hours | 64 | 96 | 64 | 96 |
| Other Requirements:*A concentrations is required. | ||||
| Additional courses may be required beyond the concentration minimum per Advisory Committee recommendations | ||||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Qualifying Exam Required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If a candidate has a master's degree in a related area, a minimum of 64 graduate hours, including up to 38 graduate hours of thesis research, must be completed. In consultation with the adviser and advisory committee, the remainder of the 64 graduate hours required for the degree consists of courses selected from inside or outside the department that are appropriate for training in the student's field of specialization. Upon completion of all necessary formal courses and special options, the student is required to take an oral preliminary examination. After passage of the preliminary examination, the student's activities are primarily devoted to thesis research. Upon submission of the dissertation, the candidate is required to pass a final oral examination before a graduate faculty committee. The Ph.D. degree may be combined with an M.D. in the Medical Scholars Program (see below).
Internship in Dietetics
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers a dietetic internship for master's and doctoral students specializing in human nutrition. Completion of the degree and the internship qualifies the student to take the American Dietetic Association's registration examination. For information on our dietetic internship program please contact Dr. Sharon Donovan (sdonovan@illinois.edu).
Off-Campus Program
A Master of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition degree program is offered online in live, synchronous sessions using distance education technology. Courses are typically offered in the evening or on Saturdays. Most students in this program choose the non-thesis option. For requirements, see table above and for additional information, please contact Dr. Dawn Bohn at dbrehart@illinois.edu.
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including Food Science and Human Nutrition. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Teaching is neither a Graduate College nor a FSHN requirement. A limited number of teaching assistantships are available to FSHN graduate students. Students are selected to be Graduate Teaching Assistants by the Department Head in consultation with the course instructor.
Financial Aid
Financial assistance is not available for Illinois PSM students.. Financial aid for non-PSM graduate students is available in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and tuition and partial fee waivers. Qualified candidates are considered for financial support upon application. Additional information on financial aid for graduate students can be found at fshn.illinois.edu/graduate/financial_aid.