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• M.S. in Nutrition
• Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

• 36 total credits, plus additional credits for the thesis (HNSC 7999) or Dietetic Internship, if so desired
  • 6 required courses (18 credits):
  • Nutritional Biochemistry HNSC 7210
  • Micronutrients HNSC 7211
  • Human Pathophysiology HNSC 7213
  • Community Nutrition HNSC 7230
  • Nutrition and Disease HNSC 7241 (prerequisite 7213)
  • Principles of Nutrition Research HNSC 7931 
• 6 elective courses (18 credits) chosen from: HNSC 7212, 7221, 7231, 7232, 7233, 7234, 7240, 7250, 7200 (DI students only), 7201 (DI students only), 7120, 7183, 7935, 7999.
• During their first year in the program, students should take HNSC 7213 (Fall) and 7931 (Spring).

Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0; failure to do so will place the student on academic probation. Failure to maintain a semester GPA of 3.0 after placement on probation can lead to dismissal from the program. A GPA of at least 3.0 is also required for eligibility to take the comprehensive examination and for graduation. A student may retake courses (up to 6 credits total) for which a grade of F has been received; the new grade will replace the F in calculation of the GPA; the student must submit a form to use of this F Replacement Policy. A grade of INC must be resolved in the following semester or it will become FIN (equivalent to F).

Exit Requirement: choice between a comprehensive examination or Master’s thesis.

In addition to completion of course work with a GPA of at least 3.0, students must either pass a comprehensive examination or submit an acceptable M.S. thesis.

The comprehensive examination is given in the late Fall and late Spring semesters. The exam consists of questions pertaining to the required courses HNSC 7210, 7211, 7230, 7241 and 7931. Students must complete all five courses with a grade of at least B in order to qualify to take the examination. It is recommended that students complete the required courses early in their programs and take the comprehensive examination soon after. You do not have to complete all 30 credits in order to apply for the examination. Students apply for the exam online:

1.         Sign in to the WebCentral Portal at https://portal.brooklyn.edu

2.         Select the "eServices" tab

3.         Look for the "Student Transactions" channel

4.         Select the "Apply for a comprehensive exam" item in the Graduate Studies section

Students will receive access to study material posted on Blackboard. Students taking the exam for the first time will pass if the total grade is at least 70%. Students who fail the exam may apply to take the exam once again, retaking only the course areas in which the previous score was less than 70%; passing the second time requires a score of at least 70% in EACH of the repeated areas.

Students choosing the thesis must first take HNSC 7931, and HNSC 7935 while working  with a faculty mentor, submit a thesis proposal and title with the mentor’s approval, and register for HNSC 7999 by the time they expect to submit the completed thesis. Once students select the examination (by taking it) or thesis (by registering for HNSC 7999) they may not change to the other option.

 Note that students must maintain matriculation (be registered for a course or pay “Maintenance of Matriculation”) until completion of the program. That includes the semester(s) in which the student submits the thesis or takes the comprehensive examination. Students with a GPA of at least 3.0 may file for a Leave of Absence for 1-2 semesters; they can be readmitted when returning. Without the Leave or Maintenance of Matriculation , missing a Fall or Spring semester requires Readmission and adherence to the requirements in the current Graduate Bulletin at the time of Readmission .

 

All requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years of the time the student begins to take graduate courses. Students must file for graduation with the Registrar before their last semester.

STUDENTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED to read both the general information in the Brooklyn College Graduate Bulletin and the information for the M.S. in Nutrition in the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences. Students are required to follow the requirements listed in Bulletin that is effect when they begin the program, unless they officially switch to a later version of the Bulletin (or are readmitted, as previously described). Contact the Graduate Deputy Chairperson for Nutrition, Prof. Kathleen Axen: kaxen@brooklyn.cuny.edu for information and counselling.

Courses that may be used to fulfill the requirements for the MS in Nutrition are those courses stated in the graduate Bulletin; that is, courses given at Brooklyn College. Graduate courses completed elsewhere, prior to beginning the M.S. may be submitted for evaluation by the College and the Department for transfer credit.

In addition, students in the M.S. program may apply for an epermit in advance of registering for a course at another (typically CUNY) college. The student must request an epermit for the particular course in question and this permit must be first approved by the graduate deputy for the MS program before you register for the course in question. If you take a course that was not approved for you in advance, it may not count toward fulfillment of your degree requirements.