Nutrition and Food Science (NUTR/FDSC)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Abstract

The Graduate Program in Nutrition and Food Science is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental program administered by the Department of Nutrition and Food Science (NFSC). The program draws upon faculty and scientists from numerous schools, departments, and organizations. These include the Departments of Animal and Avian Sciences, Anthropology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, and Plant Science and Landscape Architecture; the School of Public Health; and nearby research institutions. The Director of the Graduate Program in Nutrition and Food Science is selected from amongst faculty to administer the program.

The program offers graduate study leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Nutrition and Food Science with specialization in either Nutrition or Food Science. All programs require completion of a research project (thesis or dissertation). Programs of research are individually planned with the student, an advisor and an appropriate Graduate Advisory Committee. Research interests of faculty members specializing in Nutrition include the genetic and metabolic basis for dietary requirements of animals and humans, nutritional biochemistry, nutritional aspects of chronic disease, international nutrition, community nutrition, epidemiology, neuroscience, health behavior and health promotion. Research interests of faculty members specializing in Food Science include food chemistry, food processing and engineering, food microbiology, food safety, food nanotechnology, food toxicology, public policy, risk assessment and functional and nutraceutical foods.

Financial Assistance

Financial support for graduate students is available on a competitive basis. The Department of Nutrition and Food Science offers a number of graduate teaching assistantships that support students in the program. A limited number of research assistantships are also available. Applications for teaching assistantships for the fall semester are due around mid-February for continuing students. New students who are interested in a teaching position should contact their advisor for information. International students who wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship and are not native speakers of English are required by the university to take part in the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) evaluation prior to the start of classes. This includes taking the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and submitting official test scores. International teaching assistants who may have been educated entirely in English and those with a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree from universities in English-speaking countries must also be evaluated. Decisions regarding teaching assistantships are usually reached by April 1. Graduate teaching assistants receive a stipend plus health insurance. Tuition fees (up to 10 credits per semester) for teaching assistants are waived by the university. Programs in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Cellular Biology and Molecular Genetics, administered in the corresponding departments, also offer teaching assistantships to qualified students in the Graduate Program in Nutrition and Food Science. Students are encouraged to submit teaching assistantship applications to those programs. A limited number of research assistantships are available from grant funds, with the student assisting in the research supported under the grant. The research often may be applicable to the thesis or dissertation. The tuition for graduate research assistants is charged at the in-state rate and often is paid directly by the supporting grant. In addition, research assistants receive health insurance. Research assistantships generally are not awarded until after students have attended classes and are known to faculty. Additional types of financial aid are available, including a work-study program, grants, fellowships and loans. For more information regarding financial support, please refer to the Graduate School website at www.gradschool.umd.edu.

Contact

Sara Kao
Assistant Director, Student Programs
Department of Nutrition and Food Science
0112C Skinner Building
4300 Chapel Lane
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8980
Fax: 301.314.3313
Email: sarakao@umd.edu

Dr. Abani Pradhan
Director of the Graduate Studies
Department of Nutrition and Food Science
0102C Skinner Building
4300 Chapel Lane
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.4502
Fax: 301.314.3313
Email: akp@umd.edu

Website:  https://nfsc.umd.edu/graduate  

Relationships:  Animal Sciences (ANSC)     Neurosciences and Cognitive Science (NACS)

Courses: NFSC

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Description of Research/Work Experience (optional)

For the Nutrition concentration, please apply to program code NUTR. For the Food Science concentration, please apply to program code FDSC.

Application Deadlines

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Program Website: http://www.nfsc.umd.edu
Application Process: www.gradschool.umd.edu/admissions

The Graduate Program office is housed within the Department of Nutrition and Food Science in Room 0112 in the Skinner Building.  

Program facilities are located in the Departments of Nutrition and Food Science, Animal and Avian Sciences, Anthropology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. There are also collaborative arrangements with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, opportunities exist for collaborative research with scientists at the FDA through the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.  

Library facilities and resources are extensive. In addition to campus libraries, the National Archives, the National Agricultural Library, the Library of Congress, and the National Library of Medicine are all within 10 miles of campus and are available to students.