Master of Arts in Family and Consumer Sciences - Food Nutrition and Dietetics

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences offers a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. The degree program is designed for professionals seeking advanced study in one of the specialty areas of family and consumer sciences. The program is recommended for students whose undergraduate degree is also in Family and Consumer Sciences. It is less appropriate for students with undergraduate degrees in more specific areas (such as a B.A. in Apparel, Merchandizing, and Design). The Food, Nutrition and Dietetics (FND) sequence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels specializes in dietetics rather than nutritional science or food science. The FND graduate option is best suited for registered dietitians seeking a master's degree or individuals with a bachelor's degree who want to become eligible for an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship, the next step in becoming a registered dietitan (R.D.). An overview of the steps required to become eligible for a dietetic internship are located at Step to Becoming a R.D. - Overview. Individuals with a previous bachelor's degree seeking to become eligible for a dietetic internship may earn a master's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences while completing the coursework required becoming eligible for an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship. The required dietetics courses generally include 20 semester hours of courses that can be applied to a master's degree; however, this may not be the best option for all students. Other options for taking the required dietetics courses are to enroll for a second bachelor's degree or as a graduate student-at-large.