Public Health Nutrition - MPH

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences

Program Contact:

Program Description

This 100% online Master of Public Health (MPH) in Public Health Nutrition degree includes interdisciplinary training in nutrition-related sciences and prepares students with skills and competencies essential for leadership and administrative positions in public health nutrition. Potential positions include public health nutritionist, nutritional epidemiologist, program coordinator, public health educator, executive director, and nutrition services supervisor. These positions can be found in a variety of governmental, academic, nonprofit, and for-profit settings, including state and local public health departments, colleges and universities, health care organizations, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), food banks, food pantries, nutrition education programs such as SNAP-Ed and EFNEP, community action agencies, and anti-hunger/poverty organizations, among many others. 

Students learn about designing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition-related programs and policies to improve the health and well-being of local, national, and global populations. The land grant setting of Utah State University provides unique opportunities for the study of the relationship between human nutritional status and health with strong academic and research programs in nutritional epidemiology, federal, and community nutrition programs, USU Extension nutrition outreach programs, food science, food safety, agricultural practices, animal health, climate change, environmental sciences and much more. This program is 100% online, so students can complete the program from anywhere around the world. This program can be pursued part-time or full-time.

The MPH Public Health Nutrition program is considered a professional program (Plan C) program. Students must complete an Applied Practice Experience (APE) and write a capstone paper, also known as the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). Students should contact their advisor early in their program to start planning their APE and ILE, to ensure that all degree requirements will be met, and that all appropriate paperwork has been sent to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

Admission Requirements:

Admission requirements can be found on the USU School of Graduate Studies website (gradschool.usu.edu/admissions/policies). Students are also required to have completed and passed undergraduate courses in statistics and human nutrition. Students are expected to be admitted to the program as matriculated students before taking coursework leading to the degree.

Additional information about the MPH Public Health Nutrition program may be obtained by contacting the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences  or by visiting the program website at caas.usu.edu/mph/public-health-nutrition.

School of Graduate Studies Requirements

• Degree Verification: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

• Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower: Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

• Course Number Acceptability: The Program of Study for a master’s degree must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above. Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

• Matriculation Start Semester: A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s advisor and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

• Coursework Validity: Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

• Thesis/Dissertation Research Credits 6970/7970: Professional/Plan C students cannot use any thesis/dissertation credits.

• Master’s forms: Approval of the Program of Study is required by the School of Graduate Studies.