This concentration prepares students for graduate study in biological and health sciences or for health professional programs. It also readies students for careers in the biomedical and nutrition industries.

uTrack requirements include specific courses and milestones for each term, ensuring students stay on track for timely graduation.

The BS-MS program is a five-year accelerated degree program offered by the Department of Nutrition. Qualified students can pursue a major in Nutrition with a concentration in Biomedical Nutrition Science, Community Nutrition, or Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics concentrations, allowing them to take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses that count toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

To graduate with a major in nutrition, students must earn a grade of C or better in every required nutrition course.

1. To be eligible for admission, a student needs to be formally declared as a Nutrition major with a concentration aligned with their interests or actively working on completing the requisite coursework for the Nutrition major. The minimum GPA prerequisite is 3.30, coupled with a requirement of at least 15 credit hours in Nutrition courses. Moreover, the student must have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours out of the mandatory 120 credit hours for the BS degree. It is imperative to successfully complete Nutrition coursework with a grade of “C” or higher. Additionally, candidates must satisfy all concentration-specific requirements within their chosen area of interest.
2. Obtain the “Nutrition Conditional Admission Accelerated Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs” form from the Director of Graduate Studies. This form must be filled out and endorsed by the departmental Graduate Concentration Coordinator relevant to the student’s chosen concentration, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Head. Submission of this form is due by May 1 of the junior year.
3. Other Submission requirements for the application include:
   • Resume
   • Current academic history
   • Personal Statement
   • Professional recommendation letters
4. Additional steps in the application process involve:

• Students applying for the Biomedical Nutrition Science or Community Nutrition concentrations must meet with a major advisor/mentor beforehand to discuss research interests, career goals, academic and professional expectations, and other concentration-specific requirements.
• Participating in an interview process for students under consideration.
• Depending on the concentration, community partners may participate in the student selection process if defined in their affiliation agreements.
• Applicants must submit an official admission application to the Graduate Admissions Office through SLATE by May 1 of the junior year. After Graduate Admissions reviews the application in SLATE, once all materials are received, the application will be forwarded to the department for review for admission.
• After departmental review, conditional admission approval by the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School is necessary. Applicants are typically notified of the outcome before commencing their senior year of undergraduate study.

Students must have at least conditional admission before taking graduate courses. Any graduate course taken before fulfilling all BS degree requirements must receive approval from the Graduate Concentration Coordinator, the course instructor, and the Graduate School. This involves completing the university’s “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit” form before the start of each semester in which graduate courses are taken.

No, students will not be eligible for assistantships until they complete their bachelor’s degree.

Qualified students in the BS-MS program can take up to 9 credit hours of graduate-level coursework during their senior year, counting toward both the BS and MS degrees.

Yes, students can use this program as a pathway to enter doctoral programs.

Any graduate course taken before satisfying all requirements for the BS degree must be approved by the Graduate Concentration Coordinator, the course instructor, and the Graduate School by the start of each semester in which graduate courses are taken by completing the university’s “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit” form.

No, conditional admission is a prerequisite for participating in the BS-MS program. Please note that conditional admission to the accelerated combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program, regardless of the concentration, does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MS program. Students conditionally accepted must apply for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions for the MS program during their senior year of undergraduate study, following the same procedures as all other applicants to graduate study. Refer to the departmental website for January deadline details. Students will be fully admitted to the MS program after they have been accepted by both the Graduate School and by the Nutrition Department. Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

Students in the BS-MS program are not eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

Interested students must complete and submit the “Nutrition Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” form by May 1 of their junior year. This form outlines the prerequisites and requirements for conditional admission.

A minimum GPA of 3.30 is required for conditional admission into the 5-year BS-MS program.

Students must complete and submit the “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit Form” to the Graduate School for approval.

Yes, students can choose between a project option or a thesis option based on their career goals and objectives, research interests, etc… The choice must be made at the beginning of their senior year of undergraduate studies and discussed with the major advisor.

Yes, we recommend that students identify and meet with a faculty mentor (The list of faculty who can direct graduate studies can be found in the Graduate Handbook) early on during their undergraduate studies beforehand to discuss research interests, academic and career goals, and professional expectations.

The students are encouraged to go through the list of faculty who can direct graduate studies found in the Graduate Handbook and identify the faculty who they’d like to work with based on their research interests. The students are encouraged to schedule meetings with the faculty and discuss the possibilities of joining the lab.

Yes, depending on students’ concentration, research interests, and career goals, they may enroll in NUTR 493, NUTR 450, NUTR 499 (for undergraduate students) or NUTR 548, or NUTR 549 (for graduate students or senior students enrolled in the accelerated program).