Graduate Admission in Human Nutrition

Graduate Admission

The Master of Science in Human Nutrition

Applications for admission to the Master’s program in Human Nutrition will be processed through the university and reviewed by the nutrition program faculty in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Admission decisions are made by a committee of CSUN Nutrition faculty. The committee has adopted a Holistic Admissions Approach whereby, according to the Council of Graduate Schools, Holistic Admissions is "A process by which programs consider a broad range of characteristics, including non-cognitive and personal attributes, when reviewing applications of admission.” (CGS, 2016). The Holistic Admissions approach allows the reviewing committee to determine if the applicant has the academic qualifications, and the skills and experiences, through a variety of submitted material that will contribute to successful degree completion.

Please read all information below CAREFULLY.

For admission to this program, an applicant must:

Hold a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from an officially accredited university or college in any field of study.
Have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater for courses taken in the bachelor’s degree. Applicants with less than a 3.0 undergraduate GPA who can demonstrate evidence of academic acumen may submit their application for consideration.
Complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Complete an undergraduate degree in nutrition or the following prerequisite coursework (or equivalents):

CHEM 101/L General Chemistry I and Lab or CHEM 103/L Intro Chemistry I and Lab,
CHEM 102/L General Chemistry II and Lab or CHEM 104/L Intro Chemistry II and Lab,
CHEM 235/L Introductory Organic Chemistry and Lab,
CHEM 365/L Introduction to Biochemistry and Lab,
BIOL 101/L General Biology and Lab,
BIOL 281 Human Physiology,
BIOL 215/L Introductory Microbiology and Lab,
FCS 207 Nutrition for Life,
FCS 307 Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients, and
FCS 308 Advanced Nutrition: Micronutrients

5. Apply to the university (please note that you must also apply to the department, see item #6 below).

a. Complete the university application online by visiting Cal State Apply. For more information regarding university admission, please visit the Graduate Studies website for admission guidelines, which can be accessed here.

b. Send your official transcripts to CSUN. More information on how to send your official transcripts to CSUN can be found here.

6. Submit all of the following documents directly to the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences through ApplyWeb for admission consideration for both options (Human Nutrition and Dietetic Internship). Application fee of $30 will be charged on ApplyWeb.

Resume: We invite applicants to share educational and professional backgrounds on their resume. In addition, some things to consider including are: volunteer experience, professional association memberships, proficiencies, languages spoken, etc. For reference, please see the provided information on resume writing and example.

Personal Statements.
- Please answer each of the prompts; each response may have up to 200 words. Submit the responses together on one document.
  - Prompt 1. Why are you interested in earning a graduate degree in nutrition? (200 words maximum)
  - Prompt 2. Why are you interested in attending CSUN? (200 words maximum)
  - Prompt 3. Describe a challenging situation you were able to overcome. (200 words maximum)
  - Prompt 4. Discuss your academic journey. Do you think your GPA reflects your full academic potential? Why or why not? Use your response as an opportunity to share factors (e.g. work, family life, personal history) that may have impacted your grades (positively or negatively). (200 words maximum)
  - Prompt 5. What experiences and relevant skills (past and present) would contribute to your ability to work effectively with people fro diverse populations (e.g. disability status, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, the LGBTQ community, consumers of social/mental health services, etc.)? (200 words maximum)
  - Prompt 6 (Optional). What else would you like us to know about you that will help us consider your application to the MS in Human Nutrition program at CSUN? (200 words maximum)

Writing Sample.
- The writing sample is a document that demonstrates your analytical writing skills (e.g., research paper from a senior level course). The writing sample should comprise no more than 10 pages of writing related to nutrition science and should include original work that demonstrates your ability to synthesize complex information and interest in nutrition. It should not include collaborative assignments because these might not accurately represent your own work. Your submission should be double-spaced and written in 12 point font. On the title page of you submission, please indicate the context ( i.e. name and number of the course the writing sample is from) and date ( month and year) of your writing sample.

Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required for admission. At least one of the letters must be from an instructor in the student’s undergraduate program, preferably in a science-based discipline. Letters should be addressed to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Copy of unofficial transcripts: Please highlight the prerequisite courses on each unofficial transcript to show the prerequisites have been completed.

Report of GRE scores: Please note there is no minimum GRE score required for admission. However, the GRE score must be submitted with the application despite GPA.

Please do not send any paper materials to the department office – all materials must be submitted online!

Temporary Information Regarding GRE Scores Requirement

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the GRE requirement for the 2023 academic year admissions cycle has been waived. Please enter 000 on ApplyWeb for each item as the GRE’s are not required for Fall 2023 consideration.The GRE requirement for the 2024 academic year admissions cycle will be re-evaluated at a later time.

7. Submit a completed dietetic internship application to DICAS, which requires a DPD Verification statement from an accredited program, for consideration for the Dietetic Internship option. For CSUN Dietetic Internship Program please visit the DI website. Applicants must apply to DICAS, to D&D Computer Matching, submit supplemental application, in addition to applying for the MSHN.

8. Have the complete application and supporting documents reviewed and the applicant approved for admission by the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Application Deadlines

For applicants applying to the CSUN MS in Human Nutrition, Dietetic Internship option AND/OR applicants who want to be considered for the combined CSUN/GLAVA Dietetic Internship, all application materials (department and university) must be submitted by the appropriate deadline.

For all other applicants, the application deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is:

M.S. Human Nutrition-Dietetic Internship option is February 15, 2024

M.S. Human Nutrition-General Nutrition option is April 1, 2024

Notification of Admission: Applicants with complete applications to the university and the program should expect to hear of admission status AFTER May 1, 2024