Program Overview

Master of Science in Applied Nutrition

The College of Health Sciences is committed to providing high-quality, intellectually challenging educational programs that prepare students for a successful career in the health field. The Master of Science in Applied Nutrition program provides students with the multidisciplinary knowledge and skills to further advance in various career paths, including community nutrition, clinical nutrition for chronic disease, and nutrition research.

Program Objectives

Upon the successful completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Integrate the scientific principles underlying the relationship of food with diet-related diseases and overall health and wellbeing.
• Analyze nutrition situations to address gaps and opportunities in improving food intake and diet-related practices.
• Use evidence-based knowledge in applied nutrition to propose solutions in new contexts.
• Apply scientific appropriate research methodologies to design, analyze, and evaluate issues related to nutrition.
• Use oral and written communication skills to effectively present, explain, or critique matters related to applied nutrition.
• Apply professional competencies and ethical standards in applied nutrition.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the MSAN Program, the following requirements must be met:

• Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent in nutrition or health-related fields (food sciences, public health, medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences) from a university recognized by the National Register of Licensed HEIs with a CGPA of 3.00 out of 4.00.
• Applicants from non-nutrition majors (food sciences, public health, medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences) will be asked to complete two remedial courses: Introduction to Nutrition and Nutrition Assessment.
• Students with a CGPA between 2.5 and 2.99 may be admitted conditionally.
• Students must obtain 550 on the TOEFL (PBT) (should be taken inside the university), 79 on the TOEFL (IBT) (outside the university), or 6 on IELTS (Academic).
• Native speakers of English shall be exempted from the TOEFL Test if the language of instruction in their undergraduate studies was English. Also, students who graduated from academic institutions that use English as the primary medium of instruction in bachelor studies are exempted.

Program Structure and Requirements

• The program consists of 34 credit hours.
• The study system is based on thesis and courses.
• The duration of the program is 2-4 years.
• The intake is in the fall and spring semesters.
• The location is the Sharjah Main Campus.
• The language of instruction is English.
• The study mode is full-time and part-time.

Course Descriptions

Compulsory Courses

• Public Health and Community Nutrition: This course aims to provide an overview of the fields of public health and community nutrition, underlining their theoretical and practical scope.
• Advanced Nutrition Metabolism and Metabolic Disorders: This course deals with the biochemical and metabolic processes involved in energy regulation and the contributing genetic and acquired factors that may alter these processes and their relations to nutrient requirements, markers of nutritional deficiency or excess, and chronic diseases.
• Advanced Clinical Nutrition Therapy: This course deals with the application of the nutrition care process (NCP) model in complex pathophysiological situations.
• Advanced Biostatistics for Nutrition Research: This course aims to provide students with the needed knowledge to apply advanced biostatistical methods to the various aspects of applied nutrition.
• Research Methods in Nutrition: An introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods and to the types of skills necessary for the planning, data gathering, and dissemination stages of health-related research.
• Thesis: This course is designed for students completing the MSc thesis in Applied Nutrition program.
• Seminar: This course aims to develop the critical thinking skills needed for the evaluation of scientific literature and for the presentation of scientific research.

Elective Courses

• Maternal and Child Nutrition: This course provides an advanced overview of nutrition issues affecting pregnant and postpartum women, females of reproductive age, infants, and young children.
• Food Safety Management Systems: This course covers advanced topics related to food safety, including current issues regarding biological, chemical, and physical hazards from food.
• Geriatric Nutrition: The course will provide a basic understanding of physiological changes that occur with age that affect the nutritional status of older adults.
• Functional Foods: This course deals with the clinical aspects of functional foods and nutraceuticals.
• Special Nutrition Support: This course covers special nutrition support strategies and discusses principles to be undertaken in designing, assessing, and monitoring enteral and parenteral feeding regimens.
• Selected Topics in Applied Nutrition: This course aims to examine current and rapidly evolving topics of immediate relevance to Applied Nutrition.

Remedial Courses

• Introduction to Nutrition: This course is a preface to food and nutrition and the role of dietitians in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
• Nutrition Assessment: This course provides an introduction to nutritional assessment as part of the nutrition care process.

Study Plan

The total number of credit hours needed for graduation with a Master of Science degree in Applied Nutrition is 34 credits. The study plan includes compulsory and elective courses, as well as a thesis and seminar. The program is designed to be completed in 2-4 years, with intake in the fall and spring semesters.