Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Nutrition

An MS in Clinical Nutrition Program prepares you to work in a specialized field that focuses on the role of nutrition in promoting health, preventing and managing diseases, and supporting overall well-being among diverse populations. This advanced master’s degree involves the study and application of nutrition science to assess and meet the nutritional needs of people and communities.

Nutrition is a comprehensive field that studies the role and impact of food and nutrients on overall health and well-being. Nutrition focuses on general principles of healthy eating, dietary guidelines and food choices and their effects on growth, energy and disease prevention for populations and individuals.  

Clinical nutrition is a specialized practice area within the broader field of nutrition that focuses on the role nutrition plays in the prevention, management and treatment of diseases while supporting overall well-being among diverse populations and emphasizing personal, supervised nutrition care.

A nutrition degree is worth it if the following apply to you:

• You possess an interest in the intricate relationship between food and health, paired with a dedication to empowering others to enhance their well-being.
• You are interested in a career with diverse paths and opportunities, including client education, public health, community outreach, the food and nutrition industries, research or academia.

Clinical nutrition and dietetics are closely related fields that both promote understanding the relationship between food and health. But they are not exactly the same. 

Dietetics is a broad field that includes clinical nutrition, as well as food science and food systems management. Registered dietitians (RDs) are trained in dietetics and have the opportunity to specialize in various areas within the field.

Clinical nutrition is a specialized field that focuses on the role nutrition plays in the prevention, management and treatment of disease to enhance the overall well-being of people and communities. Along with registered dietitians, professionals in healthcare, wellness and community health can benefit from a degree in clinical nutrition, empowering them to promote health, improve wellness and effectively manage diseases through evidence-based nutrition interventions.

Students can enroll in Clinical Nutrition Master’s Degree courses on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students can complete the program in 16 months, while part-time students can complete the program in three to five years.

Prerequisites for the program include completing at least one course in the following:

• Biochemistry
• Physiology
• Nutrition
• Statistics

These courses may have their own prerequisites, as well. To learn more, visit our Clinical Nutrition MS Program admissions page. 

To learn more about prerequisites, admission requirements, documents you’ll need to submit and everything else you’ll need to apply for our Clinical Nutrition MS Program, visit our program admissions page.

If you are ready to apply now, you can visit the Allied Health Centralized Application Service (AHCAS) and create an account or sign in.

• The Department of Clinical Nutrition is committed to educating both current and aspiring nutrition and health care professionals. Our program attracts applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those beyond DPD program graduates, offering a rich variety of perspectives that enhance the learning experience. 
• The innovative curriculum uniquely integrates the application and communication of evidence-based practice, applied metabolism and nutrition science to promote health and wellness. 
• All coursework is grounded in research, empowering students to become skilled consumers of knowledge and critical thinkers who actively challenge misinformation in the field of nutrition. 
• Our metabolism curriculum provides essential knowledge that enables students to understand how nutrients, along with their interactions with the genome and environment, influence physiological processes. 
• Our research science courses explore the significance of body composition and the impact of socioeconomic factors and the food environment on health. Unlike traditional programs that focus solely on weight status and dietary habits, this approach offers a broader perspective, enabling students to collaborate with individuals while incorporating a compassionate, holistic approach to addressing real-life nutrition challenges across the lifespan. 
• Alumni of both the MS and MSDI tracks are highly successful, thriving in impactful careers, and are dedicated to mentoring current students.

Yes, the program is fully online and can be completed on a part-time basis, which is ideal for students who continue to work as they complete their degrees.

The MSDI Track is for individuals interested in becoming Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN). Students will complete supervised experiential learning and didactic coursework in the areas of food systems management, community nutrition, and clinical nutrition. After completing the requirements, students are eligible to take the National Examination for RDNs. 

The MS Track is for individuals interested in the evidence supporting clinical nutrition practice. The didactic coursework within the curriculum focuses on assessing and applying current evidence-based nutrition information. This track is ideal for RDNs interested in acquiring further training in nutritional science and research methods, dietetic interns seeking a master’s degree and current or future health professionals wanting to expand their nutrition knowledge.

It takes an expert in clinical nutrition ... to know that the right food can be medicine.

“Our program in clinical nutrition provides students with a variety of experiences in the area of nutrition science, whether that’s working in the healthcare setting or community.”

“Clinical nutrition focuses on the science of nutrition, and how a healthy diet can be used to both prevent and treat disease. As a faculty and an alum of our program, I love that I have the opportunity to impart this wisdom into our students.”

Sarah Peterson, RD, PhD, LDN

Registered Dietitian & Assistant Professor

Rush University, College of Health Sciences

Clinical Nutrition

Where helping patients doesn’t mean being on-call 24/7.

Rush University College of Health Sciences. Excellence is just the beginning.