MS in Nutrition

Leaders in research, education and public service in nutrition and dietetics

UIC’s Master of Science in nutrition focuses on advanced study of biological and physical sciences to better understand the relationships between nutrients and human health.

Whether you’re already a registered dietitian or you’re just getting started in the field of nutrition, our master’s program will prepare you for practice in healthcare or industry settings.

Our program concentrates on preventing and treating nutrition-related diseases to help people live lives free of ailments, from digestive distress to depression. You’ll become an expert in biology, food composition and energy needs, as well as eating habits, psychology and food access, so you can address unique relationships between individuals and food.

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Choose your path

Stats and Facts

Garden director Renea Solis standing beside a raise garden bed containing growing herbs
From farm-to-classroom
Our teaching garden integrates food into the classroom, teaching how to plant, harvest and prepare fresh produce
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16%
increase in demand for registered dietitians projected for 2014-2024 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics
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Illustration of woman running up stairs labeled with vitamin and minerals and lined with vegetables and fruits
Challenge illustrated
Nutrition students create "Walk Our Stairs" challenge in recognition of National Nutrition Month
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Eric Meredith headshot (Photo credit: Lloyd Degrane)
Eric Meredith '12 taps into his inner child to prevent childhood obesity (Photo: Lloyd Degrane)
Meet Eric
100%
of master's coordinated program grads pass RD exam within one year of graduation (compared to a national average of 80%)
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Your career

This is an exciting time for the field of nutrition and dietetics. There is and will continue to be an increased demand for our expertise and services. Not only is employment of dietitians and nutritionists projected to grow, but based on the results of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ most recent (2015) salary survey, there was a 6.1 percent 2-year increase in median wage. This beats the prior 2-year increase for dietitians, as well as significantly outpacing inflation (1.7 percent) during the same time period.

The demand for Registered Dietitians is fueled by the growing and aging population, increased public interest in nutrition, and the food industry’s desire to meet public demand for a wider variety of nutritious products. RDs have the opportunity to make a significant impact in the health of our nation.

As an RD, you can look forward to a career in unique areas of dietetics like clinical dietetics, positions in the federal government, or consulting and private practice. Our traditional program graduates often find employment in community nutrition, public relations, government, private practice or research.

Learn from the best

  • Giamila Fantuzzi headshot

    Giamila Fantuzzi

    Examining the role body messages play in the physiology of health as well as in the pathology of various illnesses

  • Carol Braunschweig

    Carol Braunschweig

    Shedding light on the role of nutrition support in critical illness

  • Krista Varady

    Krista Varady

    Researching the efficacy of alternate day fasting for weight loss and cardio-protection, author of The Every Other Day Diet

Understanding by doing

The path to a career in nutrition and dietetics expands far beyond the classroom.

In our coordinated program, classroom learning is combined with a supervised practice experience starting in the spring semester of your second year. These rotations are spent with registered dietitians and other food and nutrition professionals at a variety of practice sites. Locations include hospitals, clinics, research facilities, community sites and Chicago-area businesses.

In the first semester of your rotation, you’ll spend two days a week at your practice site and three days in class. In the next two semesters, you’ll be at practice sites 40 hours a week, giving you the full experience of working full time in a professional setting.

Though the majority of our coordinated program students follow the coursework only option, many of our students participate in research and projects with our outstanding faculty. You’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Participate in feeding trials
  • Perform clinical visits
  • Conduct dietary counseling
  • Assist with food packaging
  • Collect and prepare tissue biopsies
  • Carry out laboratory analyses of blood parameters

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Carol Braunschweig

We're here for you

Still wondering what an MS in nutrition can do for you? We’re here to answer your questions.

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