As The University of Texas at Austin's Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences Online prepares to accept applications for the next academic year, it does so with a new partnership under its belt. The Department of Nutritional Sciences has announced it will link up with online learning provider edX to make UT's nutritional sciences master's degree offerings available on the edX platform.
Careers in health education, nutrition and dietetics increasingly require master's-level graduate coursework. For example, a master's degree will be required for newly credentialed registered dietitians beginning in 2024. In 2017, UT Austin began offering qualified applicants the opportunity to receive a high-quality master's degree in nutritional sciences entirely online for those seeking an alternative to the residential program.
"Many areas of the health sector expect a level of sophistication in understanding nutritional science," said Molly Bray, UT Austin chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences. "Employers increasingly expect future leaders in their organizations to have completed rigorous graduate coursework, and that is what we offer at UT Austin."
In a blog post today, edX cited a recent ranking of 50 universities' online master's degree in nutritional sciences by The Best Schools, placing UT Austin's Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences Online in the top 5 nationally.
"We are excited to strengthen our partnership with UT Austin by offering a top-ranked online master's degree in Nutritional Sciences to learners all over the world," said Anant Agarwal, edX CEO and founder. "This announcement comes at a time when the workplace is changing more rapidly than ever before, and employers — including those in healthcare — are in need of highly skilled talent that is trained and adaptable to the future of work."
UT Austin's program offers curriculum in two separate tracks. Students can opt to concentrate either in health promotion and disease prevention or in biochemical and functional nutrition. Students also take foundational classes in macronutrients, micronutrients, research methods, applied statistics and molecular nutrition before entering a concentration.
The 30-credit-hour program is typically completed in two years or less. To qualify, students must have a bachelor's degree in an area related to science or nutrition.
Applications now are being accepted through July 15 for academic year beginning at the end of August.
UT Austin nutritional sciences faculty offer expertise in a range of areas that are significant for the field, including how diet can affect the gut microbiome, the role of genes in nutritional health and the impact of processed foods such as sugars in the diet.
Nutritional Sciences is the second department in UT Austin's College of Natural Sciences to join the edX platform. Last year, the Department of Computer Science began enrolling students in a master's of computer science online program also offered through edX.
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