Master of Public Health – Nutrition
Summary
The 45-credit Master of Public Health in Nutrition provides students with the knowledge and skills to enhance their nutrition expertise to advance their careers and impact health outcomes through health care and public health initiatives.
Questions about the program? Contact mph@hsph.harvard.edu.
About
The MPH in Nutrition equips students with a robust understanding of the current evidence in nutrition research and empowers them with practical tools for use in diverse professional settings.
Students will gain a conceptual and mechanistic understanding of the role nutrition plays in health and well-being and learn to translate research findings into effective policies and practice. Through coursework in biostatistics, epidemiology, and other quantitative disciplines, students will also develop skills to critically evaluate and apply scientific evidence to inform their translational work. Students are encouraged to choose elective courses to develop a focus for their expertise, such as nutrition policy, health disparities, nutrition epidemiology, global health, precision nutrition, and planetary health.
The program prepares students for positions in the public, nonprofit, or private sectors, working as public health or medical nutrition researchers or practitioners, policy advocates, project or program managers, or consultants in public health and health care organizations. This field of study also enables those already established in health care careers to strengthen their nutrition knowledge to enhance their clinical or public health practice.
On Campus (Fall start) • Full-time (1 year) • Part-time (2 years)
Curriculum
MPH core requirements:
- ID 100: Foundations for Public Health
- ID 201: Core Principles of Biostatistics and Epidemiology for Public Health Practice
- MPH 101: Qualitative Methods for Public Health
- MPH 102: Health Systems
- MPH 103: Leadership and Communication
- MPH 104: Social, Behavioral, and Structural Determinants of Health
- MPH 105: Public Health Policy and Politics
Applied practice experience and integrative learning experience:
- NUT 945: Applied Practice Experience and Integrative Learning Experience for Nutrition
Field of study requirements:
- Introductory nutrition course
- Nutrition seminar course
- NUT 202: The Biological Basis of Human Nutrition
- NUT 213: Nutrition Science Translation and Applications
- NUT 232: Designing and Evaluating Behavioral Interventions Targeting Diet
- ID 214: Nutritional Epidemiology
- ID 220: Introduction to Planetary Health
- NUT 218: “Exercise as Medicine” for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Diseases
- NUT 222: Global Food Systems and Nutrition Policy and Practice
- NUT 223: Global Nutrition in Action
- NUT 235: Statistical Methods for Microbiome Data Analysis
- NUT 280: Integrating Nutrition into Clinical Medicine: The Role of Health Professionals as Change Agents
Competencies
- Interpret the impact of dietary nutrients and metabolic pathways on human nutritional status
- Evaluate the role nutrition plays in the development and prevention of certain diseases and health conditions
- Assess the social and ecological determinants of malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overweight/diet-related chronic diseases)
- Utilize communication skills to disseminate evidence-based nutritional messaging to promote public health
- Evaluate public health nutrition interventions, policies, and programs
Our Community
Committed, Accomplished, Collaborative
As a Harvard Chan MPH student, you will work in a collaborative classroom environment alongside talented students from around the world and from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. You will take advantage of the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and Boston’s Longwood Medical Area—home to Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and other world-class health facilities. You will meet global leaders and work with world-renowned faculty members. And when you graduate, you will benefit from Harvard’s unparalleled global network of alumni leaders.
Career Outcomes
An MPH degree opens an extraordinary number of pathways to a meaningful career. Graduates of the MPH program are trained to pursue careers in a variety of industries:
- Academic medicine
- Biotech/pharma
- Consulting
- Government
- Health care management
- Hospital/health care delivery
- Non-profit/Non-government organizations
- Private practice
- Private sector institutions
- Public health agencies
- University/research
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants for the MPH 45-credit degree program in Nutrition must have one of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree, plus five or more years of relevant health experience.
- A master’s degree in a health-related field—for example, MSN, MSW, MBA—plus at least two years of relevant health experience.
- A prior doctoral degree—for example, MD, DO, DMD, DDS, PhD, SD, JD—or equivalent.
- Completed the primary clinical year of medical or dental school. For more information, visit Joint/Combined Degrees.
Application Requirements
All applications must be submitted through SOPHAS – the centralized application service for public health programs. In addition to the application, applicants must submit:
- Statement of purpose and objectives
- Standardized test scores (optional with guidance)
- Three letters of reference
- Resumé/curriculum vitae
- Post-secondary transcripts or mark sheets (World Education Services credential evaluation for applicants with degrees from outside of the United States)
- English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test), if applicable
Application Deadline: December 1
Applicants may apply to only one degree program for either full- or part-time status. Applications are reviewed in their entirety and decisions are released via email in late February/early March. Decisions are not released until all application components are received.