MSc in Food Science and Human Nutrition

The University of Illinois Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is proud to offer an online non-thesis Masters of Science degree. Many of the students in this program are working professionals. The online delivery option makes the program accessible to students in various locations, who may also be balancing a travel schedule for their careers.

The off-campus MS degree program was created in 1973 and hundreds of students have obtained their MS degrees through the program. The live online delivery system, initiated in 2010, maintains the high-quality non-thesis MS program for which this respected University is known.

COVID-19 temporary changes for the application process

Due to the COVID-19 impact on testing centers, FSHN will temporarily waive the department GRE requirement for all Spring/Fall 2021 applicants.

Also, the Graduate College will now temporarily accept Duolingo English Test examination results for tests taken between February 1 and August 1, 2021. The Duolingo English Test will be accepted as an alternative to TOEFL and IELTS for proof of English proficiency for impacted applicants.

For Admission to the Graduate College

A baccalaureate degree is required. It is desirable, but not required, that this degree be related to physical, biological, agricultural, or engineering sciences.

Required background courses include general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, physics, and calculus. If you are deficient in these areas of study then you may take correspondence courses, other distance education courses, or traditional classroom courses (at a community college or four-year institution) to satisfy the necessary prerequisite requirements.

The TOEFL is required of all students who have studied in a non-English speaking institution prior to attending the University of Illinois AND have not had 2 of the last 5 years of full-time study at an English speaking institution, or are receiving an advanced degree (MS equivalent or better) from an English speaking institution.

Information about Applying

When applying online, please select 10KS0037MSU [Food Science and Human Nutrition (Online)-MS].

All supporting materials (transcripts from all universities attended, three letters of reference, and personal statement) must be received by the posted application deadline to be fully considered for acceptance in that term. Supporting materials submitted after the deadline may result in the application delayed to a future semester.

Application deadlines: Spring - Oct. 1; Fall - May 1

Program Requirements

To earn the online non-thesis MS degree, students must complete 32 hours of coursework and successfully pass an oral examination. Students who have earned up to 12 hours of graduate credit while enrolled as a non-degree student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign may petition those hours and up to 12 hours of graduate credit taken at another institution. All students must earn a grade of B or better to transfer any course towards a graduate degree.

On average, students take one course per semester, which translates into approximately 11 semesters of coursework. The oral examination is given after a student has completed all 32 hours of coursework, and it is highly recommended that a student prepares for approximately 2-3 months before taking the oral examination.

Thus, for students taking one course at a time, the degree takes approximately four years to complete. Students can register for more than one class each semester; however, it is the recommendation of the Department that a student does not participate in more than two classes in any one semester.

Overview of ACES

More Than Meets The I

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) has been an integral part of the University of Illinois from day one. Although proudly ranked among the top 30 agricultural schools worldwide, today we are more than agriculture. ACES is a diverse college with top-rated programs in engineering, finance and economics, nutritional science, and more. While our faculty and student body have various specialties and areas of interest, we are all working toward a common goal of improving daily life for people around the world.

An ACES Education

We owe our success to putting our students first, supporting them with a compassionate and close-knit academic community.

15:1 Student/ Faculty ratio

By being in ACES you get all the advantages of Big Ten university, but with the small class sizes that make for a close-knit, quality learning experience.

80% Participate in experiential learning

We value learning by doing. Our students complete internships, volunteer, travel around the country, and participate in the over 400 study abroad opportunities available at the University of Illinois to get hands-on experience in their field of study.

$3.5M ACES scholarships awarded yearly

The College of ACES is also dedicated to helping students be financially successful. Each year 3.5 million dollars in college scholarships are awarded to our students. These scholarships are made possible by generous alumni and friends of the college.

74% Four-year graduation rate

ACES boasts both a 91 percent freshman retention rating and a 74 percent four-year graduation rate, the highest graduation rate in the nation among comparable programs, according to US News & World Report. Our graduation rate is also more than double the national average for public universities (33%, according to the U.S. Department of Education). This means students are both staying and succeeding in ACES.

87% Employed or continuing education

Within six months of graduating our students are employed or looking to further themselves by attaining a graduate degree or other advanced designation. About one-third of graduates choose to pursue advanced degrees in a wide variety of fields including science, business, medicine, health and well-being, and education.

The ACES Impact

The lessons taught in our degree programs are rooted in research, and our goal is to share that research not just with our students, but with communities around the world.

Global Impact

Our five overarching research areas cover Food and Agriculture, Environment and Water, Family and Communities, Health and Wellness, and Data and Technology.

Research in each of these areas has the potential to improve lives on a global scale. To tackle this research, ACES partners with institutions around the world, allowing researchers to work with and learn from each other. Our researchers are currently engaged in efforts in over 120 different countries.

Local Impact

The University of Illinois Extension, based out of the College of ACES, has been leading community outreach efforts since 1914.

Extension specialists and educators employed across the state share knowledge learned through university research with local communities via training programs, educational workshops, and more.

Faculty Impact

At the heart of everything, ACES does is our world-class faculty and staff. Faculty in all ACES departments are conducting research and shaping lessons in engaging, impactful ways.

To help foster a greater understanding of the scope of their work, faculty in each of our programs have written summaries of their research and education efforts. These summaries highlight not only what their work entails but also briefly explains how their efforts impact our students and communities.

History

The University of Illinois is recognized worldwide as one of the great public universities, and the College of ACES has been there from day one. The university timeline stretches back to the mid-1800s when activist and Illinois-based professor Jonathan Baldwin Turner started a movement to provide higher education for anyone in the nation who aspired to learn. The movement was heavily backed by farmers and industrial workers, who then made up over 85 percent of the population of Illinois.

In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant College Act, donating public lands for the purpose of creating colleges for “the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts.” Thirty-seven land-grant institutions devoted to this purpose were created in March 1868 thanks to the 1862 Morrill Act, including the University of Illinois (originally Illinois Industrial University).

The Urbana-Champaign location of the university happens to have some of the richest soils in the world. This was quite the boon when the Hatch Act of 1887 established the Agricultural Experiment Station, bringing a new research focus. Later on, in 1914, the knowledge gained from college research and other university efforts was made accessible to each state’s citizens through the Smith-Lever Act, which created the Cooperative Extension System. The University of Illinois Extension operates to this day offering educational programs and materials to residents in all of Illinois' 102 counties.

Today the College of ACES has broadened its horizons to teach and research not just agriculture, but multiple fields of study that can improve lives around the world. To stay up to date on our most recent activities, browse our news section, and subscribe to our newsletter.