Food and Human Nutritional Sciences
Head: Dr. Cristina Rosell
Grad Chair: Dr. Rotimi Aluko
Campus Address/General Office: 209 Human Ecology Building
Telephone: 204-474-6874
Fax: 204-474-7593
Email Address: FHNS.Grad@umanitoba.ca
Website: umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/department-food-and-human-nutritional-sciences
Academic Staff: Please refer to the Academic Staff webpage.

Human Nutritional Sciences Program Information

The Department offers programs in both food science and human nutritional sciences leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Admission Information

Admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Application and Admission Procedures are found in the Academic Guide.

Admission requirements for Master’s students are found in the Master’s Degrees General Regulations section of the Guide.

Human Nutritional Sciences M.Sc. Admission Requirements

Entrance into the program requires a four-year undergraduate degree in Human Nutritional Sciences, Food Science, or equivalent.  Decisions on equivalent degrees or courses needed to bring the student's background to the equivalent of a Human Nutritional Sciences or Food Science degree will be made by the Food and Human Nutritional Sciences Graduate Studies Committee (FHNSGSC). Each student must have an advisor identified before acceptance into the program.

Students with a three-year undergraduate degree enter at the Pre-Master’s level, in which at least 18 credit hours of coursework are required. Pre-Master’s students are not eligible for graduate student stipends and do not carry out a research project.

Application Information

Students should complete and submit their online application with supporting documentation by the date indicated on the Human Nutritional Sciences M.Sc. program of study page.

Pre-Master's Option

This unit offers a Pre-Master’s program of study. The Pre-Master’s program of study is intended to bring a student’s background up to the equivalent of the required 4-year degree in the major department/unit, and to provide the student with any necessary prerequisites for courses to be taken in the Master’s program. Completing the Pre-Master’s program does not guarantee acceptance to the Master’s program.

Degree Requirements

As part of the 12 credit hours required in the program, all students are required to take HNSC 7200 (3 CH) or FOOD 7130 (3 CH), plus 3 credit hours in HNSC or FOOD courses at the 7000 level.  The remaining 6 credit hours can be from within or outside the department and must include at least 3 credit hours at the 7000 level or above.  Reading/Special Topics courses at the Master's level must not exceed 3 credit hours.

Expected Time to Graduate: 2 years

Progression Chart

¹

Students are required to attend and participate in all regular seminar classes (HNSC 7200) for the duration of their program. In these seminars students also will have duties as chair, discussant and evaluator, as assigned by the seminar coordinator.

²

A written thesis proposal followed by an oral presentation by the student must be assessed and approved by the Advisory Committee within 9 months of commencing the program. Students will be apprised of guidelines and evaluation procedures by the Advisor. The thesis proposal shall include the title, an introduction, literature review, hypothesis, objectives, methodology, references and Gantt chart. Students shall submit their draft thesis proposal to the advisor for feedback prior to circulation to the Advisory Committee. The student then presents orally for 20 minutes and defends the thesis proposal to the members constituting the Advisory Committee.

³

Students  must pass an Oral Examination. The examining committee will grant approval based on the written document and the ability of the student to defend the work completed.  Agreement with no more than one dissenting vote on the written thesis and oral defense is required for final approval.

Registration Information

Students should familiarize themselves with the Faculty of Graduate Studies ‘GRAD’ courses applicable to their program. If you have questions about which GRAD course(s) to register in, please consult your home department/unit.

All returning or newly admitted graduate and occasional students must see a faculty advisor or the department head, and submit their course plan, prior to registering.

Regulations

Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.

Supplementary Regulations

Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations. 

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.

All students must successfully complete:

• GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to the student’s research or within the student’s first year, whichever comes first; and
• GRAD 7500 within the first term of registration;

unless these courses have been completed previously, as per Mandatory Academic Integrity Course and Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course.

Students must also meet additional BFAR requirements that may be specified for their program.

General Regulations

All students must:

• maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
• meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
• meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).

Courses

Human Nutritional Sciences