M.S. in Food Science & Human Nutrition- On Campus

Students who choose the on-campus M.S. have a broad variety of class and practical experience opportunities. Faculty research programs include nutrition behavior change, obesity prevention, bioactive food components and their role in disease prevention and amelioration, food processing and preservation, food safety and quality, seafood quality, sensory evaluation, and product development. If you are interested in pursuing thesis research or would like to volunteer to gain some research experience, please contain a graduate faculty member whose research interests you. Our graduates can be found around the world in healthcare organizations, food companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Student organizations include the Graduate Student Government,  Food Science Club (a chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association), and Kappa Omicron Nu honor society.

Program Highlights

The M.S. provides students with access to research facilities for studying either food science or nutrition.

  1. Specialized classes with award-winning faculty members
  2. Opportunities to gain hands-on research and outreach experience
  3. Thesis and non-thesis options are available
  4. Accelerated degree (combined B.S. + M.S.) opportunity for undergraduates in the University of Maine food science concentration
  5. Applications are accepted for Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters for self-funded students

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to demonstrate effective technical writing skills. Met by FSN 510, FSN 543, FSN 555. FSN 560, FSN 584, and FSN 699.
  • Students will be able to effectively deliver oral presentations to professional and/or lay audiences. Met by FSN 543, FSN 571, and FSN 671.
  • Students will be able to critically assess current Human Nutrition and Food Technology research. Met by FSN 501, FSN 502, FSN 510, FSN 524, FSN 543, FSN 555, FSN 584, FSN 585, FSN 586, and FSN 699.
  • Students will be able to describe ethical and professional practices in dietetics and the food industry. Met by FSN 524, FSN 530, FSN 543, FSN 545, and FSN 585.

Admission Requirements

  • A B.S. in a science or engineering major with classes in organic chemistry and biochemistry. A course in anatomy and physiology is also required for nutrition-focused students. A GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is also required.
  • GRE scores are not needed.
  • Prospective students who attended a university not taught in English must provide TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, and PTE test scores to demonstrate their proficiency in English.
  • Required documents by UMaine graduate school (https://umaine.edu/graduate/apply/application-checklist/).
  • An application fee of $65.00. This fee is not waived except for IRT and McNair Scholars, current and former U.S. Armed Forces members and their dependents, and any University of Maine System program alumni.
  • Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the application process, but official versions are needed before a student can begin classes.
  • A professor willing to serve as the student’s academic advisor.
  • Letters of recommendation from three unrelated persons. At least two letters from former professors in your major field of study are recommended and one from a current or former work supervisor.

Thesis or Non-Thesis?

Completion of a thesis project and writing and defending the thesis are time-consuming activities. The program is not currently able to offer thesis projects to all accepted students. Among the advantages of pursuing the thesis option are the practical experience that is directly applicable to future employment, eligibility for teaching and research assistantships to help offset the cost of graduate studies, and demonstration of your ability to carry out a complex project. Many Ph.D. programs expect applicants to have completed a M.S. thesis. However, if there are problems with the research project, graduation may be delayed by a semester or more. Research often takes more than twenty hours per week. The non-thesis option is ideal for students who have limited time to be on campus or who prefer to have set schedules.

Comparison of requirements for thesis and non-thesis programs (Excluding the Dietetic Internship and Online concentrations)

Program Requirements (Thesis Option)

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours, including 6 credits for the thesis (FSN 699), is required.
  • The student must take a responsible conduct of research class. (see Graduate school guidelines: https://umaine.edu/graduate/students/progress/rcr/). FSN students generally take either the one-credit INT 601 or the 3-credit FSN 524, which also fulfills the statistics requirement.
  • At least 3 credits of statistics at the 400- or 500- level.
  • A minimum of 12 credits of FSN lecture classes. Students who do not have a prior degree in food science or nutrition may be asked to take additional classes. No more than four credits of 400- level FSN classes may be applied to the FSN class requirement. Classes taken as part of the requirements for the B.S. may not be applied to the M.S. unless the student has been previously accepted to  The schedule of FSN graduate classes can be found here: FSN Graduate Class Schedule Summer 2023- Summer 2025
  • Two credits of seminar: FSN 571 Technical Presentations and FSN 671 Advanced Graduate Seminar. These classes are one credit each and are only offered on campus.
  • No more than 6 credits of FSN 581 Problems in Food Science and Human Nutrition may be applied to the M.S.
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • A plan of study describing the thesis topic and the schedule of classes to be taken must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the second semester of matriculation. An advisory committee consisting of the student’s advisor and two other professors with graduate faculty standing who have expertise related to the thesis. At least one committee member in addition to the advisor should be a faculty in Food Science and Human Nutrition.
  • Each student should make a proposal to the advisory committee describing the research to be done for the thesis.
  • Students should work closely with their advisors to ensure timely completion of their research. Regularly-scheduled meetings are recommended. The advisor should approve the thesis before it is shared with the advisory committee members no later than two weeks before the thesis defense.
  • A thesis defense should be promoted through the Graduate School and School of Food & Agriculture. The student makes a 45-60 minute presentation of the thesis to the public, followed by a closed question-and-answer session with the advisory committee.
  • Students are encouraged, but not required, to present their research findings at campus and scientific society meetings with the approval of their advisors.
  • Preparing a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal is highly recommended, but not required for graduation.

Program Requirements (Non-Thesis Option)

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
  • At least 3 credits of statistics at the 400- or 500- level.
  • A minimum of 15 credits of FSN lecture classes. Students who do not have a prior degree in food science or nutrition may be asked to take additional classes. No more than four credits of 400- level FSN classes may be applied to the FSN class requirement. The schedule of FSN graduate classes can be found here:
  • Two credits of seminar: FSN 571 and 671. These classes are one credit each and are only offered on campus.
  • No more than 6 credits of FSN 581 Problems in Food Science and Human Nutrition may be applied to the M.S.
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • A plan of study outlining the schedule of classes to be taken must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the second semester of matriculation. An advisory committee consisting of the student’s advisor and two other professors with graduate faculty standing who have expertise related to the thesis. At least one committee member, in addition to the advisor, should be a faculty in Food Science and Human Nutrition.
  • Each student should seek opinions from the advisory committee while preparing the plan of study. Course selection is individualized to meet each student’s professional goals.
  • Students should work closely with their advisor to ensure timely completion of their degree and meet at least twice per semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a full-time class load?

Students take fewer credits in graduate school than they did as undergraduates. A full load is six credits per semester. More than nine credits per semester are not recommended. Students on an assistantship may be required to register for one credit in the Summer.

How long does it take to complete an M.S.?

Most students complete their degree in 2-2.5 years. A typical Fall or Spring semester involves 9 credits or classes and/or research. Thesis,  an industry practicum, and at least two online classes are offered every Summer. Students who hold an assistantship must be registered for at least one credit in the Summer. The University allows students to take up to 6 years before terminating their degree.

Do I have to take all of my classes on campus?

Students may enroll in online classes but should expect to be on campus at least one day per week, even if they are not pursuing a thesis project. If you are unable or unwilling to come to Orono, please consider the online M.S. concentration.

Are transfer credits accepted?

Up to six credits of graduate-level coursework with grades of B or higher may be applied to the M.S. with the permission of the student’s graduate advisory committee. Courses taken to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, including the total number of credits required for graduation, may not be used towards the M.S., except for students admitted to the combined degree option in food science. Undergraduates at the University of Maine may take graduate classes during their senior year with permission. Up to 12 credits of 500-level classes taken as an undergraduate student may be applied to the M.S. with permission if the classes were not used to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 120 credit hours. Each class must have a  grade of B or higher. Classes with B- or lower grades may not be transferred to the M.S.

How do I find an advisor?

Some professors are not accepting thesis students but may be willing to advise a non-thesis student. The ability of faculty members to accept thesis students depends on available funding and the size of the professors’ existing research groups. Please visit the websites of the faculty displayed on this page.

How do I select a thesis research topic?

M.S. students often do not design their research and usually work on a project for which their advisor has funding. The Graduate Student Government (GSG) sponsors competitive funding to help students pay part of their research costs if other funding sources are unavailable. GSG also provides partial awards for students to attend conferences.

How can I receive funding to support my graduate studies?

Unfortunately, the University cannot provide 100% of the funds that a student needs to take classes and live in the area. Three teaching assistantships in the program provide a stipend for 9 months, 9 credits of tuition for the fall and Spring semesters, and half the student health insurance premium. The Graduate School offers some competitive tuition scholarships. Potential students should have completed applications submitted by January 15 each year to be considered for these funding options. Research assistantships funded by grants may become available throughout the year but are highly competitive and often restricted to students with specialized skills. U.S. citizens and legal residents with the FAFSA financial aid document may be eligible for graduate assistantships in campus programs; students should begin applying for this funding in early Spring. To see open assistantships on campus, please visit: https://umaine.edu/graduate/funding/prospective/#openpositions