The Health and Human Performance Department will have a new masters program beginning this fall.
The Master of Science in sports nutrition and nutritional science is a dual track degree that has been in development since 2002.
‘One track is sports nutrition, so that will be oriented more for the students who are interested in the athletic and sports goals down the line with nutrition,’ graduate admissions counselor Todd Boutte said. ‘The other is nutritional science, which tends to be for more students into long-term research. It will most likely lead to continuing to doctorate programs.’
The program is different because it is within UH’s kinesiology area. At other universities, this type of program is usually part of the technology college. The master’s program is also the first in nutrition and is heavily research oriented.
‘This will be ideal for those students also looking to continue on to a doctorate, since it is more research based. I think that makes us pretty unique,’ Boutte said.
The students who enroll in this program must complete about 30 credit hours in the classroom and a six-hour thesis.
Boutte said the other nutrition-based programs in Texas are not as research oriented as the programs at UH.
Dual track means the nutrition program will pull from other programs and the obesity studies line of research.
Boutee said the demand for this program was extremely high and many alumni want to come back to get their master’s in this area. The program will start small, however, as five students are enrolled in the program this fall.
HHP Department Chair Charles Layne said the department inherited the nutrition program from the Department of Technology.
Layne said when compared to other HHP programs, the dual track will offer more exercise-based curricula. This will allow the program to achieve its purpose of expanding knowledge in nutritional science or sports nutrition.
Students study this program can expect to work in schools and universities, athletics, food product development, fitness and corporate wellness, cardiac rehabilitation, community health centers, family practice clinics and bariatric surgery practices.
‘The M.S. in human nutrition will create more career opportunities for students, because there is a growing demand for registered dieticians and nutritionists in corporations, schools and many other facilities. The integration of principles in exercise science nutrition gives this program a unique advantage over others,’ HHP alumna Laura Hinkson said.
Required courses that these students include Measurement in Nutrition and Exercise, Research in Human Performance, Administration of Sport and Exercise Programs and courses on the nutrition, exercise and endocrine system.
Boutte said the program is also offering a master’s to help UH achieve its desired flagship status.
‘Our department is really diverse and nutrition has always been something that we have been heavily involved with,’ Boutte said.
