California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

What you'll study

All students take core courses shared with other agriculture graduate students to prepare for a project or thesis and for evaluating results. Electives let you explore advanced topics in your chosen emphasis and are selected with your advisor to support your research and career goals.

• Nutrition emphasis topics: research surveying, community nutrition, nutrition education, human intervention trials; integration of nutrient, lifestyle and environmental roles in health promotion; genetic, physiologic and biochemical mechanisms of nutrition.
• Food science emphasis topics: advanced food chemistry, food processing, sensory evaluation, food safety; integration of food chemistry, microbiology, engineering and sensory evaluation; analysis using chemistry, engineering, microbiological and statistical principles.
• Learning formats: lectures, seminars, lab work, field or clinical work, independent research, and professional literature evaluation.
• Research skills: creating research protocols, applying statistical tests in agricultural sciences, delivering professional oral communications, and producing a research thesis.

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and meet minimum preparatory coursework in biological and physical sciences plus emphasis-specific courses. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required for unconditional admission.

• Required preparatory undergraduate courses: general biology with lab (≥ 1 quarter/semester), general microbiology with lab (≥ 1 quarter/semester), general chemistry with lab (≥ 2 quarters/semesters), organic chemistry (≥ 1 quarter/semester; nutrition students exempt from the lab), and statistics (≥ 1 quarter/semester).
• Additional for nutrition emphasis: physiology (≥ 1 quarter/semester), nutrition (≥ 1 quarter/semester), biochemistry (≥ 1 quarter/semester).
• Additional for food science & technology emphasis: physics (≥ 1 quarter/semester), calculus (≥ 1 quarter/semester), nutrition (≥ 1 quarter/semester), introduction to food science & technology (one quarter/semester).
• Courses marked with an asterisk may be taken after admission but do not count toward graduate degree units.
• Application materials: a personal statement of 300–500 words addressing interest and chosen emphasis, relevant experiences, and post-degree goals; three letters of recommendation from instructors or internship/work supervisors.
• International applicants: minimum TOEFL scores of 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) or IELTS overall band 6.5; test scores must be earned within two years and submitted to the Office of Admissions & Outreach.

Career prospects

Graduates enter roles aligned with their emphasis. Nutrition graduates may pursue registered dietitian certification pathways and work in medical nutrition therapy, counseling, food production supervision, public health nutrition program development, or continue to doctoral study. Food science graduates commonly work in food industry R&D, quality assurance, food safety, regulatory affairs, sensory evaluation, production and technical sales, or in government agencies (e.g., FDA, USDA) and may also pursue doctoral study.

Scholarships & funding angle

The university notes competitive scholarships and fellowships for graduate students as well as financial aid options for those who qualify; prospective students should consult graduate tuition and fees details and department contacts for current funding opportunities.