Nutrition Programs

Malnutrition and hunger are widespread in many developing countries, and chronic disease resulting from poor nutrition is an emerging problem. The causes of inadequate nutriture are many and complex as they encompass biological, economic, social and political issues. The Program in International Nutrition trains individuals who are dedicated to eliminating hunger, malnutrition, and chronic disease. The Program faculty addresses nutritional problems through research, nutritional education and training; applied nutrition programs in the community, government, and international organizations; and institutional development. The Cornell Program in International Nutrition is dedicated to training those committed professionals whose previous training and international experience provide a solid foundation for benefiting from Cornell's rigorous intellectual environment.

Students graduating from the Program in International Nutrition work for government ministries and other action agencies (such as UNICEF and non-governmental organizations), agencies that deliver technical assistance (such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization), applied research institutions, and universities. Recent graduates, almost without exception, have found the job of their choice when they graduated.

The Program in International Nutrition tailors the curriculum to meet each student's career goals. Under the guidance of their faculty advisor, students may focus their curricula on biological and clinical aspects of nutrition, or on the social, economic, or cultural aspects of nutrition. The Program is managed within Cornell's Division of Nutritional Sciences, but involves faculty across the university. The faculty members have had experience in many parts of the world, and their expertise covers the spectrum from basic biology to population-based interventions and policy.

Courses are offered in the political, economic, sociological, clinical, and public health dimensions of nutrition. Numerous seminar series offer presentation and interpretation of issues, and informal discussion of modern methods of research and research results.

Study in international nutrition begins with a solid basis in human nutrition, and should include biochemistry, physiology, and laboratory methods. In addition to courses in the biological aspects of nutrition, students are expected to take courses that recognize the social, cultural, agricultural, economic, and public health policy impacts of nutrition, and courses that provide them with expertise in the analytic methods used to describe and understand these impacts. Many students minor in areas such as development sociology, agricultural economics, anthropology, epidemiology, communication, food science, and policy analysisbecause their research is multidisciplinary.

The breadth of knowledge and the emphasis on the sociopolitical and biosocial contexts of nutrition are the distinguishing features of the Program in International Nutrition at Cornell. Students and faculty benefit from the opportunity to integrate the foundations of basic biological aspects of nutrition and their interactions with population-based intervention and policy. Collaborative ties with research and training institutes throughout the world ensure that the study of nutrition at Cornell is truly global in scope.

The faculty members of the Program in International Nutrition are involved in many research areas. The following is a list of some current subject areas:

• Maternal and Child Nutrition
  • Human lactation and reproduction
  • Child growth and development
• Nutrition and Health
  • Nutritional causes of deficiency and chronic diseases
  • Nutrition and parasites
  • Sociocultural determinants of nutritional status
  • Functional consequences of malnutrition
• Nutritional Epidemiology, Assessment and Surveillance
  • Nutritional epidemiology
  • Surveillance for program planning and policy development
  • Nutritional anthropometry and body composition
  • Food insecurity
• Food and Nutrition Policy
  • Impacts of macroeconomic and agricultural policies
  • Impact of economic policies on poverty, consumption, and malnutrition
• Program Development and Management

There are four routes to graduate study in international nutrition at Cornell:

• The Master of Science (M.S.) [applications not accepted for Spring & Fall 2009] or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nutritional Sciences with a major concentration in International Nutrition:
  • The major concentration in International Nutrition is administered in the same way as other concentrations in the Field of Nutrition.
• The M.S. or Ph.D. degree in another field, with a minor concentration in International Nutrition:
  • Students who are preparing for careers that require an understanding of issues in international nutrition, but not the technical background in the biological and physical sciences may find that a minor in International Nutrition may serve their needs.
• The Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) in International Development with a concentration in International Nutrition:
  • Professionals whose work includes problems of hunger, malnutrition, and chronic disease often need to deepen their knowledge of specific aspects of nutrition, or to develop the administrative tools necessary to transform this knowledge into action. The M.P.S. degree in International Development, and interdisciplinary training program for experienced administrators, offers International Nutrition as a concentration. Completion of the degree requires 24 credit-hours of course work, and 6 credit-hours devoted to a problem-solving project. Students interested in this program apply to the Field of International Development.
• Advanced study for the non-degree candidate.
  • Professionals from developed or developing countries who wish to spend one or two semesters at Cornell, but who do not wish to work towards a degree may enroll in International Nutrition as non-degree candidates. This route is especially useful for individuals whose training in nutrition needs updating, or who need reorientation before serving with a government, a private voluntary group, a United Nations agency, or similar organization. Some non-degree candidates may be accepted as post-doctoral fellows with no course registration requirements.

A field project typically forms the basis for the thesis or dissertation for students majoring in International Nutrition, although secondary data analysis or laboratory study may be acceptable under certain circumstances.

Typically, M.S. candidates may spend three months conducting research in the field, usually during summer recess. Most Ph.D. candidates spend at least a full year in the field to collect data for their dissertations. Opportunities for field research may be found with projects directed by Cornell faculty in many parts of the world. Collaborative arrangements for field studies may also be made with other organizations and especially in developing countries. The Program in International Nutrition encourages students from developing countries to conduct field research in their own or similar countries whenever possible.

Admission procedures for study toward the M.S. or Ph.D.degrees can be found at the  DNS Graduate Studies HomePage. For the major (but not the minor) concentration in International Nutrition, candidates should have at least two years of experience working in a non-academic setting. For applicants whose career goals include working in developing countries, this experience must be in a developing country. The work may be voluntary (e.g., Peace Corps, non-governmental voluntary organization, etc.) or remunerated. It may relate to health, education or other social service.