Graduate Top Ten Reasons to Pursue a Graduate Degree in FDN

 

1. Dietary habits are linked to seven of the top ten leading causes of death.  With a degree in Foods and Nutrition, you will learn how to promote good health and improve the dietary habits of people of all ages as you learn how nutrients, food, and food ingredients function at the molecular and cellular levels.
2. Most of our full-time graduate students receive teaching or research assistantships that come with in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers.  In 2009-2010, these assistantships ranged from $10,000 to $22,000 annually.  Other $500 to $3,000 scholarships also are available.  Teaching assistantships help prepare students for teaching positions in universities and other settings.
3. We provide travel awards for students to attend state, national and international meetings to give presentations and learn the latest developments in foods and nutrition.
4. Students develop excellent oral and written communication skills by giving presentations, writing and defending research proposals, and writing and presenting their research findings.
5. Courses in the basic and applied science of foods and nutrition cover everything from behavioral theories to the latest in nutrient and gene interactions.  You can take courses in nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, pharmacy, public health, health promotion, food science, exercise science, gerontology, epidemiology, statistics, and instructional technology  (http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/courses/index.html).
6. Students choose their research areas and conduct research in collaboration with faculty and scientists at UGA and other research facilities in Georgia, the nation and the world.  Where might your interests lie?  You can do research in obesity and chronic diseases; molecular, cellular, and animal models of nutritional processes; nutrition for infants, school children, and older adults; food security; food safety; and new food product development.
7. Students planning to become dietitians can take the required dietetics coursework during their graduate studies.
8. A certification program is offered in School Nutrition and in Gerontology.
9. Careers in foods and nutrition are as varied as the people who choose them.  Many distinguished graduates of our program are employed in health care settings, industry, academia and government positions, including CDC, USDA, and NIH.
10. Athens, Georgia, is a fun place to live, with a relatively low cost of living and has a great selection of locally owned restaurants, many live music venues, and natural areas for hiking, biking, kayaking and camping.  See more at http://www.visitathensga.com/.

Learn more about our successful students, graduates, and faculty, as well as course requirements and the application process at www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/grad/; http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/admissions/requirements.html.   Please contact Dr. Mary Ann Johnson for more information (drmaryannjohnson@gmail.com, 706-542-2292).  Thank you!