Curriculum

 

Term One Course Details & Schedule

MScFN Course Schedule 2023-2024

 

FN 9711 - Nutrition Research and Epidemiology

FN9711 Course Outline Fall 2023

This course will introduce principles of epidemiology as applied to nutrition. Students will learn about study design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of epidemiologic studies related to nutritional status, diet and disease relationships. Emphasis will be placed on population-level dietary and nutritional status assessment, and the influence of methods, study designs, and statistical analysis on the interpretation of, and conclusions from research. Using IBM SPSS Statistics, students will learn how to enter and analyze their own data and will develop a conceptual understanding of multivariate statistics.

FN 9888 - Seminar in Food & Nutritional Sciences

FN9888 Course Outline Fall 2023

This seminar course will provide students with an opportunity to enhance their research presentation skills by viewing and critically appraising other research talks and by gaining experience presenting secondary research data on selected topics in nutrition.

Academic Integrity Milestone: All incoming graduate students must complete Western University's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) Academic Integrity Module Milestone. Students will be contacted by Western SGPS directly during the first week of the first term in their program with the details about this milestone. 

It is expected on weekdays when classes are not scheduled that students will be available for dedicated research work, and course group work and collaboration.

 

Term Two Course Details & Schedule

MScFN Course Schedule 2023-2024

 

FN 9111 - Food and Nutritional Policies and Regulations (Elective)

FN 9111 Course Outline Winter 2024

This course is designed to provide advanced study of the Food and Nutritional Policies & Regulations for topical/current issues in nutrition, food science, and technology in health and disease.

FN 9211 - Leadership and Food Management (Elective)

FN9211 Course Outline Winter 2024

Through a broad range of theories, landmark cases, reflective practice, and social learning in  school food and literacy, this course offers students a survey of philosophic foundations in school food and literacy leadership/management in public policy and operations with an emphasis on ethics, values, corporate social responsibility, sustainable governance, and human progress across a variety of Canadian and Ontario school food and literacy dimensions  including but not limited to public goods, a good life, strategic management, and transformational leadership. 

FN 9444 - Advances in Clinical Nutrition (Elective)

FN9444 Course Outline Winter 2023

An intensive review and critical evaluation of the current medical nutrition management of diverse disease conditions in different stages of the life cycle.

FN 9666 - Community Nutrition and Program Planning (Elective)

FN9666 Course Outline Winter 2024

An advanced study of the principles and practice of community nutrition and population health promotion, as well as program planning and evaluation. Emphasis placed on critical analyses of population health strategies from awareness-building, nutrition education, and skill-building to community partnerships, supportive environments, and healthy public policy.

It is expected on weekdays when classes are not scheduled that students will be available for dedicated research work, and course group work and collaboration.

Milestones

Students in the MScFN Thesis-based program must complete three non-course requirements called Graduate Student Milestones to graduate. 

Term One: All incoming graduate students must complete Western University's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) Academic Integrity Module Milestone. Without successfully completing this module, students will not progress into their second term. Students will be contacted by Western SGPS directly during the first week of the first term in their program with the details about this milestone. 

Each student in the Thesis-based program will work closely with a faculty supervisor to develop a thesis topic, submit an ethics proposal, collect and analyze data, and write the thesis.

Preparation for research will begin during the first term, while the student is also enrolled in classes. Together, the student and supervisor will draft a learning contract that will make explicit the expectations for the terms and progress of the research and development of the thesis. 

Progress in research will intensify throughout the second term of the first year, as the focus moves toward thesis project design and planning.

Term Two or Three: The second Milestone is achieved as the thesis proposal is established, during the second or third term of the program. This Milestone is aptly called Thesis Proposal. 

During terms three to six of the program students focus entirely on their research and thesis. When the student successfully completes their thesis and thesis exam, they earn the third and final Milestone - the Thesis in Foods and Nutrition Milestone, which is usually the final program requirement.