Health Sciences

Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition

The Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in community nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, and food policy. The programme combines nutritional science theory with practical community and clinical nutrition application.

Core areas include community nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, nutritional assessment, food science, nutrition policy, clinical nutrition, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both nutritional theory and practical community and laboratory work through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi through the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Technology, Kenyatta University, JKUAT, and Egerton University. All are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in community nutrition, dietetics practice, public health nutrition, nutritional assessment, food science, nutrition policy, clinical nutrition, research methods, and academic writing. The programme includes 12 course units, examinations, practical attachments, and a supervised research thesis.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for Food Science and Nutrition programmes. KU charges KES 326,400/year. UoN charges approximately KES 434,750/year (KES 869,500 total). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in food science, nutrition, dietetics, health sciences, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as nutritionists, dietitians, public health nutrition officers, food policy analysts, nutrition researchers, and lecturers in nutrition across hospitals, public health agencies, NGOs, research institutions, food industry, and universities.

Skills Required

Community Nutrition and Nutrition Interventions
Dietetics Practice and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Public Health Nutrition and Programme Management
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Food Science and Food Safety
Nutrition Policy and Advocacy
Clinical Nutrition and Disease Management
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Research Methods in Nutrition
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Community Nutrition and Nutrition Interventions
Dietetics Practice and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Public Health Nutrition and Programme Management
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Food Science and Food Safety
Nutrition Policy and Advocacy
Clinical Nutrition and Disease Management
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Research Methods in Nutrition
Thesis Research

Certifications

KNDI Professional Registration
Nutrition Society of Kenya Membership

Specializations

Community Nutrition

Focuses on community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition interventions, behaviour change, programme evaluation, and managing community nutrition.

Dietetics

Examines dietetics practice, covering medical nutrition therapy, clinical dietetics, nutritional counselling, and managing dietetics.

Public Health Nutrition

Covers public health nutrition, covering epidemiology, nutrition programmes, policy, surveillance, and managing public health nutrition.

Clinical Nutrition

Focuses on clinical nutrition, covering disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, and managing clinical nutrition.

Maternal and Child Nutrition

Examines maternal and child nutrition, covering infant feeding, growth monitoring, maternal nutrition, and managing maternal and child nutrition.

Food Policy and Nutrition Governance

Covers food policy and nutrition governance, covering food security, nutrition policy, advocacy, regulation, and managing food policy.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 434,750
Private, up to: Ksh 150,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Community Nutrition and Nutrition Interventions
Dietetics Practice and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Public Health Nutrition and Programme Management
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Food Science and Food Safety
Nutrition Policy and Advocacy
Clinical Nutrition and Disease Management
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Research Methods in Nutrition
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Community Nutrition and Nutrition Interventions
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines community assessment, nutrition interventions, behaviour change communication, programme planning, and managing community nutrition.
Dietetics Practice and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers medical nutrition therapy, clinical dietetics, nutritional counselling, diet planning, and managing dietetics practice.
Research Methods in Nutrition
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, ethical issues, and conducting nutrition research, preparing students for their thesis.
Public Health Nutrition and Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines nutritional epidemiology, nutrition programmes, policy, surveillance, and managing public health nutrition.
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers anthropometry, biochemical assessment, clinical assessment, dietary assessment, and managing nutritional assessment.
Food Science and Food Safety
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines food composition, food safety, food processing, fortification, food preservation, and managing food science.
Clinical Nutrition and Disease Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, nutritional support, and managing clinical nutrition.
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines infant feeding, growth monitoring, maternal nutrition, adolescent nutrition, lactation, and managing maternal and child nutrition.
Nutrition Policy and Food Security
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers food security, nutrition policy, advocacy, regulation, fortification, and managing nutrition policy.
Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines macronutrient metabolism, micronutrient metabolism, energy balance, nutritional genomics, and managing nutritional biochemistry.
Nutrition in Emergencies and Humanitarian Response
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers emergency nutrition, humanitarian response, therapeutic feeding, supplementary feeding, and managing nutrition in emergencies.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a nutrition topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Community Nutrition
Focuses on community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition interventions, behaviour change, programme evaluation, and managing community nutrition.
Dietetics
Examines dietetics practice, covering medical nutrition therapy, clinical dietetics, nutritional counselling, and managing dietetics.
Public Health Nutrition
Covers public health nutrition, covering epidemiology, nutrition programmes, policy, surveillance, and managing public health nutrition.
Clinical Nutrition
Focuses on clinical nutrition, covering disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, and managing clinical nutrition.
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Examines maternal and child nutrition, covering infant feeding, growth monitoring, maternal nutrition, and managing maternal and child nutrition.
Food Policy and Nutrition Governance
Covers food policy and nutrition governance, covering food security, nutrition policy, advocacy, regulation, and managing food policy.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Applied Human Nutrition programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, community fieldwork, clinical attachments, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover community nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, nutritional assessment, and food science. Community nutrition sessions examine community assessment, nutrition interventions, behaviour change communication, programme planning, and managing community nutrition. Dietetics sessions cover medical nutrition therapy, clinical dietetics, nutritional counselling, diet planning, and managing dietetics. Public health nutrition sessions cover nutritional epidemiology, nutrition programmes, policy, surveillance, and managing public health nutrition. Nutritional assessment sessions cover anthropometry, biochemical assessment, clinical assessment, dietary assessment, and managing nutritional assessment. Food science sessions cover food composition, food safety, food processing, fortification, and managing food science. Nutrition policy sessions cover food security, nutrition policy, advocacy, regulation, and managing nutrition policy. Clinical nutrition sessions cover disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, nutritional support, and managing clinical nutrition. Maternal and child nutrition sessions cover infant feeding, growth monitoring, maternal nutrition, adolescent nutrition, and managing maternal and child nutrition. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with food analysis, nutritional assessment, biochemical markers, and dietary analysis. Community fieldwork provides hands-on experience with community nutrition assessment, nutrition surveys, health facility visits, and intervention planning. Clinical attachments provide experience with hospital dietetics, patient counselling, and nutritional support. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in nutrition. Guest lectures from experienced nutritionists, dietitians, and public health professionals provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a nutrition topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for nutrition professionals with growing burden of non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutrition policy focus in Kenya.
Programme offered by four public universities (UoN, KU, JKUAT, Egerton), providing wide institutional choice with different fee levels.
JKUAT offers competitive fees at approximately KES 178,500/year for Food Science and Nutrition programmes.
Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional registration, enhancing career prospects in nutrition and dietetics.

Against it

UoN fees are higher at approximately KES 434,750/year (KES 869,500 total) for Applied Human Nutrition.
The exact programme name may vary across institutions, potentially causing confusion for prospective students.
No private university confirmed offering this programme, limiting options.
Programme requires food science, nutrition, health sciences, or related background, which limits access for non-related graduates.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public179k to 435k

179k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology435k at University of Nairobi

Private150k to 150k

150k at Mount Kenya University150k at Mount Kenya University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN 869.5K/2=434.75K/yr. JKUAT 357K/2=178.5K/yr. MKU 75K/sem=150K/yr. Src: uonbi.ac.ke, kenyaeducationguide.com

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KU may offer postgraduate bursaries for eligible students. WHO and international health organisations may provide research support for nutrition professionals. Some NGOs and food industry companies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KU Postgraduate Bursary
WHO Nutrition Research Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
KU Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
Kenyatta University offers postgraduate bursaries for eligible students.
WHO Nutrition Research Support
GrantKsh 300,000
WHO and international health organisations may provide research support for nutrition professionals.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Most universities require Upper Second Class Honours in food science, nutrition, dietetics, or health sciences. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience are considered. Postgraduate diploma holders in nutrition from recognised institutions are also eligible. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, laboratory reports, community reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering community nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, nutritional assessment, and food science.
Practical and Clinical Attachment Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through laboratory exercises, community fieldwork, clinical attachment, nutritional assessment, and demonstrating nutrition skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a nutrition topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, JKUAT, and Egerton University (all public) offer MSc in Applied Human Nutrition or related nutrition programmes. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional registration and Nutrition Society of Kenya membership.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, JKUAT, and Egerton University (all public) offer MSc in Applied Human Nutrition or related nutrition programmes. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional registration and Nutrition Society of Kenya membership.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Nutritionist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides nutrition services, overseeing community nutrition, assessment, counselling, programmes, and managing nutrition services.
Dietitian
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Provides dietetics services, overseeing medical nutrition therapy, clinical assessment, counselling, and managing dietetics.
Public Health Nutrition Officer
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages public health nutrition programmes, overseeing programme design, implementation, surveillance, and managing public health nutrition.
Food Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Analyses food and nutrition policy, overseeing policy research, advocacy, regulation, and managing food policy.
Nutrition Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Conducts nutrition research, overseeing research design, data collection, analysis, publication, and managing nutrition research.
Nutrition Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches nutrition at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, laboratory supervision, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ENES for Food
SoftwarePrimary
FAO food composition databases for nutritional analysis, covering food composition, dietary assessment, and managing nutrition data.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering nutrition survey data, epidemiological analysis, and managing research data.
R
Software
R for statistical analysis, covering dietary data, nutritional epidemiology, and managing research data.
NutriSurvey
Software
NutriSurvey for dietary assessment, covering 24-hour recall, food frequency, dietary analysis, and managing nutrition surveys.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Nutrition is just about eating a balanced diet.
Applied human nutrition covers comprehensive community nutrition, dietetics, public health, clinical nutrition, food policy, and nutritional biochemistry beyond just balanced diets.
This programme is only for those who want to become dietitians.
Nutrition skills are valuable for public health, community development, food policy, research, food industry, and academia beyond just clinical dietetics.
Nutrition has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With growing burden of non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutrition policy focus, demand for nutrition professionals is high in Kenya.
Dietetics is just about meal planning.
Dietetics covers comprehensive medical nutrition therapy, clinical assessment, nutritional counselling, disease management, and nutritional support.
Community nutrition is just about telling people what to eat.
Community nutrition covers comprehensive community assessment, behaviour change, programme design, intervention evaluation, and policy advocacy.
Food policy is just about food labels.
Food policy covers comprehensive food security, nutrition governance, regulation, fortification, trade, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.