Health Sciences

Master of Science in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics

The Master of Science in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in clinical nutrition, community nutrition, public health nutrition, and dietetics. The programme combines nutrition science with practical clinical and community work, research, and application.

Core areas include clinical nutrition, community nutrition, public health nutrition, diet therapy, food science, nutritional biochemistry, nutritional epidemiology, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, clinical placements, community outreach, and research.

The programme is offered by Kenyatta University as MSc in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics through the Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Health Sciences, and JKUAT as MSc in Food Science and Nutrition through the Department of Food Science and Technology. KU is a public university while JKUAT is also public. Both offer programmes over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes.

Students develop competencies in clinical nutrition, community nutrition, diet therapy, nutritional assessment, and public health nutrition. The programme allows students to major in Clinical Nutrition, Community and Public Health Nutrition, or Food Science, with coursework, examinations, clinical placements, and a supervised research thesis.

Kenyatta University charges approximately KES 246,000/year for MSc in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, based on KU science-based master's fees. JKUAT charges approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for MSc in Food Science and Nutrition. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as clinical dietitians, community nutritionists, public health nutrition officers, nutrition researchers, food service managers, and lecturers in nutrition across hospitals, government health departments, NGOs, research institutions, food companies, and universities.

Skills Required

Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Community and Public Health Nutrition
Nutritional Assessment and Biochemical Analysis
Food Science and Nutritional Biochemistry
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research
Dietary Planning and Nutritional Counselling
Food Service and Institutional Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Management
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Community and Public Health Nutrition
Nutritional Assessment and Biochemical Analysis
Food Science and Nutritional Biochemistry
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research
Dietary Planning and Nutritional Counselling
Food Service and Institutional Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Management
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Thesis Research

Certifications

KNDI Registration
WHO Nutrition Certification

Specializations

Clinical Nutrition

Focuses on clinical nutrition, covering diet therapy, medical nutrition, assessment, counselling, and managing clinical nutrition.

Community and Public Health Nutrition

Examines community nutrition, covering public health, programmes, policy, interventions, and managing community nutrition.

Food Science

Covers food science, covering processing, safety, quality, analysis, and managing food science for nutrition.

Nutritional Epidemiology

Focuses on nutritional epidemiology, covering surveys, surveillance, analysis, research, and managing nutritional epidemiology.

Diet Therapy

Examines diet therapy, covering therapeutic diets, disease management, clinical guidelines, and managing diet therapy.

Food Service Management

Covers food service management, covering institutional, catering, quality, safety, and managing food service operations.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 326,400
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

Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Community and Public Health Nutrition
Nutritional Assessment and Biochemical Analysis
Food Science and Nutritional Biochemistry
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research
Dietary Planning and Nutritional Counselling
Food Service and Institutional Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Management
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines metabolism, macronutrients, micronutrients, enzymes, molecular nutrition, and managing nutritional biochemistry.
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers diet therapy, medical nutrition, assessment, counselling, disease management, and managing clinical nutrition.
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, nutrition research methods, and conducting research, preparing students for their thesis.
Community and Public Health Nutrition
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public health, programmes, policy, interventions, surveillance, and managing community nutrition.
Food Science and Processing for Nutrition
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers processing, safety, quality, analysis, fortification, and managing food science for nutrition.
Nutritional Assessment and Dietary Planning
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines assessment, anthropometry, biochemical, clinical, dietary, counselling, and managing nutritional assessment.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers surveys, surveillance, analysis, research, risk factors, and managing nutritional epidemiology.
Food Service and Institutional Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines institutional, catering, quality, safety, procurement, and managing food service operations.
Nutrition Policy and Programme Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers policy, programmes, planning, evaluation, advocacy, and managing nutrition policy.
Advanced Diet Therapy and Medical Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines therapeutic diets, clinical guidelines, enteral, parenteral, paediatric, and managing advanced diet therapy.
Nutrition in Lifecycle and Special Groups
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, elderly, and managing lifecycle nutrition.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a nutrition and dietetics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Clinical Nutrition
Focuses on clinical nutrition, covering diet therapy, medical nutrition, assessment, counselling, and managing clinical nutrition.
Community and Public Health Nutrition
Examines community nutrition, covering public health, programmes, policy, interventions, and managing community nutrition.
Food Science
Covers food science, covering processing, safety, quality, analysis, and managing food science for nutrition.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Focuses on nutritional epidemiology, covering surveys, surveillance, analysis, research, and managing nutritional epidemiology.
Diet Therapy
Examines diet therapy, covering therapeutic diets, disease management, clinical guidelines, and managing diet therapy.
Food Service Management
Covers food service management, covering institutional, catering, quality, safety, and managing food service operations.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, clinical placements, community outreach, practical workshops, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover clinical nutrition, community nutrition, diet therapy, nutritional biochemistry, and food science. Clinical nutrition sessions examine diet therapy, medical nutrition, assessment, counselling, and managing clinical nutrition. Community nutrition sessions cover public health, programmes, policy, interventions, and managing community nutrition. Diet therapy sessions cover therapeutic diets, disease management, clinical guidelines, and managing diet therapy. Nutritional biochemistry sessions cover metabolism, micronutrients, macronutrients, and managing nutritional biochemistry. Food science sessions cover processing, safety, quality, analysis, and managing food science. Nutritional epidemiology sessions cover surveys, surveillance, analysis, research, and managing nutritional epidemiology. Food service sessions cover institutional, catering, quality, safety, and managing food service. Nutrition policy sessions cover policy, programmes, planning, evaluation, and managing nutrition policy. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with nutritional biochemistry, food analysis, and dietary assessment. Clinical placements provide hands-on experience with patient assessment, diet counselling, and clinical nutrition practice. Community outreach provides hands-on experience with nutrition surveys, health education, and community interventions. Practical workshops provide hands-on experience with dietary planning, food preparation, and nutritional counselling. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in nutrition and presenting research findings. Guest lectures from experienced dietitians, nutritionists, and public health professionals provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a nutrition and dietetics topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for nutrition professionals with Kenya's growing burden of malnutrition, lifestyle diseases, and public health nutrition needs.
Programme accredited by both CUE and KNDI, ensuring professional recognition and registration eligibility.
KU offers three specialisation tracks: Clinical Nutrition, Community and Public Health Nutrition, or Food Science.
JKUAT offers competitive fees at approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for MSc in Food Science and Nutrition.

Against it

KU specific Food, Nutrition and Dietetics fees not independently verified from programme page.
No private university confirmed offering this specific programme.
Programme requires nutrition, dietetics, or food science background, limiting access for non-related graduates.
Clinical placements and community outreach require additional time commitment beyond regular coursework.

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 326k

179k at JKUAT326k at Kenyatta University

Private120k to 150k

120k at Great Lakes University of Kisumu150k at Kenya Methodist 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

KU 326.4k/yr (ku.ac.ke); JKUAT 357k/2=178.5k; KeMU 150k; GLUK 120k.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. WHO may offer nutrition fellowships for research. KNDI may offer bursaries for nutrition professionals. Some hospitals and NGOs may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
WHO Nutrition Fellowship
KNDI Bursary

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
WHO Nutrition Fellowship
ScholarshipKsh 500,000
WHO provides nutrition fellowships for research and training in public health nutrition.
KNDI Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
KNDI may offer bursaries for nutrition professionals pursuing postgraduate study.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: KU requires Upper Second in BSc Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, or BEd with major in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, or Postgraduate Diploma in Nutrition, or Lower Second with two years of work experience and grade C and above in relevant units. JKUAT requires Upper Second from JKUAT or recognised institution, or Lower Second with three years of experience. 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, clinical placement reports, community outreach reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering clinical nutrition, community nutrition, nutritional biochemistry, and food science.
Practical and Clinical Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through clinical placements, community outreach, dietary planning, nutritional assessment, and demonstrating nutrition skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a nutrition and dietetics 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) and the Kenya Nutrition and Dietetics Institute (KNDI). Kenyatta University and JKUAT (both public) offer MSc programmes in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics and Food Science and Nutrition respectively. All programmes meet CUE standards and KNDI requirements for postgraduate training in nutrition. Graduates are eligible for KNDI registration and WHO nutrition certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE and KNDI. Kenyatta University and JKUAT (both public) offer MSc programmes in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics and Food Science and Nutrition. All programmes meet CUE standards and KNDI requirements for postgraduate training in nutrition. Graduates are eligible for KNDI registration and WHO nutrition certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Clinical Dietitian
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Provides clinical nutrition care, overseeing assessment, diet therapy, counselling, and managing clinical nutrition in hospitals.
Community Nutritionist
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages community nutrition programmes, overseeing interventions, education, surveillance, and managing community nutrition.
Public Health Nutrition Officer
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages public health nutrition, overseeing policy, programmes, planning, evaluation, and managing public health nutrition.
Nutrition Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Conducts nutrition research, overseeing experiments, surveys, analysis, publications, and managing research projects.
Food Service Manager
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages food service operations, overseeing institutional feeding, quality, safety, and managing food service.
Nutrition Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaches nutrition and dietetics at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Nutritional Assessment Kit
EquipmentPrimary
Assessment kit for nutritional evaluation, covering anthropometry, BMI, skinfold, and managing nutritional assessment.
Food Analysis Equipment
Equipment
Food analysis equipment for nutritional testing, covering composition, vitamins, minerals, and managing food analysis.
Dietary Analysis Software
Software
Dietary analysis software for meal planning, covering intake, analysis, planning, and managing dietary assessment.
R Studio
Software
R Studio for data analysis, covering epidemiology, statistics, surveys, and managing nutrition data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Nutrition is just about eating healthy.
Nutrition covers comprehensive clinical diet therapy, community health, biochemistry, epidemiology, and policy beyond just eating healthy.
Dietetics is just about meal planning.
Dietetics covers comprehensive clinical nutrition, therapeutic diets, disease management, assessment, and counselling.
Community nutrition is just about food distribution.
Community nutrition covers comprehensive public health, programmes, policy, interventions, and surveillance.
Nutritional biochemistry is just about vitamins.
Nutritional biochemistry covers comprehensive metabolism, macronutrients, micronutrients, enzymes, and molecular nutrition.
Food service management is just about catering.
Food service management covers comprehensive institutional feeding, quality, safety, procurement, and operations.
This programme is only for dietitians.
Nutrition skills are valuable for public health officers, researchers, food companies, policy makers, and educators beyond just dietitians.