Health Sciences

Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics

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

Core areas include advanced human nutrition, clinical dietetics, community nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, food science and technology, diet therapy, nutrition policy, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both nutrition theory and practical clinical and community work through coursework and research.

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

Students develop competencies in advanced human nutrition, clinical dietetics, community nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, food science, diet therapy, and nutrition policy. The programme includes coursework, examinations, practical placements, community nutrition fieldwork, and a supervised research thesis.

UoN charges approximately KES 217,375/year (KES 869,500 total) for applied human nutrition. JKUAT charges approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for food science and nutrition. Egerton charges approximately KES 200,000/year for nutritional sciences. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in foods, nutrition and dietetics, food science, or related health and biological sciences fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as clinical dietitians, nutrition consultants, public health nutritionists, food industry specialists, nutrition researchers, and lecturers in nutrition and dietetics across hospitals, public health agencies, food companies, NGOs, research institutions, and universities.

Skills Required

Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Clinical Dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Community Nutrition and Public Health Interventions
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Methods
Diet Therapy and Nutrition Care Process
Food Science and Food Safety Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Planning
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Clinical Dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Community Nutrition and Public Health Interventions
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Methods
Diet Therapy and Nutrition Care Process
Food Science and Food Safety Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Planning
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Thesis Research

Certifications

KNDI Professional Certification
WHO Nutrition Professional Membership

Specializations

Clinical Dietetics

Focuses on clinical dietetics, covering medical nutrition therapy, diet therapy, patient assessment, clinical interventions, and managing clinical dietetics.

Community Nutrition

Examines community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition education, interventions, programme planning, and managing community nutrition.

Public Health Nutrition

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

Food Science and Technology

Focuses on food science, covering food processing, preservation, safety, quality, product development, and managing food science.

Sports Nutrition

Examines sports nutrition, covering exercise nutrition, performance nutrition, hydration, supplements, and managing sports nutrition.

Maternal and Child Nutrition

Covers maternal and child nutrition, covering pregnancy nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, breastfeeding, and managing maternal and child nutrition.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 434,750
Private, up to: Ksh 180,000
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

Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Clinical Dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Community Nutrition and Public Health Interventions
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Methods
Diet Therapy and Nutrition Care Process
Food Science and Food Safety Management
Nutrition Policy and Programme Planning
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, and managing human nutrition.
Clinical Dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers medical nutrition therapy, diet therapy, patient assessment, clinical interventions, and managing clinical dietetics.
Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, nutritional epidemiology methods, and conducting nutrition research, preparing students for their thesis.
Community Nutrition and Public Health Interventions
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines community assessment, nutrition education, interventions, programme planning, and managing community nutrition.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers study design, nutritional surveys, data analysis, malnutrition assessment, and managing nutritional epidemiology.
Diet Therapy and Nutrition Care Process
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines therapeutic diets, disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, and managing diet therapy.
Food Science and Food Safety Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers food processing, preservation, safety, quality, product development, and managing food science.
Nutrition Policy and Programme Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines policy formulation, programme planning, nutrition governance, advocacy, and managing nutrition policy.
Nutritional Assessment and Surveillance
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers anthropometry, biochemical assessment, clinical assessment, dietary assessment, and managing nutritional assessment.
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines pregnancy nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, breastfeeding, and managing maternal and child nutrition.
Nutrition in Non-Communicable Diseases
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers diabetes nutrition, cardiovascular nutrition, cancer nutrition, obesity management, and managing nutrition for NCDs.
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 Dietetics
Focuses on clinical dietetics, covering medical nutrition therapy, diet therapy, patient assessment, clinical interventions, and managing clinical dietetics.
Community Nutrition
Examines community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition education, interventions, programme planning, and managing community nutrition.
Public Health Nutrition
Covers public health nutrition, covering nutritional epidemiology, policy, surveillance, malnutrition, and managing public health nutrition.
Food Science and Technology
Focuses on food science, covering food processing, preservation, safety, quality, product development, and managing food science.
Sports Nutrition
Examines sports nutrition, covering exercise nutrition, performance nutrition, hydration, supplements, and managing sports nutrition.
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Covers maternal and child nutrition, covering pregnancy nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, breastfeeding, and managing maternal and child nutrition.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, clinical placements, community fieldwork, practical workshops, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover advanced nutrition, clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and food science. Advanced human nutrition sessions examine macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, and managing human nutrition. Clinical dietetics sessions cover medical nutrition therapy, diet therapy, patient assessment, clinical interventions, and managing clinical dietetics. Community nutrition sessions cover community assessment, nutrition education, interventions, programme planning, and managing community nutrition. Nutritional epidemiology sessions cover study design, nutritional surveys, data analysis, malnutrition assessment, and managing nutritional epidemiology. Diet therapy sessions cover therapeutic diets, disease management, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, and managing diet therapy. Food science sessions cover food processing, preservation, safety, quality, product development, and managing food science. Nutrition policy sessions cover policy formulation, programme planning, nutrition governance, advocacy, and managing nutrition policy. Nutritional assessment sessions cover anthropometry, biochemical assessment, clinical assessment, dietary assessment, and managing nutritional assessment. 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, microbiology, and dietary assessment. Clinical placements at hospitals provide exposure to clinical dietetics, patient counselling, and medical nutrition therapy. Community fieldwork provides exposure to community nutrition assessment, nutrition education, and public health interventions. Practical workshops provide hands-on experience with dietary analysis, nutritional assessment, diet planning, and food product development. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in nutrition and dietetics. Guest lectures from experienced dietitians, nutrition researchers, 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 non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, food safety concerns, and public health initiatives.
Programme offered by three public universities (UoN, JKUAT, Egerton), providing institutional choice.
JKUAT offers competitive fees at approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for food science and nutrition.
Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional certification, enabling licensed practice in Kenya.

Against it

UoN fees are higher at approximately KES 217,375/year (KES 869,500 total) for applied human nutrition.
Egerton fees estimated at approximately KES 200,000/year, not independently verified for nutrition specifically.
No private university confirmed offering this programme, limiting options.
Programme requires foods, nutrition, dietetics, food science, or related health and biological sciences 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 JKUAT435k at University of Nairobi

Private180k to 180k

180k at Kenya Methodist University180k 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

UoN 869.5K/2yr; JKUAT 357K/2yr. KeMU 60K/trimester PT. GLUK unverified. Src: UoN fee schedule, kenyaeducationguide

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KNDI and nutrition organisations may provide training support. WHO and international health organisations may provide nutrition fellowships. Some food companies and NGOs may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KNDI Training Support
WHO Nutrition Fellowships

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
KNDI Training Support
GrantKsh 150,000Kenyan
KNDI and partner organisations may provide training support for nutrition and dietetics professionals.
WHO Nutrition Fellowships
FellowshipKsh 300,000Kenyan
WHO and international health organisations may provide nutrition fellowships for public health 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 foods, nutrition and dietetics, food science, or related health and biological sciences fields. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience are considered. 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 fieldwork reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering advanced nutrition, clinical dietetics, community nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, and food science.
Practical and Clinical Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through clinical placements, community fieldwork, dietary analysis, nutritional assessment, and demonstrating dietetics 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). University of Nairobi, JKUAT, and Egerton University (all public) offer MSc in Human Nutrition, Applied Human Nutrition, Food Science and Nutrition, or Nutritional Sciences. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional certification and WHO Nutrition professional membership.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi, JKUAT, and Egerton University (all public) offer MSc in Human Nutrition, Applied Human Nutrition, Food Science and Nutrition, or Nutritional Sciences. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional certification and WHO Nutrition professional membership.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Clinical Dietitian
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Provides clinical dietetics, overseeing medical nutrition therapy, patient assessment, diet therapy, and managing clinical nutrition.
Nutrition Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Provides nutrition consulting, overseeing dietary assessment, counselling, programme design, and managing nutrition consulting.
Public Health Nutritionist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages public health nutrition, overseeing programmes, policy, surveillance, interventions, and managing public health nutrition.
Food Industry Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 600,000
Works in food industry, overseeing product development, quality, safety, nutrition labelling, and managing food industry nutrition.
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 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

NutriBase
SoftwarePrimary
NutriBase for dietary analysis, covering nutrient analysis, meal planning, food databases, and managing dietary assessment.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering nutritional data, survey data, epidemiology, and managing research data.
WHO Anthro
Software
WHO Anthro for child growth assessment, covering anthropometry, growth standards, z-scores, and managing child nutrition data.
Excel
Software
Excel for data management, covering dietary records, nutritional calculations, food composition, and managing nutrition data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Nutrition and dietetics is just about telling people what to eat.
Nutrition and dietetics covers comprehensive clinical therapy, community interventions, epidemiology, food science, policy, and research beyond just dietary advice.
This programme is only for those who want to be dietitians.
Nutrition skills are valuable for public health professionals, food scientists, researchers, policy makers, educators, and industry consultants beyond just clinical dietitians.
Nutrition has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With Kenya's growing burden of non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, food safety concerns, and public health initiatives, demand for nutrition professionals is high in Kenya.
Diet therapy is just about weight loss.
Diet therapy covers comprehensive medical nutrition therapy for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other clinical conditions.
Community nutrition is just about feeding programmes.
Community nutrition covers comprehensive assessment, education, interventions, programme planning, policy, and surveillance.
Food science is just about cooking.
Food science covers comprehensive processing, preservation, safety, quality, product development, and food technology.