Health Sciences

Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences

The Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in nutritional science, food science, and dietetics. The programme provides specialised training in nutritional biochemistry, food analysis, community nutrition, and nutrition research.

Core areas include nutritional biochemistry, food science and analysis, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, research methods, food safety, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, laboratory sessions, field work, and research.

The programme is offered by Egerton University, Chuka University, and Maseno University. All three are public universities offering the programme over two years through full-time and part-time study, combining coursework with laboratory work and research.

Students develop competencies in nutritional biochemistry, food analysis, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, nutrition research, and food safety. The programme includes coursework, examinations, laboratory practicals, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for nutrition, food science, and public health roles.

Egerton charges approximately KES 137,700 per year while Chuka charges KES 130,000 per year (KES 75,000 Semester 1 plus KES 55,000 Semester 2). No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, or a related discipline from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as nutrition scientists, food scientists, community nutritionists, clinical dietitians, nutrition researchers, and nutrition educators across government agencies, food industry, hospitals, academic institutions, research organisations, and NGOs.

Skills Required

Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Food Science and Analysis
Community Nutrition and Public Health
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Nutritional Epidemiology
Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Nutrition Research Methods
Nutrition Assessment and Intervention
Food Product Development
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Food Science and Analysis
Community Nutrition and Public Health
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Nutritional Epidemiology
Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Nutrition Research Methods
Nutrition Assessment and Intervention
Food Product Development
Thesis Research

Certifications

Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) Registration
KEBS Food Safety Certification

Specializations

Nutritional Biochemistry

Focuses on nutritional biochemistry, covering metabolism, nutrients, biochemistry, physiology, and managing nutritional biochemistry research.

Food Science and Analysis

Examines food science, covering analysis, quality, safety, processing, and managing food science and analysis.

Community Nutrition

Covers community nutrition, covering communities, public, health, prevention, and managing community nutrition programmes.

Clinical Nutrition

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

Nutritional Epidemiology

Examines nutritional epidemiology, covering epidemiology, research, data, analysis, and managing nutritional epidemiology.

Food Safety and Quality

Covers food safety, covering safety, quality, assurance, standards, and managing food safety and quality.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 137,700
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

Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Food Science and Analysis
Community Nutrition and Public Health
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Nutritional Epidemiology
Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Nutrition Research Methods
Nutrition Assessment and Intervention
Food Product Development
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines metabolism, nutrients, biochemistry, physiology, and managing nutritional biochemistry research.
Food Science and Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers food, analysis, quality, processing, and managing food science and analysis.
Community Nutrition and Public Health
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines communities, public, health, prevention, and managing community nutrition programmes.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers epidemiology, research, data, analysis, and managing nutritional epidemiology.
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines diet, therapy, assessment, management, and managing clinical nutrition and diet therapy.
Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers safety, quality, assurance, standards, and managing food safety and quality.
Nutrition Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in nutritional sciences, preparing students for their thesis.
Nutrition Assessment and Intervention
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers assessment, intervention, evaluation, monitoring, and managing nutritional assessment and intervention.
Food Product Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines product, development, formulation, evaluation, and managing food product development.
Advanced Topics in Nutritional Sciences
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers current research, nutrigenomics, functional foods, and managing advanced topics in nutritional sciences.
Nutrition Policy and Programmes
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines policy, programmes, planning, evaluation, and managing nutrition policy and programmes.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a nutritional sciences topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Nutritional Biochemistry
Focuses on nutritional biochemistry, covering metabolism, nutrients, biochemistry, physiology, and managing nutritional biochemistry research.
Food Science and Analysis
Examines food science, covering analysis, quality, safety, processing, and managing food science and analysis.
Community Nutrition
Covers community nutrition, covering communities, public, health, prevention, and managing community nutrition programmes.
Clinical Nutrition
Focuses on clinical nutrition, covering diet, therapy, assessment, management, and managing clinical nutrition and diet therapy.
Nutritional Epidemiology
Examines nutritional epidemiology, covering epidemiology, research, data, analysis, and managing nutritional epidemiology.
Food Safety and Quality
Covers food safety, covering safety, quality, assurance, standards, and managing food safety and quality.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Nutritional Sciences programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, field work, seminars, group discussions, and independent study. Sessions cover nutritional biochemistry, food science, community nutrition, and clinical nutrition. Nutritional biochemistry sessions examine metabolism, nutrients, biochemistry, physiology, and managing nutritional biochemistry. Food science sessions cover food, analysis, quality, processing, and managing food science and analysis. Community nutrition sessions cover communities, public, health, prevention, and managing community nutrition. Clinical nutrition sessions cover diet, therapy, assessment, management, and managing clinical nutrition. Nutritional epidemiology sessions cover epidemiology, research, data, analysis, and managing nutritional epidemiology. Food safety sessions cover safety, quality, assurance, standards, and managing food safety and quality. Research methods sessions cover research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research. Laboratory sessions provide practical experience in food analysis, nutritional assessment, and biochemistry techniques. Field work provides practical experience in community nutrition assessment and food safety inspection. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and discussing current issues in nutritional sciences. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a nutritional sciences topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme offered at three public universities with affordable fees (KES 130,000-137,700/year).
Programme combines nutritional science with food science, providing versatile career options.
Graduates are eligible for KNDI registration and KEBS food safety certification.
High job market demand for nutrition and food science professionals in Kenya and globally.

Against it

No private university confirmed offering this exact programme name, limiting choice.
Maseno University fee data not publicly available for this programme.
Programme requires a relevant foods, nutrition, or science degree for entry.
Laboratory and field work components require significant time commitment alongside 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

Public130k to 138k

130k at Chuka University138k at Egerton 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

Egerton 137.7k/yr (intracolleges). Chuka 130k/yr (fee PDF). GLUK 120k/yr (prospectus). KeMU ~150k/yr (eafinder).

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. KNDI may offer professional development grants. Some NGOs, food industry companies, and government agencies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
KNDI Professional Development Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 137,700Kenyan
Universities may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate nutrition students.
KNDI Professional Development Grant
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
KNDI may offer professional development grants for registered 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: Egerton requires Upper Second Class Honours in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics or related programme. Lower Second may be considered with two years of relevant experience. Chuka requires a Bachelor's degree in a related discipline with Second Class Upper or Lower with two years of experience. Maseno requires First Class or Second Class Upper, or Lower with two years of research experience, or a Postgraduate Diploma with one year 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, seminar presentations, group discussions, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering nutritional biochemistry, food science, community nutrition, and clinical nutrition.
Laboratory and Field Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through laboratory sessions and field work, demonstrating food analysis, nutritional assessment, and community nutrition skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a nutritional sciences 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). Egerton University, Chuka University, and Maseno University (all public) offer MSc in Nutritional Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutritional sciences. Graduates should be registered with the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI). The programme aligns with WHO and FAO global nutrition standards.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Egerton University, Chuka University, and Maseno University (all public) offer MSc in Nutritional Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in nutritional sciences. Graduates should be registered with the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI). The programme aligns with WHO and FAO global nutrition standards.
Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI)
Professional accreditationRequired
KNDI regulates nutrition and dietetics practice in Kenya. Graduates should be registered with KNDI to practise as nutrition professionals.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Nutrition Scientist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts nutrition research and analysis, overseeing studies, evidence, practice, and managing nutrition science research.
Food Scientist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages food science and analysis, overseeing quality, processing, safety, and managing food science operations.
Community Nutritionist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages community nutrition programmes, overseeing communities, health, prevention, and managing community nutrition.
Clinical Dietitian
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides clinical nutrition and diet therapy in hospitals, overseeing assessment, treatment, management, and managing clinical dietetics.
Nutrition Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts nutrition research, overseeing studies, evidence, practice, and managing nutrition research.
Food Safety Officer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages food safety and quality, overseeing safety, quality, standards, and managing food safety and quality assurance.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Laboratory Analytical Equipment
EquipmentPrimary
Laboratory analytical equipment for food and nutrition analysis, covering analysis, spectroscopy, chromatography, and managing food and nutrition analysis.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis of research data, covering statistics, analysis, research, and managing research data.
Nutritional Assessment Tools
Equipment
Nutritional assessment tools for evaluating nutritional status, covering assessment, screening, monitoring, and managing nutritional assessment.
Food Analysis Software
Software
Food analysis software for nutritional composition and dietary analysis, covering composition, analysis, data, and managing food analysis data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Nutritional sciences is just about diet planning.
Nutritional sciences covers comprehensive biochemistry, food science, epidemiology, research, and public health beyond just diet planning.
This programme is only for dietitians.
Nutritional sciences skills are valuable for food scientists, researchers, public health professionals, and quality assurance officers beyond just dietitians.
Nutrition science is not rigorous science.
Nutritional sciences uses rigorous scientific methods including biochemistry, molecular biology, epidemiology, and analytical chemistry to study nutrition.
Food science and nutrition are the same thing.
Food science focuses on food processing, preservation, and quality, while nutrition focuses on how nutrients affect health and metabolism.
Nutrition careers are limited to hospitals.
Nutrition careers span food industry, government, research, academia, NGOs, and community health beyond just hospitals.
Nutritional sciences is only about human nutrition.
Nutritional sciences can cover animal nutrition, food systems, agriculture, and policy beyond just human nutrition.