One-Year MPH in Public Health Nutrition

About the Program

DELIVERY METHOD: FULLY ONLINE
ENROLLMENT TYPE: FULL-TIME
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

The MPH in Public Health Nutrition prepares students to promote the nutritional well-being of population groups by learning to assess the nutritional needs of various populations, planning and implementing nutrition and food programs and managing nutritional programs in community and institutional settings. The degree offers one curriculum for those who are Registered Dietitians (RDs) and another for those without this credential. To be considered, please contact Prof. Ghada Soliman at ghada.soliman@sph.cuny.edu.

Applicants who have completed an undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) from an ACEND-accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher could be considered for the Dietetic Internship within the MPH in Public Health Nutrition at CUNY School of Public Health. To be considered, please contact Prof. Ann Gaba at ann.gaba@sph.cuny.edu.

The MPH in Public Health Nutrition is not a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) as required by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For information about available DPD programs, please click here.

Three paths for an MPH graduate in Public Health Nutrition & Registered Dietitian — Click to Enlarge

The one-year MPH is a rigorous, accelerated program for driven professionals who want to jump start their careers with a public health degree. It delivers the full curriculum of the traditional two-year MPH, but in only three semesters (one summer, fall, and spring) at a higher level of intensity. It is not recommended students work full-time while pursuing this program.

Is this degree right for you?

The program is designed for students who are passionate about public health nutrition science and the nutritional well-being of population groups. The degree offers one curriculum for those who are Registered Dietitians (RDs) and another for those without this credential.

What will you learn?

Learn to scientifically assess dietary and nutritional needs and guidelines, examine how social and environmental factors impact access to nutrition on individual and population levels and design evidence-based nutrition policies and interventions with government agencies in mind.

Where to after graduation?

Graduates work in hospitals, clinics, community programs, local, state, or federal government health departments and in international nutrition programs. They coordinate and analyze nutrition research and policies, direct nutrition programs and manage school food programs among other positions.

Admissions Requirements

Completed SOPHAS application
Undergraduate degree from an accredited university with GPA (overall and major) of at least 3.5 preferred; or, significant relevant experience (2+ years in the field) if GPA < 3.5
Personal statement/statement of purpose (recommended length is 500 words)
Background in the field: paid or volunteer experience in public health or related field
Resume
2 Letters of recommendation
TOEFL scores are required if language of instruction for prior degrees was not English
Transcript evaluation from WES or ECE for foreign transcripts.
At least four undergraduate courses (12 credits) of college-level biology, chemistry, nutrition, and statistics or calculus; a background in nutrition, medical, or health sciences is recommended.

Application Deadline: Summer 2026 application deadline is April 15, 2026

Curriculum

Foundational Knowledge (0 credits)	PUBH 601 Foundations of Public Health Knowledge*
Core Coursework (15 credits)	PUBH 610 Introduction to Health Systems, Policy, and Management
	PUBH 611 Health Equity, Communication, and Advocacy
	PUBH 612 Designing and Evaluating Public Health Interventions
	PUBH 613 Designs, Concepts, and Methods in Public Health Research
	PUBH 614 Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Methods in Public Health Research
Required Coursework (15 credits)	FNPH 620 Community Nutrition Education
	FNPH 622 Food and Nutrition through the Lifecycle
	FNPH 820 Food Policy
	FNPH 623 Nutrient Metabolism and Applications in Public Health
	FNPH 624 Nutritional Epidemiology
Elective Coursework (6 credits)	Two (2) electives chosen in consultation with faculty advisor
Practice Experience (3 credits)	PUBH 696 Supervised Fieldwork
Culminating Experience (3 credits)	PUBH 698 Capstone Project
Total Credits Required	42

*Students who have a CEPH-accredited undergraduate or graduate degree in public health can be waived from PUBH 601 by submitting a Course Waiver Request.

One-Year Course Sequence

Year 1 Summer (12 credits)	PUBH 613: Designs, Concepts, and Methods in Public Health Research
	PUBH 614: Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Methods in Public Health Research
	PUBH 611: Health Equity, Communication, and Advocacy
	PUBH 612: Designing and Evaluating Public Health Interventions
Year 1 Fall (15 credits)	PUBH 601: Foundations of Public Health Knowledge (0 credits)
	PUBH 696: Supervised Fieldwork
	PUBH 610: Introduction to Health Systems, Policy, and Management
	FNPH 620: Community Nutrition Education
	FNPH 624: Nutritional Epidemiology
	FNPH 820: Food Policy
Year 1 Spring (15 credits)	PUBH 698: Capstone Project
	FNPH 622: Food and Nutrition Through the Lifecycle
	FNPH 623: Nutrient Metabolism and Applications in Public Health
	Elective I
	Elective II

Financial Aid

Please see our Office of Financial Aid page for information on loans, scholarships, and other financial aid related issues.

Alumni Outcomes

Alumni outcomes data was collected via surveys of CUNY SPH alumni one year after graduation from 2016 to 2022. See more program outcomes here.

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