<p>Is anybody on this board currently enrolled or know a substantial amount about this program? I'm an undergrad student (UMass) who is majoring in economics, but I've developed an interest in nutrition. Looking at this program, it is actually geared more to an econ major over a nutrition major, seemingly. A nutrition minor at my school requires 40 credits, all of which I don't have and I'm a junior. Essentially, I'd have to stay longer for the nutrition minor. Regardless, any insight on this program? Perhaps admission rates, or general graduate admission rates at Tufts? I'm a male, and it seems that nutrition programs have a much larger amount of women in them, if that means anything at all.</p>
<p>Anybody, hm?</p>
<p>Rippa, I don’t think a nutrition background is required for admission, though it might give an edge to an applicant with that background. According to the website: "To be eligible, applicants must have completed a minimum of one course in human biology or general chemistry. Prior course work in statistics, nutrition, and economics is recommended but not required. Entering students should have strong basic mathematics skills (algebra and pre-calculus). "</p>
<p>The Tufts program looks like quite an interesting blend of nutrition and economics and policy studies. Similar topics are available at other schools, usually scattered among nutrition, ag econ, IR, and global health programs. At the undergrad level, the global health aspects can be found in stand-alone, though interdisciplinary, global health majors and minors or in some of the IR programs that offer a track or thematic option in that area (sometimes, combined with development studies or global environmental issues). At the grad level, schools of public health are the place to look (perhaps, Tulane). At some public land-grant universities, their ag schools cover these topics via international ag tracks in their ag ec and nutrition depts. So, besides Tufts, some possible places to pursue similar topics include U Wisconsin, U Minnesota, and Cornell. Unfortunately, the ag depts at UMass are incorporated into the college of natural sciences and they simply don’t offer as much in these areas as Wisconsin, for example. It seems like the Tufts program integrates these areas in quite a unique way, however.</p>
<p>Rippa, I don’t think a nutrition background is required for admission, though it might give an edge to an applicant with that background. According to the website: "To be eligible, applicants must have completed a minimum of one course in human biology or general chemistry. Prior course work in statistics, nutrition, and economics is recommended but not required. Entering students should have strong basic mathematics skills (algebra and pre-calculus). "</p>
<p>The Tufts program looks like quite an interesting blend of nutrition and economics and policy studies. Similar topics are available at other schools, usually scattered among nutrition, ag econ, IR, and global health programs. At the undergrad level, the global health aspects can be found in stand-alone, though interdisciplinary, global health majors and minors or in some of the IR program that offer a track or thematic option in that area (sometimes, combined with development studies or global environmental issues). At the grad level, schools of public health are the place to look (perhaps, Tulane). At some public land-grant universities, their ag schools cover these topics via international ag tracks in their ag ec and nutrition depts. So, besides Tufts, some possible places to pursue similar topics include U Wisconsin, U Minnesota, and Cornell. Unfortunately, the ag depts at UMass are incorporated into the college of natural sciences and they simply don’t offer as much in these areas as Wisconsin, for example. It seems like the Tufts program integrates these areas in quite a unique way, however.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post.</p>
<p>I would add to this…</p>
<p>For students who attend public land-grant universities (or, students just applying to colleges) who are interested in economics, international relations, international development, international business, and some areas of cultural anthropology, I would strongly encourage them to take a good look at the course offerings (and to consider minors) in areas such as agricultural/resource economics and international agriculture. Several such universities also offer quite interesting study-abroad options through their colleges of agriculture that are very relevant for these areas. I think students in the colleges of arts & sciences and business schools at these universities tend to overlook some relevant coursework and minors in the ag colleges—they’re not just for farmers anymore.</p>