General Questions

Also known as personalized nutrition or precision nutrition, nutrigenomics studies the relationship between an individual’s genes and how they affect their response to food and nutrients.

Who should enroll in this program?
The MSNGx program is ideal for you if you are looking for a career as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in one of the fastest growing areas of nutrition science – nutrigenomics.

What will I be able to do with this degree?
Registered dietitian nutritionists have many career possibilities from clinical nutrition to foodservice and sports nutrition to public health. Registered dietitians can work nearly anywhere food is being consumed, sold or talked about.

How can dietitians and other health care providers use nutrigenomics to help patients?
Nutrigenomics helps RDNs and other health care providers to highly personalize nutrition recommendations to prevent, treat and manage health conditions.

How will nutrigenomics affect the quality of health care?
Nutrigenomics improves the quality of health care by targeting the scope of recommendations, improving efficiency as well as patient outcomes.

What challenges face the field of nutrigenomics?
Nutrigenomics is still a young science and the research is still developing. As with other genomic sciences, we will continue to learn and refine our understanding of the human genome for many years to come. This presents challenges because as we learn more nutrition recommendations may change. Additionally, most insurance companies are not yet covering the cost of nutrigenomics testing, putting the financial burden on the patient. While the cost of nutrigenomic testing has dramatically dropped in the last several years, it can still be expensive for high-quality tests.

Do I need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admissions into the program?
No, we do not require students to take the GRE to be considered for the MSNGx Program at Manchester University!

Can I transfer credits from a different institution?
External graduate course work may be considered for transfer credit if all of the following conditions are met:

• The course work is completed at a regionally accredited institution within the last five years.
• The course work is substantially similar to Manchester courses.
• The final grade posted for each potential transfer course is a 'B' grade (or better).
• The course work does not duplicate, overlap or regress previous work.
• The university or college offering the courses allows these courses to be used for credit toward its own master's degree.

*No more than 13 credits for work completed elsewhere may be counted toward the master's degree. The 13-credit limit applies to transfer of credits and credit for prior learning.

The transfer work must first be officially approved by the MSNGx Council, then accepted into the University through the University’s registrar. Students should contact the director of the MSNGx Program directly for additional details regarding transfer credit policies.

In order for approved transfer credit to be awarded, students must submit an official transcript that clearly indicates all of the following information for each course:

• Course codes or numbers
• Course titles or descriptions
• Final grades earned
• Course credits earned

Can a student get credit for prior learning?
Credit for prior learning may be considered for the master’s program. Students must submit a completed credit for prior learning application including a portfolio of evidence.

Does Manchester University provide housing to graduate students?
No, Manchester University does not provide housing to graduate students. 

How many credit hours are required for the MSNGx degree?
Students must complete 54 credits including a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised experiential learning to receive a Master of Science in Nutrition and Nutrigenomics.

Does the program have to be completed within a certain timeframe?
In order to ensure our graduates are prepared with the most up-to-date information, we require all coursework to be completed within five years of the student’s start date.

What is the online course format?
Most of our courses have short videos that feature faculty members discussing topics or drawing concepts. We also have assignments that include reading literature and problem solving. The assignments will be assessed using an online submission system or discussion boards in our learning management system (LMS). Some faculty may hold live review sessions or discussions as well. Manchester University will be using Canvas for our LMS.

Do courses need to be completed in a certain order?
Most courses do have prerequisites; therefore, courses will need to be taken in order. Review the program curriculum here.

What does the curricular structure look like?
The curriculum consists of four 4-month semesters and one summer session. Each semester consists of 11-12 credit hours of coursework. This includes supervised experiential learning courses. Learn more about supervised experiential learning structure here.

What academic support is available if I am struggling in a class?
The best support can be found by contacting your faculty member or teaching assistant for the course. They will be able to provide specific instructions for improvement. Additionally, Manchester University has a Student Success Center that provides academic resources that empower students to overcome challenges, improve skills and gain a competitive edge. Online students will have access to Student Success resources via online interactions (i.e., video chat, email, etc.).

Does Manchester University offer technical support for online master’s students?
Yes! Students can request assistance via several mechanisms. The Manchester University ITS Help Desk is available M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST and can be reached at 260-470-5454. Outside of business hours, requests can be submitted using an online form. Our learning management system, Canvas, provides 24/7 support. All students can use the Manchester University Canvas support line at 877-227-9487 or use Canvas' live chat option.

What are your online learning center platforms?
We use the learning management systems Canvas and CORE® to administer all coursework.

How many hours per week will I spend on coursework?
This is based on the credit hours of the course and the semester format. For every credit hour there should be one “contact hour.” A contact hour can take the form of watching videos, posting in discussion boards or taking assessments. Beyond the contact hours, individual efforts will vary. You can match or double the contact hours for a range of hours likely spent per week.

Are there assistantships, internships, or jobs available?
This is a full-time program, and in the best interests of the students, working during the program is not recommended.

Can I take other courses at the same time as I am enrolled?
This is a full-time program and we advise that you do not take courses outside of the program.