Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences

NFS 5003. Food Chemistry. Chemistry and functionality of major and minor food constituents including water, protein, lipid, carbohydrates, food additives, and food flavor. Prerequisite: CHEM 2213 or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5013. Sensory Evaluation of Foods. The anatomy, physiology, and functions of human senses used to evaluate the sensory qualities of foods and food ingredients. Application of sensory evaluation methods to assess qualities of foods, including taste, texture, appearance, and flavor. Use of experimental designs and statistical tests necessary to analyze and present sensory evaluation data. Prerequisites: NFS 3321, NFS 3323, and NFS 3393. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5023. Food Analysis. Proximate analysis of major components of foods. One lecture and four laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5033. Eating Behaviors and Eating Disorders. Examination of the cultural, societal, and psychological influences on eating behaviors with specific attention to the causes and treatment of various types of eating disorders. Course content may include sensitive nutrition-related material. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5043. Nutritional Aspects of Vegetarianism. Degrees of vegetarian regimens (e.g. lacto-ovo, vegan); potential health benefits from adopting a vegetarian diet, ensuring nutritional adequacy of vegetarian diets throughout the life cycle; potential nutritional deficiencies arising from the partial or complete avoidance of animal products; current research; recent advances in dietetic practice. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5053. Functional Foods. Critical examination of the biochemical mechanisms and clinical efficacy of foods providing health benefits beyond basic nutrition, with an emphasis on evaluating the role of whole foods and bioactive compounds in disease prevention and the strategic development of functional food products. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5063. Food Toxicology. Mechanisms of foodborne toxicants, including their absorption, biotransformation, and elimination within the human body. This course emphasizes risk assessment methodologies and the quantitative modeling of dose-response relationships for an advanced understanding of global food safety and regulatory compliance. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5071. Supervised Experiential Learning 1: GPND Orientation. Orientation for NFS 5072. Consists of off-site experiential learning activities. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.S. in Nutrition (GPND) or M.S. in Exercise & Sports Nutrition (GPND) tracks. One lecture hour a week. Co-requisite: NFS 5072. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5072. Supervised Experiential Learning 1: Foundations of Practice in Nutrition & Dietetics. Introduction to foundational concepts in supervised experiential learning in nutrition and dietetics. Focus on professional behavior development, communication skills, and basic clinical competencies within a healthcare, foodservice management, or community setting. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.S. in Nutrition (GPND) or M.S. in Exercise & Sports Nutrition (GPND) tracks. Co-requisite: NFS 5071. 150 practicum hours. Credit: Two hours.

NFS 5083. Supervised Experiential Learning 2: Applied Nutrition Practice. Expansion of engagement with medical nutrition therapy, food systems management, and public health nutrition; application of critical thinking and evidence-based practice in direct patient care, menu planning, quality improvement projects, and nutrition education delivery; autonomy in clinical decision-making. Prerequisite: NFS 5072. 250 practicum hours. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5093. Supervised Experiential Learning 3: Advanced Practice Integration. Complex clinical case management, nutrition-focused physical exams, and interdisciplinary care planning; expanded responsibilities in patient care, community programming, systems-level initiatives, and food service management. Potential to participate in research or data evaluation projects. Prerequisite: NFS 5083. 250 practicum hours. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5103. Supervised Experiential Learning 4: Competency Synthesis and Credentialing Preparation. Synthesis and demonstration of entry-level competence as defined by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Application of competencies with increased autonomy, patient caseload management, project leadership, and professional contributions within a healthcare or community setting. Prerequisite: NFS 5093. 290 practicum hours. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5133. Professional Practicum in Exercise and Sports Nutrition. Application of exercise and sports nutrition knowledge in varied practice settings. Student is required to complete a minimum of 135 clock hours of supervised practice. Prerequisites: NFS 5163, KINS 5553, and department permission. Co-requisite: NFS 5583. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5143. Flavor Analysis. Analysis of compounds associated with aroma, taste, and mouth feel using current analytical methodologies. Prerequisites: NFS 5003 and NFS 5023. Three lecture hours a week and two laboratory intensives. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5153. Flavor Technology. Introduction to the technology used in the flavor industry including materials, formulation, production, and application. Prerequisites: NFS 5003 and NFS 5023. Three lecture hours a week and two laboratory intensives. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5163. Advanced Exercise Physiology. Integrative physiology and physiological responses to exercise. Energy expenditure and measurement; cardiovascular and respiratory systems response to acute exercise; cardiovascular and skeletal muscle adaptations to chronic exercise; skeletal muscle anatomy, physiology, and function; and exercise testing and prescription to enhance cardiovascular and muscular fitness. Course content may include nutrition-related sensitive material. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5173. Professional Practicum. Guided field experience in administrative supervisory, consultant, or similar level positions for a Master's degree in Nutrition. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Spring Independent School District practicum formal application process and permission of instructor. Thirty practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5183. Leadership & Management in Nutrition and Dietetics. Foundations and advanced principles of leadership and management in nutrition and dietetics. Critical skills in organizational leadership, strategic planning, team development, conflict resolution, quality improvement, financial management, and ethical decision-making. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5213. Human Nutrition and Metabolism: Macronutrients. Nutritional biochemistry; digestion, absorption, transport, function, regulation, and metabolism of macronutrients; relationships between dietary intake, metabolic pathways, and pathogenesis of health. Three lecture hours a week.

NFS 5223. Human Nutrition and Metabolism: Micronutrients. Nutritional biochemistry; digestion, absorption, transport, function, regulation, and metabolism of micronutrients; relationships between dietary intake, metabolic pathways, and pathogenesis of health. Course content may include sensitive nutrition-related material. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5233. Research Techniques in Nutrition Sciences. Nutrition sciences research methodology; ethics, study design, data analysis, and technical writing. Emphasis on nutrition-specific study designs: nutrition epidemiological studies & weight-loss interventions; data analysis programming; and statistical inference using nutrition-related datasets. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5321. Seminar in Food Science. Seminar designed to provide an optimum environment and opportunity for graduate students to get training on graduate study/research. Students will be guided by the instructor to prepare research associated presentations. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5331. Seminar in Nutrition. Emphasis on current topics in ever changing nutrition research. Seminars designed to cover state of the art overview of current and emerging topics will be presented by invited outside guest speakers, TWU faculty, and graduate students. One seminar hour a week. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5332. Capstone Seminar. Terminal seminar for non-thesis Master's degree in Nutrition. Evaluation and critique of advanced concepts in nutrition and food sciences from current scientific publications. Prerequisite: 27 semester credits hours of graduate degree level coursework. Two seminar hours a week. Credit: Two hours.

NFS 5343. Advanced Nutritional Care. Nutritional care including diet therapy; current research in dietary care; dietary treatment of metabolic diseases. Course content may include sensitive topics related to nutrition and dietetics. Prerequisite: NFS 5213 or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5363. Human Nutrition in Disease. The role of nutrition in the etiology, management, and prevention of acquired diseases including cardiovascular, endocrine, and gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, and urological disorders. Course content may include sensitive topics related to nutrition and dietetics, Prerequisite: NFS 5213 or permission of the instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5423. Nutrition and Gerontology. Nutritional status of older adult, normal, and therapeutic nutrition; metabolic pathways of the nutrients, sociological, and physiological factors. Prerequisite: NFS 3083 or equivalent. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5443. Nutrition and Women's Health. Relationship between nutrition/nutrients and health issues of women, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer (breast/colon, cervical and ovarian, and lung), diabetes, heart disease, overweight, and obesity; current statistics, etiology, symptoms, treatment, and preventive measures of each health issue. Course content may include sensitive nutrition-related material. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5453. Nutrition Education. Dissemination of nutritional knowledge to various ethnic and age groups; cultural and environmental factors in dietary planning and selection; practical experiences included. Prerequisites: NFS 5213 and NFS 5223. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5473. Advanced Preventive Nutrition. Scientific evidence for the role of dietary nutrients and/or dietary intake in preventing morbidity and mortality (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer); national goals for health promotion and disease prevention; position statements on diet and health. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5493. Medical Nutrition Therapy in Pediatrics. Diagnosis, etiology, prevalence, pathophysiology, and nutrition impact of acute and chronic diseases affecting children. Application of principles of medical nutrition therapy to help prevent certain diseases and conditions and provide nutrition care for infants, children, and adolescents with these diseases and conditions. Prerequisite: NFS 5363. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5503. Dietetics Practicum Preparation. Development and practice of clinical and community nutrition and foodservice management knowledge and skills. Two lecture and two laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5521. Nutrition for Collegiate and Professional Sports. Application of evidence-based nutrition information in real-life sports settings. Case studies including fueling strategies, weight management, hydration and supplements, training table, traveling, and food challenges with individual athletes. Prerequisites: Nine hours of nutrition courses. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5543. Nutrition in Pregnancy and Infancy. Understanding of nutrition in cellular growth of the whole body and individual organs; physiological changes during pregnancy; maternal-fetal exchange of nutrients; and the influence of nutrition and its nutrient requirements on pregnancy outcome and on the growth and mental developments of infants. Course content may include sensitive nutrition-related material. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5583. Nutrition and Exercise. Biochemistry of exercise, effects of acute and chronic exercise on nutrient requirements, and nutrient recommendations for different sport and exercise states. Scientifically acceptable protocols using an evidence-based analysis approach to discern unproven myths relating to exercise and nutrition. Information and dietary intervention programs for athletes and individuals who are interested in sports nutrition. Prerequisite: Six upper-level undergraduate nutrition hours. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: NFS 5213. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5623. Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements. A critical evaluation of issues, concepts, and controversies about nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. Emphasis on the importance of scientific investigations to evaluate their efficacy, safety, and value for health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment. Prerequisite: NFS 5213 or equivalent. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5633. Capstone Lecture. Terminal course for non-thesis Master's degree in Nutrition. Evaluation and critique of advanced concepts in nutrition and food sciences from scientific publications. Prerequisites: 27 semester credit hours of graduate-level coursework; NFS 5213, NFS 5223, and NFS 5363; and NFS 5233, HDFS 5193, HS 5703, KINS 5033, or MATH 5573. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5681. Sports Nutrition Practicum. Field experiences working with athletic teams or individuals at fitness facilities to provide sports nutrition education to maximize training benefits and performance. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisites: NFS 5163 or KINS 5553, and NFS 5583. Three practicum hours a week. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5693. Pathophysiology and Treatment of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. Examination of the relationship between obesity, diet, exercise, and health. Obesity and metabolic syndrome (definitions, prevalence, pathophysiology); fat cell biology including development and growth of adipose (hypertrophy and hyperplasia), and the impact of diet and exercise on these processes; health implications of obesity and metabolic syndrome, weight loss, and weight gain; relationship between BMI and mortality (including obesity paradox); impact of lifestyle (diet and exercise), surgical, and pharmacological interventions to treat obesity; and the health benefits of diet and exercise independent of weight loss. Course content may include sensitive nutrition-related material. Prerequisite or co-requisite: NFS 5213 or other advanced Nutrition course. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5763. Food Safety Systems. Development and advanced implementation of food safety management systems. Historical review of the evolution of food safety systems with a focus on the USA. Development and requirements of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system (HACCP) as it is a mandated. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5813. Internship Experience in Nutritional Care. Application of nutritional care skills in the clinical setting. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the TWU Dietetic Internship Program and permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Twelve practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5833. Principles of Clinical Instruction in Nutritional Care. Experiential development of skills and evaluation techniques for clinical instructors in approved programs. Course content may include sensitive dietetics-related material. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Nine clinical hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5853. Competency Development in Dietetics Practice. Advanced application of nutritional care skills in the supervised practice setting. Prerequisite: Acceptance into a Dietetic Internship Program and permission of department. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5893. Advanced Nutritional Epidemiology. Advanced nutritional epidemiology concepts; evaluation of dietary intake and diet-disease relationships; design of observational studies; dietary intake assessment; biomarkers for nutritional status; statistical analysis for epidemiology; and scientific communication. Prerequisites: Nine hours of nutrition and three hours of graduate statistics. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5901. Special Topics. Lectures or conferences on recent developments in nutrition. May be repeated with change of topic for additional credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5903. Special Topics. Lectures or conferences on recent developments in nutrition. May be repeated with change of topic for additional credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5911. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in nutrition, food sciences, or institution administration. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5913. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in nutrition, food sciences, or food systems management. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5953. Cooperative Education. Cooperative work-study arrangements between the University, business, industry, or selected institutions appropriate to the graduate program. Job assignments are made on the basis of student interests, skills, and degree program. The student will apply the ideas and processes learned in other courses in practical experience under cooperative supervision. Cooperative planning and evaluation are essential elements in the course. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Nine practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5961. Research in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Individual research problem in a specific area of food and nutrition. Group and individual conferences. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.

NFS 5963. Research in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Individual research problem in a specific area of food and nutrition. Group and individual conferences. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5983. Thesis. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 5993. Thesis. Prerequisite: NFS 5983 and permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6113. Nutrition and Cancer. Advanced study of the interaction between nutrition and cancer, with a focus on personalized nutrition in cancer prevention and intervention. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6123. Micronutrients in Human Nutrition. Advanced core knowledge of metabolic functions, metabolism, interrelationships, possible toxicity, and bioavailability of the vitamins and minerals based on current and classical literature and research. Course content may include sensitive material, including nutrient needs of transgender individuals. Prerequisites: NFS 5213 and NFS 5223. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6124. Macronutrients in Human Nutrition. Fundamental roles and energy transformation of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in human nutrition. Emphasis on function, metabolism, and interrelationships of the macronutrients based on current literature and research. Prerequisite: NFS 5213 Human Nutrition and Metabolism: Macronutrients or equivalent. Four lecture hours a week. Credit: Four hours.

NFS 6163. Nutritional Aspects of Obesity. Relationship between obesity, diet, exercise, and health including obesity (definition, prevalence, pathophysiology); fat cell biology including development and growth adipose (hypertrophy and hyperplasia) and impact of diet and exercise on these processes; health implications of obesity, weight loss, and weight gain including a special focus on pediatric and geriatric populations; the relationship between body mass index and mortality (including obesity paradox); the impact of lifestyle (diet and exercise), surgical, and pharmacological interventions to treat obesity; health benefits of diet and exercise independent of weight loss. Prerequisite: NFS 5213. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6173. Professional Practicum. Guided field experience in advanced administrative, supervisory, consultant, or similar level positions for a doctoral degree in Nutrition. This course provides the opportunity for a student to practice management skills in a supervised professional setting. The student may choose to focus on a specific function within the broader scope of nutrition and food science systems. May be repeated for three additional hours. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6203. Advanced Research Techniques. Select laboratory techniques in separation and measurement of proteins (e.g., ELISA, Western analysis, gel chromatography, and immunofluorescence), cell culture, and gene expression (e.g., qPCR and digital PCR). One lecture hour and six laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6331. Advanced Seminar in Nutrition. Emphasis on current topics in ever changing nutrition research. Seminars designed to cover state of the are overview of current and emerging topics will be presented by invited outside guest speakers, TWU faculty, and graduate students. One seminar hour a week. Credit: One hour.

NFS 6903. Special Topics. Specially scheduled course on topic of current interest. May be repeated for additional credit when topic varies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6911. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in nutrition, food sciences, or food systems management. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.

NFS 6913. Independent Study. Intensive study of a problem of individual or professional interest in nutrition, food sciences, or food systems management. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6921. Advanced Research in Nutrition and Food Science. Individual research problem in a specific area of food and nutrition. Group and individual conferences. May be repeated for credit. Credit: One hour.

NFS 6923. Advanced Research in Nutrition and Food Science. Individual research problem in a specific area of food and nutrition. Group and individual conferences. May be repeated for credit. Credit: Three hour.

NFS 6931. Advanced Research in Nutrition. Research problems in radiographic bone densitometry, metabolic balance studies; nutritional status of children and of older persons. Group and individual conferences and laboratory hours to be arranged. Credit: One hour.

NFS 6933. Advanced Research in Nutrition. Research problems in radiographic bone densitometry, metabolic balance studies; nutritional status of children and of older persons. Group and individual conferences and laboratory hours to be arranged. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6941. Advanced Research in Food Science. Selection and study of individual research problems in a selected specific area of foods; objective and subjective methods of product evaluation. Credit: One hour.

NFS 6943. Advanced Research in Food Science. Selection and study of individual research problems in a selected specific area of foods; objective and subjective methods of product evaluation. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6983. Dissertation. Credit: Three hours.

NFS 6993. Dissertation. Prerequisite: NFS 6983 and permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.