美國留學申請之營養學專業

營養學（Nutrition）是研究食物與機體的相互作用，以及食物營養成分在機體里分佈、運輸、消化、代謝等方面，即人類攝取食物所含營養素的學科。

營養學是留學美國申請較為熱門的專業之一，但是在美國的大學中，營養學的研究生課程開設的不算太多，在綜合排名前100當中，大概只有20多所學校開設這個專業，因此申請競爭較為激烈。部分學校將營養學研究生課程單獨設置在食品與營養系下面，也有部分學校將營養學的研究生課程定位為多科學的交叉性課程。不同學校的營養學分支設置也不相同，歸納起來，可分為臨床營養學(Clinical Nutrition)、社區營養學(Community Nutrition)、食品營養學(Food Nutrition)和生化與分子營養學(Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition)這四個主要的分支方向。

在申請要求方面，GPA不低於3.0，申請名校最好是有3.5+；營養學專業對於語言的要求較高，學校一般要求不低於80，建議最好是有100+；GRE成績有320+。在背景要求方面，申請者背景大多以生物相關類為主，如營養學、食品科學、生物科學、生物技術、基礎醫學、動物科學等等；如果在背景上較為薄弱，部分學校則有要求修讀規定的先修課程，沒有修讀相關課程的申請者就會喪失申請的資格。

在院校方面，北卡羅來納大學教堂山分校、加州大學伯克利分校、加州大學戴維斯分校、凱斯西儲大學、德克薩斯大學奧斯汀分校、威斯康辛大學麥迪遜分校、伊利諾伊大學厄本那-香檳分校、佛羅里達大學、紐約大學、辛辛那提大學、普渡大學、匹茲堡大學、康奈爾大學、田納西大學、德州農工大學等都是不錯的選擇。

下文將以德克薩斯大學奧斯汀分校的項目為例，參考營養學專業的申請要求：（截取部分，詳情請登錄學校官網進行查看）

Graduate Admissions & Admissions to the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Program

Admission is based on under-graduate and graduate grades, letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant』s academic potential and/or professional experience, and the applicant's statement of purpose. A GRE exam score is required for admissions but admission is not based on GRE score cut-points. The Admission Committee also examines the fit between applicant』s goals and the goals of the program.

Admissions decisions are made by the Graduate Admissions Committee on the basis of review of each applicants particular profile of strengths.

In-residence Application deadline for Spring is October 1.

In-residence priority Deadline for Fall applications is December 1 if applying for financial support, however the program will continue to accept applications through the spring semester.

Master's of Nutritional Sciences Online priority deadline is May 1, final deadline August 1. Please see this page for the Online Application.

Educational Requirements for Admission

Admission requirements to the Graduate School and the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Program are as follows:

1. A bachelor』s degree in a nutrition related field from an accredited United States institution or proof of equivalent training at an institute outside the United States.

2. A grade point average of at least 3.00 in upper-division work (junior- and senior-level courses) and in any graduate work already completed.

3. Although a combined GRE score, verbal and quantitative, of more than 300 is no longer an admission requirement, the GRE test is still required for admission and is used to inform the admissions process.

4. A satisfactory score (minimum score of 82 required) on the TOEFL exam. For more information, please see http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/admissions/test_scores.html

5. Applicants should have a background in nutrition or related sciences.

6. Personal statement of the individuals research and professional experience, goals, and how completion of the program will further those goals.

7. Applicants should have a background in nutrition or related sciences and/or meet the pre-requisite coursework for admissions (described below).

The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) recommends that if you do not have a bachelor』s degree in a science field, you are requested to complete the courses below prior to applying for admission to our program:

* Introductory Nutrition and Laboratory

* Introductory Biology: Cell Biology

* Vertebrate Physiology

* Principles of Chemistry and Laboratory

* Organic Chemistry and Laboratory

* Biochemistry and Laboratory