The Human Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Program offers MSc degrees by thesis, MSc degrees by course work and project, and PhD degrees in the three fields listed below.

• Biomechanics
• Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism
• Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences

The focus of these programs is on physical activity and diet as powerful lifestyle determinants of human health. The interaction between genetics and environmental factors determines human health and lifestyle is a major component of our environment.

Our graduate programs offer advanced experiential learning experiences in the broad areas of nutritional and nutraceutical sciences, general and exercise physiology and biomechanics within the focus of lifestyle, genetics and human health. Within these broad fields, the Department of Human Health Sciences addresses the issues at the level of the individual, not community or populations. The research efforts are focused on understanding the basic underlying biological aspects of health, which are further applied to understanding aging, neurological/sensory disorders and osteoarthritis, and chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type II diabetes.

See the department website for additional information. 

Administrative Staff

Chair
Coral L. Murrant (354 Animal Science/Nutrition Bldg., Ext. 56173)
cmurrant@uoguelph.ca
Associate Chair
Lindsay E. Robinson (336B Animal Science/Nutrition Bldg., Ext. 52297)
lrobinso@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Stephen Brown (335 Animal Science/Nutrition Bldg., Ext. 53651)
shmbrown@uoguelph.ca
Assistant Graduate Program Coordinator for MSc by Coursework and Project
Alison M. Duncan (347 Animal Science/Nutrition Bldg., Ext. 53416)
amduncan@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Mira Jashari (352 Animal Science/Nutrition Bldg., Ext. 56356)
fjashari@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Admissions Assistant
Karen White (3479 Science Complex, Ext. 52730)
cbsgrad@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

MSc Program

Admission Requirements

To be considered, applicants must meet the requirements of a four-year honours science degree with a minimum 75% average during the final two years or 4 semesters of undergraduate study. Applicants should have completed a course in statistics. Each applicant must obtain the support of a faculty member willing to serve as their advisor.

Admission may be granted in September, January or May. Completed applications should be uploaded at least one full semester (four months) before the expected date of admission. Applications from international students should be uploaded at least eight months prior to the expected date of admission.

All components of the application, including transcript(s), graduate certificate(s), grading scale(s), language test results, assessment forms, a statement of interest and the name of the faculty advisor must be uploaded no later than two months after an application is submitted through the OUAC portal. Applications that are incomplete after this time period will be closed.

Admission Process

Graduate student applications to programs in the College of Biological Science are handled by the Office of the Associate Dean, Research (ADR). Before submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information found on the CBS-ADR website to learn more about the application process.

Complete application submission instructions may also be found on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage or in the Graduate Calendar.

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically evaluate ideas
2. Identify knowledge gaps, propose creative solutions
3. Accurately interpret scientific literature.
4. Place current ideas within a historical perspective.
5. Accurately and effectively communicate ideas in oral form
6. Accurately and effectively communicate ideas in written form
7. Use alternative/contemporary platforms for communication
8. Apply scientific method to formulate important questions and design studies
9. Generate data
10. Appreciate methodological limitations, positive/negative controls
11. Accurately interpret data/statistical interpretations
12. Make defensible conclusions
13. Work in a team
14. Apply leadership skills
15. Manage time appropriately.
16. Work independently
17. Integrate a broad foundation in life sciences.
18. Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of human movement, physical activity
    and exercise/human nutrition, nutri-pharmacology and nutri-toxicology/
    health and disease on health and performance.
19. Understand the interactions of nutrition and exercise on the metabolic
    control of health and disease.
20. Understand the pivotal role of individual genomic and epigenetic
    responses in disease, disease progression and lifestyle modifications (nutrition and exercise).

Program Requirements

The Department offers programs of study leading to an MSc by thesis and an MSc by course work and project. Students enrol in one of these two study options. Within the MSc thesis study option, students must complete a minimum of 1.5 graduate credits and defend an acceptable thesis, which comprises an account of the student's research. Within the MSc course work study option, students must complete a minimum of 4.0 graduate credits, which includes credits for research experience.

Thesis

Students must complete and defend an acceptable thesis, which comprises a scientifically defensible account of the student's research on a particular, well-defined research problem or hypothesis. Such research should begin with the practical expectation that it could be completed and the thesis defended in not more than 5 semesters. Paramount to the notion of acceptability of the thesis is its quality with respect to problem identification, the approach used to address the problem, and the evaluation of the results.

In addition they must successfully complete courses totalling not fewer than 1.5 graduate credits. The graduate credits of course work will consist of:

1. at least one of:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   HHNS*6040	Research Fronts in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences	0.50
   HHNS*6500	Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology	0.50
   HHNS*6700	Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism	0.50
   HHNS*6800	Research Frontiers in Integrative Biomechanics and Neurophysiology	0.50

2. at least 1.0 credits of electives as determined with the Advisory Committee

Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP)

Students who apply with an identified advisor, once admitted, will work individually under the supervision of an advisor. Students must complete a minimum of 4.0 graduate credits, which must include HHNS*6010 Fundamentals of Scientific Practice in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. Each research experience credit culminates in formal scientific presentations (written paper and/or oral presentation and/or scientific poster). A minimum of 1.50 research experience credits is required. Students complete the minimum program 4.0 credits within 3 semesters and may have the opportunity to extend their project into a 4th semester.

Students who apply without an identified advisor, once admitted, will work in teams with large, health-related data sets. Students must complete a minimum of 4.0 graduate credits, which include credits for research experience and a major research project. Each research experience credit culminates in formal scientific presentations (written paper and/or oral presentation and/or scientific poster). Within the 3-semester program, the 4.0 graduate credits must include HHNS*6910 Basic Research Techniques and Processes and HHNS*6920 Applied Research Techniques and Processes.

Students must complete at least 4.0 graduate credits as follows:

¹

Students may make up the remainder of their required 4.00 credits from courses in this sub-list, courses from the preceding lists, or other courses chosen in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator. 

PhD Program

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a recognized Master’s degree in a related field obtained with a minimum academic standing of 80% in their postgraduate studies, and the endorsement of a potential thesis advisor. Applicants should have completed a course in statistics. Under exceptional circumstances admission directly to a PhD program with an appropriate honours degree alone, or transfer from MSc to PhD program without completing the MSc thesis requirements, is also possible.

Admission may be granted in September, January or May. Completed applications should be uploaded at least one full semester (four months) before the expected date of admission. Applications from international students should be uploaded at least eight months prior to the expected date of admission.

Each applicant must obtain the support of a faculty member willing to serve as their advisor.

All components of the application, including transcript(s), graduate certificate(s), grading scale(s), language test results, assessment forms, a statement of interest and the name of the faculty advisor must be uploaded no later than two months after an application is submitted through the OUAC portal. Applications that are incomplete after this time period will be closed.

Admission Process

Graduate student applications to programs in the College of Biological Science are handled by the Office of the Associate Dean, Research (ADR). Before submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information found on the CBS-ADR website to learn more about the application process.

Complete application instructions may also be found on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage or in the Graduate Calendar.

Program Requirements

The major part of a student's time will be devoted to research in fulfilment of the dissertation requirement. Course work would be established through discussion with the student's Advisory Committee.

PhD students will become candidates for the PhD degree upon completion of a qualifying examination, which must be conducted not later than the fifth semester of the PhD program. The examination will be primarily research focused.

Thesis Requirements

Submission and defence of an acceptable dissertation complete the requirements for a PhD. An acceptable dissertation comprises a report of the candidate's research on a particular and well-defined research problem or hypothesis. It should represent a significant contribution to knowledge in that field. Emphasis is placed on the quality of the work judged by the expression of mature scholarship and critical judgment in the dissertation. Dissertation approval implies that it could be published in reputable, refereed journals in its field.

Collaborative Specializations

Neuroscience

The Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences participates in the MSc/PhD collaborative specialization in neuroscience. Please consult the Neuroscience listing for a detailed description of the MSc/PhD collaborative specialization.

One Health

The Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences participates in the collaborative specialization in One Health. Master’s and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on one health are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the One Health listing for more information.

Regenerative Medicine

The Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences participates in the collaborative specialization in Regenerative Medicine. MSc and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on regenerative medicine are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the Regenerative Medicine listing for more information.

Toxicology

The Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences participates in the master's/doctoral collaborative specialization in toxicology. The research and teaching expertise of these faculty include aspects of toxicology; they may serve as advisors for master's and doctoral students in Toxicology. Students choosing this option must meet the requirements of the Toxicology collaborative specialization, as well as those of their home department. Please consult the Toxicology listing for a detailed description of the master's/doctoral collaborative specialization.

Courses