Holistic Nutrition Master's and PhD Degrees at a Glance
Practitioners of holistic nutrition integrate a patient's lifestyle into a nutritional regimen. Professional credentialing can be obtained through the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board (HNCB), which recognizes holistic nutrition as separate from and complementary to allopathic approaches. Aggregate data for growth of the industry is not collected at this time.
Master's degree programs in holistic nutrition are available. Individuals looking for a PhD program in holistic nutrition will not find programs separate from more mainstream doctoral nutrition programs. These programs are science-heavy and focus on research. They work from the paradigm of allopathic or evidence-based medicine (EBM).
Master's | Doctorate | |
---|---|---|
Who is this degree for? | Individuals interested in studying holistic nutrition at the graduate level | Individuals interested in performing professional-level research regarding holistic nutrition from a biomedical standpoint |
Common Career Paths (with approximate median annual salary) | - Nutritionist ($55,000 - some master's programs meet state licensing requirements)* - Life coach ($23,000-$107,000 - range depending on time in practice)** | - University nutrition professor ($65,000)* - Medical scientist (except epidemiologists, $76,000)* |
Time to Completion | 1-2 years full time | 3-5 years full-time |
Common Graduation Requirements | - Roughly 20-30 courses - Master's thesis or research paper - Master's exams | - Roughly 16-20 courses - PhD qualifier exams - Dissertation - Teaching requirement |
Prerequisites | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's or master's degree in nutrition, chemistry or related field with nutrition coursework |
Online Availability | Yes | None found at this time |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2011 figures), **Payscale.com (January 2013 figures).