School of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

The mission of the School of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies is to transform individuals and communities through integrative, socially responsible, and evidence-informed approaches to health and well-being.

Undergraduate Studies at NUNM

NUNM’s two undergraduate majors offer an integrative approach to nutrition and health sciences. Each degree will prepare students for careers in the burgeoning health and wellness field or continuing on to related graduate degree programs.

Employers and graduate schools are seeking well-rounded candidates with interpersonal skills, intercultural competency, and academic preparation in the natural sciences such as organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics and more. Toward that end, we have designed an integrated curriculum featuring core threads in natural sciences, social sciences and critical thinking for each program.

Students who graduate from the School of Undergraduate Studies will:

Articulate concepts and demonstrate skills related to nutrition and integrative health sciences.
Practice professional communication and work productively, both independently and as part of a team. Effectively communicate using verbal, nonverbal and written skills.
Demonstrate comprehension and skill with research methods and scientific inquiry. Use appropriate information technologies to conduct and communicate about research topics and questions, and to access, evaluate and manage information to meet academic, personal and professional needs.
Develop a career plan based on personal and professional strengths. Demonstrate career readiness skills, such as the ability to apply classroom learning to real world scenarios. Implement critical thinking skills to make decisions in new situations.

Graduate Studies at NUNM

As people face significant health challenges worldwide, the need for approaches to health and health care that capitalize on what nature provides is increasingly evident. Integrative health and medicine incorporate a variety of systems to create optimal health and wellness for individuals and communities. It recognizes that health is not simply something that can be achieved at the individual level but must also include environmental, social, and political action. It also recognizes that the world cannot be subdivided into discrete, isolated regions but is interrelated in all its parts. At NUNM, our unique master’s programs in the School of Graduate Studies prepare our graduates to make significant contributions to the fields of global health, whole-foods nutrition, integrative medicine research, international community organizing and social activism, and international development and service. We emphasize active learning, encourage international travel, and ensure that our students graduate with the tools to succeed in their profession.

Students who graduate from the School of Graduate Studies will:

Demonstrate professionalism through communication, presentation and interpersonal skill.
Abide by ethical and legal standards within the scope of their professional practice.
Embrace the value of integrative approaches to health and wellness.
Apply a social justice perspective to addressing key issues in health and wellness.
Embrace equity and diversity as strengths in promoting health and wellness.
Practice humility and empathy in dealing with others.
Be lifelong learners who seek continual professional growth.
Utilize evidence-informed approaches to determine the most effective methods of promoting health and wellness.

Other Resources

Food as Medicine Institute:

The Food as Medicine Institute (FAMI) provides nutrition education for individuals, families, and communities to help nourish healthy relationships with whole foods and to enhance healthcare professionals’ understanding of food as medicine. FAMI’s vision is, “We envision communities free of chronic disease and nourished through healthy whole foods.” FAMI is based on the Food as Medicine Everyday (FAME) philosophy:

Promote whole foods and low-processed foods.
Encourage a diverse, primarily plant-based diet.
Include food from healthy animals.
Promote anti-inflammatory food choices.
Recognize that individuals have unique food needs.
Care about food and its sources.

FAMI sponsors an annual FAMI Symposium in the late winter that is open to practitioners, students, and others in the community interested in learning more about current trends in evidence-informed approaches to nutrition. In addition, FAMI teaches the Food as Medicine Everyday curriculum to nutrition educators (including students studying in the Master of Science in Nutrition program) and offers FAME workshops to people in a variety of locations around the United States. More information can be obtained at the FAMI website.

Faculty-Led Travel Courses:

Each year, School of Graduate Studies faculty members lead students on a variety of travel courses to locations around the globe. Focusing on nutrition, health care or research, trips are currently taught within the Master of Science in Nutrition and Master of Science in Global Health programs and can be found as electives within those programs. Travel courses are currently planned for Croatia, Ghana, India, Israel, Tanzania and Thailand. Students from any NUNM program are eligible for these travel courses and financial aid may apply to defray the expenses.

School of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Symposium:

Each spring, the students graduating from programs in the School of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies share their capstone projects with the NUNM community, family, and friends. The symposium is held the Saturday in June one week prior to graduation. Students provide a brief presentation on the value of their capstone experience and the audience is invited to ask questions as we celebrate the outstanding achievements of the graduates.