Holy Cross and Tufts launch joint accelerated nutrition degree program

Photo | Grant Welker College of the Holy Cross campus in Worcester

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The College of the Holy Cross has added a new degree program to its course catalogue as the Worcester institution has partnered with Medford-based Tufts University to offer an accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree program in nutrition.

Come fall, Holy Cross students will be able to complete both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition in as few as five years through the schools’ joint accelerated master of science in nutrition program. The collaboration will include Holy Cross juniors and seniors taking four graduate-level courses at Tufts’ Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, according to a joint Wednesday press release.

"We are thrilled to announce our new collaboration with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University,” Elliott Visconsi, Holy Cross provost and dean, said in the release. “This program will offer a transformational opportunity for Holy Cross students across a range of disciplines and career paths. From sustainability and food policy to data analytics, this degree will prepare Holy Cross students to engage with some of the most pressing issues of our time.”

After graduating from Holy Cross, students will be able to finish their masters degrees in one year when taken online, or one and a half years if taken in person.

The Friedman School nutrition program allows for a build-your-own track in addition to 14 specialized areas, including data analytics and AI in nutrition; agriculture; food and environment; climate; and sustainability and food.

"We are excited to welcome passionate and enthusiastic Holy Cross students who share the Friedman School’s commitment to making a difference in food, nutrition, and the well-being of populations around the globe,” Christina Economos, Friedman School dean, said in the release. “Our students are determined to address some of the biggest challenges in nutrition, and the accelerated master of science in nutrition program prepares students to make an impact whether they pursue a career in government, academia, health care delivery, or industry.”

Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the fifth largest college or university in Central Massachusetts with 3,126 full-time students as of fall 2024, according to data collected by WBJ’s Research Department.

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.