Prospective Master’s Degree Students FAQ

A bachelor’s degree (BS or BA) degree is required, although it does not need to be in related field as long as all prerequisite courses are completed (see question below).

Priority consideration will be given to those students with all prerequisites fulfilled. Students not meeting all prerequisites can be recommended for conditional admission; however, all prerequisites must be completed in the first year of graduate study.  Prerequisites noted with an asterisk must be completed prior to admission.

If you took or plan to take prerequisite courses at a college or university in California, you may use ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer) to help you see if the classes you took fulfill our requirements.

If the institution where you took or plan to take prerequisite courses is not in California, please email your transcripts to the School of ENS Graduate Advising Office at ensgrad@sdsu for transcript review. The advising office may need additional documents, such as course syllabi or catalog descriptions, in order to verify completion of prerequisite courses.

A GPA of 3.0 overall or in the last 60 units of bachelor’s coursework is required for admission.

Please visit the SDSU Office of Admissions webpage for International Graduate Students.

California state law distinguishes between residents and nonresidents for tuition purposes. Please visit the SDSU Office of the Registrar website for more information about residency determination.

Letters of recommendation can be from academic professors/instructors/advisers, work supervisors, or any other professional references. You will be prompted to provide the names and email addresses of recommenders on the Interfolio application. Letters will be uploaded by the recommenders to the Interfolio online portal.

Statements should be 1-2 pages in length describing the applicant’s background, relevant experiences/accomplishments, research area(s) of interest and faculty member(s) with whom applicant is interested in working (if applicable), and career goals.

Admissions decisions will be made in mid-March, and applicants will be notified via email by the end of March or early April.

The fall semester begins in late August.

Yes, please visit the Graduate and Teaching Assistantships page.

Yes, applicants and students may apply for a variety of research projects during their time in the program. Many students team up with faculty members or get involved with community-based projects as well.

Admissions statistics are available upon request from the School of ENS Graduate Advising Office at [email protected].

No, you may only apply to one graduate program in the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences.

Visit the SDSU Global Campus for more information about enrolling in SDSU courses prior to the formal admissions process. Please contact the School of ENS Graduate Advising Office at [email protected] to determine if/how the courses could be applied toward your graduate degree if/when accepted into one of the graduate programs.

It is possible to complete the DPD coursework along with MS Nutritional Sciences or Concurrent MS Exercise Physiology and MS Nutritional Sciences programs.

Please visit the DPD website for more information.

There are approximately 80+ active graduate students enrolled in the following programs: MS Nutritional Sciences, MS Exercise Physiology, and Concurrent MS Exercise Physiology and MS Nutritional Sciences programs.

Master’s degree students may choose to complete a thesis (plan A) or directed readings (plan B). Completion of a thesis requires completion of a research project, formation of a thesis committee, and writing, publishing, and defending (via oral presentation) of the thesis. The directed readings course offers two options, which are completed under the advisement of a faculty member: extensive literature review OR research project and preparation of a manuscript for publication. Both of the directed reading options require an oral presentation to discuss the project or literature review.

For the most current tuition information, please visit: SDSU Student Account Services.

Please visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. 

In addition to the SDSU Aztec Scholarships, the School of ENS offers scholarships.

The MS Exercise Physiology and MS Nutritional Sciences programs take two years to complete, and the Concurrent MS Exercise Physiology and MS Nutritional Sciences program takes three years to complete. ENS master’s degree students must complete their degrees within seven years.

The School of ENS offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Visits are encouraged and can be arranged by emailing the School of ENS Graduate Advising Office at [email protected]. Students are also encouraged to contact and meet with potential faculty advisors. A current list of faculty members for each program can be found on the School of ENS Master of Science Programs pages. To arrange a campus tour, see the SDSU Tours & Events page.