BOSTON: In response to demand from students, Tufts University's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy is offering a new certificate program for nutrition and science communications.
The program is an online graduate certificate program, which Paul Giguere, director of academic initiatives at the Friedman School, said is an entry point for professionals considering a Master's degree. Giguere created the certificate program.
The idea to create the program came from interest among students, Giguere said, and with the background of the Friedman School in nutrition science the school was able to create the program.
“We decided to offer three full courses for the certificate that focus on general nutrition science, social media in nutrition communication, and marketing,” Giguere said.
Janet Helm, chief food and nutrition strategist, North America at Weber Shandwick, which is one of the program sponsors, said a degree combining nutrition and communications is more relevant than ever before.
“There is such an interest in what we eat and communicating nutrition is much more complex these days,” Helm said, who is a dietitian and also has a degree in communications.
Rachel Cheatham, VP of nutrition communications at Weber, will help teach the marketing course for the certificate program.
“The program provides a baseline understanding on nutrition, which helps the industry and PR professionals develop that specialty,” Helm added.
FoodMinds LL is the founding sponsor of the program. Other sponsors include Edelman, Pollock Communications, PMK Associates, Fleishman-Hillard, and Ketchum.
