Students at the master's level may elect the thesis or nonthesis option in nutrition and food science or movement science. To meet the growing popularity of corporate fitness and wellness programs, The Florida State University is one of the first universities to initiate an emphasis in nutrition and fitness at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These students combine their study of nutrient metabolism and food science with courses in motor control, exercise physiology, sports medicine, sports nutrition, wellness and health risk reduction, and exercise testing. Doctoral graduates continue to be recruited for traditional university teaching and research positions, but an increasing number are being hired by industry to develop, test, and analyze new food products. The therapeutic recreation program, within the leisure services and studies program, prepares graduate students to work with a variety of persons with illnesses and disabilities.
Therapeutic recreation includes a variety of disorders.
The program is accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association and leads to national certification by the National Therapeutic Recreation Certifying Board. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a specialization in health systems planning and aging policy as part of the master of science in planning degree. Through a specialty sequence of five courses, the student is prepared to assume positions in federal or state policy making or local and regional planning for health and social services. The specialization deals with identifying health care needs and the provision of appropriate, accessible, effective and efficient health services for the general population with an emphasis on the elderly.