Curriculum

The 34-credit Master of Science program in Nutrition and Dietetics prepares you for a wide range of careers as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist  (RDN), including healthcare, business & industry, community/public health, food & nutrition management, education, research, journalism & media, and private practice/consulting. You will receive advanced training in clinical nutrition and emerge as a capable nutrition clinician, well-equipped to help individuals and communities optimize health and improve quality of life through healthy eating habits.

Core Course Sequence

In the 34-credit Clinical Nutrition MS program, you will complete graduate level nutrition courses in advanced nutrition science, advanced clinical nutrition, research & statistics, and elective courses. You will learn to critically analyze recent research studies in the field in order to engage in evidenced-based practice and explore specialized fields within the dietetics profession.

Sample Courses 

As part of this program, you will complete advanced clinical nutrition and elective courses in areas that interest you.

Maternal/Child Nutrition

This course examines ​principles and application of nutrition for healthy mothers, infants, children, and adolescents with an emphasis on current research related to normal growth and development.

Complementary and Alternative Nutrition

This class reviews and analyzes the cultural context, rationale for, and applications of complementary and alternative nutritional therapies for acute and chronic conditions. The course emphasizes critical evaluation of scientific and other evidence for safety and clinical efficacy of products and practices, and utilizes library, internet, and other resources on this topic.

Sports Nutrition 

In this course, you'll explore a range of topics including the evaluation and application of nutrition concepts related to the energy, fluid and nutrient requirements of athletes and physically active individuals, diet-related physiology, trends in sports nutrition, special conditions affecting athletic performance, and techniques for counseling athletes.

Nutritional Aspects of Eating Disorders

This class discusses the definition, diagnosis, assessment, and determinants of eating disorders from the nutritionist's perspective, with an emphasis on team approaches to treatment.

Seminar in Advanced Nutrition

The Business of Nutrition teaches practical step-by-step guidelines for writing a nutrition business plan and discusses how to launch and maintain a successful private nutrition practice. Topics covered will include identification of business, marketing and competition, strategic alliances, consulting, pricing and billing, insurance, reimbursement, operations, financing, technology and social media, HIPPA, and legal considerations.

Culminating Experience

The program culminates in a capstone project through either the  Research Applications or Research Apprenticeship course where theoretical and applied aspects of research design, data analysis and interpretation are presented. You will formulate an independent research question and then conduct, analyze, and summarize your findings via a written manuscript and oral presentation to your peers and nutrition faculty members.