Nov 27, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Bulletin 
    
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2023-2024 Academic Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nutrition & Wellness MS

The Nutrition and Wellness Master of Science is designed for students pursuing a career in Nutrition and Dietetics with the goal to become a Registered Dietitian (RD) or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) as credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This program has a unique emphasis on Vegetarian Nutrition.

The Nutrition and Wellness MS provides students with the Dietetic Internship along with a Master’s degree so that they are ready for the 2024 CDR requirements to become an RD/RDN. Students must have completed their bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Nutrition & Dietetics and have a verification statement prior to the start of the program or be in their senior year completing a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Students must apply to the Dietetic Internship through DICAS and be accepted to the internship prior to start of the program or have completed an ACEND accredited dietetic internship. 

Incoming Freshman & Guaranteed Admission to Dietetic Internship (DI): Incoming freshman can obtain guaranteed admission to the DI by meeting the following criteria: students must maintain a 3.3 GPA throughout their four year undergraduate DPD degree and have acceptable annual interviews with both DPD and DI Directors.

Master (MS) Degree Track Options:

  1. Regular Track: 6 semesters*
  2. Accelerated Track: 4 semesters**
  • Students may be able to complete the MS degree in 4 semesters, to accelerate program completion. This must be discussed and approved by the student’s advisor prior to the start of the internship. 
  • Senior level students with a 3.3 GPA or higher (completing the DPD program) may be able to take up to 6 graduate credits in their senior year with permission from their advisor.

Timeline for Completion:

*Regular Track: Total time to complete graduate degree = 2 years (24 months)                                         

**Accelerated Track: Total time to complete graduate degree = 1.25 years (15 months)

Delivery: This program is offered in an interactive online asynchronous format (see School of Distance Education  definitions). The interactive online degree does not require any on-campus time.

Total Credits - 30

Additional Requirements

After completion of the BS course work for the Nutrition Science & Dietetics BS, students are eligible to apply for the eight month accredited Dietetic Internship that must be completed by a dietetic student for registration eligibility. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and DP (Didactic program in Nutrition Science and Dietetics) GPA of 3.2 is recommended for admission into the program.

This supervised practice provides experiences in three main areas of dietetics—community nutrition, clinical nutrition, and food-service management. The Dietetic Internship is available at several hospitals affiliated with Andrews University. Successful completion of this intensive eight-month supervised practice and completion of a Master’s Degree permits a student to take the registration exam in dietetics. 

In the year 2024 students will be required to have a Master’s degree prior to sitting for the national board exam required for RD registration (RD exam). The Masters in Science in Nutrition & Wellness will allow students to continue study in the area of nutrition in preparation to become an RD or RDN. A grade of B or higher in each semester of the internship is required for students to  graduate from the MS Nutrition and Wellness.

After successfully completing both the MS Nutrition and Wellness Degree and a Dietetic Internship, students will receive an ACEND® Dietetic Internship Verification statement and will be eligible to take the RDN exam.

Upon passing the registration exam, graduates receive formal recognition as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD). This status is maintained by participating in continuing professional education activities approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. With advanced study or experience, the dietitian may qualify as a specialist in clinical dietetics, food service management, nutrition education, or research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a Nutrition and Dietetics program that is accredited in the United States by the Accreditation Council in Education for Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), be in the process of completing such a degree and in their senior year, or be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) as credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher for admission into the program. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will:

  • Enhance their knowledge base on the protective role of plant-based diet for chronic diseases of affluent societies.
  • Design and/or deliver an evidence-based, theory-based, plant-based dietary lifestyle intervention to prevent a specific chronic disease among a target group of an affluent society (group project).
  • Enhance proficiency in using vegetarian diets to prevent common chronic diseases of affluent countries.
  • Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
  • Identify health research questions and specific research objectives.
  • Plan, develop, implement and evaluate a health and wellness education initiative/program to inform, educate, and motivate people about health.
  • Apply descriptive and inferential methodologies according to the type of study design for answering a particular research question.