Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Degree Details
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Program Details
The nutrition and dietetics Master of Science is a three-year accelerated bachelor's to master's degree program, consisting of seven total semesters. Students enter the program having completed at least 58 credits from the required pre- and corequisite courses. Students are classified as an undergraduate student through year two (semester four) of the M.S. in nutrition and dietetics program. At the conclusion of semester four, students will have earned the required minimum of 120 undergraduate credits towards completion of their bachelor's degree.
During the third and fourth semesters in the program, students will begin taking some graduate-level courses that will count towards completion of their bachelor’s degree and will also be applied for credit towards their master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. Nine credits will count towards the bachelor’s and master’s degree as part of the nutrition and dietetics plan of study. The courses applied towards both the B.S. and M.S. degrees are: NUTR 523 Medical Nutrition Therapy I (three credits), NUTR 560 Nutrigenomics (three credits) and NUTR 525 Medical Nutrition Therapy II (three credits).
All students start the nutrition and dietetics master's program during the fall semester of the year they are accepted into the program. Students will be required to take all courses in order according to the plan of study outlined below. Students who may have already completed some of the courses prior to entry into the program may be eligible for assessment of prior learning. Prior assessed learning will not be accepted for all courses previously taken, and students may be required to repeat the course to demonstrate competency. Please refer to the information regarding eligibility and prior assessed learning.
Graduate credit total = 39 credits
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year One, Semester One Fall
HMGT 251 Foodservice Sanitation (one credit)
HMGT 380 Foodservice Operations and Purchasing Management (three credits)
HSC 200 Complimentary and Integrative Healthcare (three credits)
MGMT 360 Organization and Management (three credits)
NUTR 141/L Food Principles (four credits)
NUTR 322 Nutrition Assessment (three credits)
NUTR 487 Professionalism I (one credit)
Total Credits = 18
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year One, Semester Two Spring
HMGT 381/L Quantity Food Production and Service (four credits)
NURS 323 Introduction to Pathophysiology (three credits)
NUTR 323 Nutrition Across the Lifecycle (three credits)
NUTR 422 Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism (four credits)
STAT 281 Introduction to Statistics (three credits)
Total credits = 17
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year Two, Semester Three Fall
HLTH 479/L Health Promotion Programming and Evaluation (two credits)
NUTR 341/L Food Science for Nutrition and Dietetics (four credits)
NUTR 488 Professionalism II (one credit)
NUTR 523 Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) I (three credits)
NUTR 560 Nutrigenomics (three credits)
NUTR 695 Practicum (three credits) (students will spend two days during the week engaged in MNT and Community, Leadership and Management Experiences at sites on and off campus)
Total credits = 16
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year Two, Semester Four Spring
CHRD 475 Motivational Interviewing and Wellness Counseling (three credits)
EHS 319 Life, Love and Money (two credits)
HLTH 475 Principles of Community Health Education (three credits)
LDR 435 Organizational Leadership and Team Development (three credits)
NUTR 525 Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) II (three credits)
NUTR 695 Practicum (three credits) (students will spend two days during the week engaged in MNT and Community, Leadership and Management Experiences at sites on and off campus)
Total credits = 17
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year Three, Semester Five Summer
NUTR 712 Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy (three credits) online
NUTR 725 Nutrition and Human Performance (three credits) online
NUTR 794 Internship (four credits) (students are located in a region of South Dakota engaging in their supervised experiential learning experiences at sites approximately 32 hours per week for a cumulative total of five weeks over the course of the summer)
Total credits = 10
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year Three, Semester Six Fall
NUTR 715 Public Health Nutrition (three credits)
NUTR 794 Internship (four credits) (students are located in a region of South Dakota engaging in their supervised experiential learning experiences at sites approximately 32 hours per week for a cumulative total of 15 weeks over the course of the fall)
Total credits = Seven
Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.) Year Three, Semester Seven Spring
NUTR 708 Evidence Based Analysis (three credits)
NUTR 794 Internship (four credits) (students are located in a region of South Dakota engaging in their supervised experiential learning experiences at sites approximately 32 hours per week for a cumulative total of 10 weeks over the course of the spring)
Total credits = Seven
Mission
To offer a rigorous and competency-based program, combining knowledge and supervised experiential learning experiences in preparing master’s-level graduates as entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists who are dedicated to lifelong learning and improving the health of individuals, families and communities.
Program Goal No. 1
Graduates will be competent entry-level practitioners with the skills required to provide professional services aimed at improving the health and quality of life for individuals, families and communities.
Objectives for Goal No. 1
- At least 80% of program graduates complete the program and degree requirements within three years (150% of the program length).
- Of graduates who seek employment, 70% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
- At least 80% percent of program graduates take the Commission on Dietetic Registration's credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
- The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the Commission on Dietetic Registration's credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- Fifty percent of supervisors responding to the employee satisfaction survey for program graduates 10-12 months after program completion who are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields will rank their perceived skill level of the program graduate’s competencies and preparation for entry-level practice at 3.0 or greater on a 5.0 scale with 5.0 being the highest skilled ranking.
- Fifty percent of program graduates responding to the postgraduate survey at 10-12 months after program completion who are employed in nutrition and dietetics, or related fields will rank their perceived skill level in competencies at 3.0 or greater on a 5.0 scale with 5.0 being the highest skilled ranking.
Program Goal No. 2
Graduates will be committed to lifelong learning, service and/or community engagement.
Objectives for Goal No. 2
- Eighty percent of program graduates responding to the postgraduate survey rank their lifelong learning attitude and practices at a 3.0 or better on a 5.0 scale with 5.0 being the highest ranking.
- Eighty percent of program graduates responding to the postgraduate survey report involvement in one or more activities related to service and/or community engagement, either through their employment, professional organizations, scholarly pursuits or volunteer activities.
