M.S. Concentration in Food and Nutrition Specialization in Coordinated Program in Dietetics

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The Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in Food and Nutrition, specialization in Coordinated Program in Dietetics requires a core of advanced study that integrates nutrition science, biochemistry and research with applied nutrition and dietetics. The specialization in Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD) is designed for:

  • Those who wish to fulfill both the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements and the supervised practice experience to become a registered dietitian.
  • Those who have a current Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Verification Statement indicating completion of DPD requirements and wish to complete the supervised practice experience.

This concentration coordinates academic and supervised practice experiences with graduate work to meet the requirements for registration eligibility and membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

 

Specialization in Coordinated Program in Dietetics

This specialization coordinates academic and supervised practice experience (practicum courses) to meet the requirements for registration eligibility and membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Students are eligible to take the registration exam upon completion of the program. After acceptance to the MS program, students must apply for admission to the Coordinated Program. Students are accepted on a competitive basis in the spring semester for entrance into the program the following fall, once science and food prerequisite courses have been completed. The program follows a set course sequence for two years; other graduate courses may be integrated during this time. Students accepted to the Coordinated Program must meet program maintenance policies as stated in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics Manual. Students should see the Coordinated Program Director early to discuss their plan of study and to obtain application materials.

 

Program Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 15 courses: four core courses, four and one-half concentration courses, two elective courses, four and one–half practicum courses, together with undergraduate prerequisite courses required for students without appropriate academic backgrounds. Students are also required to register for Nutrition in the School Environment 0.5 course-credit, an online course, in the summer preceding the School Nutrition Practicum. Registration fee applies.

Students who provide a current ACEND Verification Form indicating completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics may have some core and/or concentration courses waived. Students are required to select additional graduate elective courses for a total of fifteen (15) to replace any waived courses. An oral comprehensive examination is required as the student’s culminating experience.


Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses (equivalent to the following FSU courses):

  • BIOL 130 Principles of Biology with Lab
  • BIOL 228 Principles of Microbiology with Lab
  • BIOL 235 Principles of Human Physiology with Lab
  • CHEM 107 Principles of Chemistry with Lab
  • CHEM 108 Principles of Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis with Lab
  • CHEM 207 Organic Chemistry with Lab
  • CHEM 300 Principles of Biochemistry with Lab
  • MATH 208 Biostatistics (not required for students having had an acceptable statistics course within the last five years)
  • NUTR 002 Orientation to Dietetics (a non-credit 200-hour work experience)
  • NUTR 110 Fundamentals of Nutrition Science
  • NUTR 262 Food, Culture and Society with Lab (not required for students having had an equivalent foods course)
  • NUTR 364 Experimental Study of Food with Lab
  • NUTR 381 Medical Nutrition Therapy I
  • NUTR 478 Community Nutrition
  • PSYC 101 General Psychology OR
    • SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology OR
    • ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology

Courses in Human Physiology and in Biochemistry must have been successfully completed within the last five years. Students may inquire about challenge exams; students have only one opportunity to take and pass a challenge examination.

 

Program Core Courses (4):

  • NUTR 874 Human Nutrition Science
  • NUTR 903 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism
  • NUTR 911 Research Methods in Nutrition
  • NUTR 980 Seminar in Food and Nutrition

Specialization Courses (4.5):

  • NUTR 882 Management of Food and Nutrition Services
  • NUTR 883 Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • NUTR 884 Foodservice Systems
  • NUTR 930 Nutrition in the School Environmnt (0.5)
  • NUTR 965 Seminar in Clinical Nutrition

Practicum Courses (4.5):

  • NUTR 931 Practicum in Community Nutrition
  • NUTR 941 School Nutrition Practicum (0.5)
  • NUTR 951 Practicum in Foodservice Systems
  • NUTR 981 Practicum in Clinical Dietetics (2.0)

Elective Courses (2):

Elective courses will not be offered each semester and may not be offered every year. Elective courses require written approval from the student’s advisor.

  • CPSY 911 Orientation to Counseling Practice
  • FDSC 805 Food Analysis
  • FDSC 808 Food Chemistry
  • NUTR 918 Nutrition Informatics
  • NUTR 920 Pediatric Nutrition
  • NUTR 922 Communication in Public Health and Nutrition
  • NUTR 924 Obesity and Weight Management
  • NUTR 940 Nutrition and Healthy Aging
  • NUTR 960 Sports Nutrition
  • NUTR 970 Technology in Nutrition Education
  • NUTR 973 Nutrition Education Programs and Curricula I: Design
  • NUTR 978 Public Health Nutrition
  • NUTR 990 Directed Study in Food and Nutrition
  • NUTR 993 Nutrition Education Programs and Curricula II: Implementation and Evaluation

Application Deadline

Applicants who have undergraduate prerequisites to complete that are only offered through the Day School should apply by January 1st to be admitted for fall admission and by September 1st for spring admission. Students who apply later may still begin their studies if seats are available in the undergraduate prerequisites courses offer through the Day School. Applications are accepted on a rolling admission basis. 

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is a competitive process. Individuals possessing a baccalaureate degree in any major from a regionally accredited institution are eligible to apply. Applicants are evaluated based on several factors including previous college coursework; Graduate Record Examination scores; letters of recommendation; and personal statement. The personal statement describes the applicant’s goals and reasons for applying to the graduate program.

  1. Applicants must complete the online graduate admission application.
  2. Applicants must submit the $50.00 application fee.
  3. Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and must submit an official transcript from each college or university attended as an undergraduate or graduate student.
  4. Applicants should have an overall undergraduate quality point average (QPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale including acceptable grades in science course.
  5. Courses in Human Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Biostatistics must have been successfully completed within the last five years. Students may inquire about challenge exams.
  6. Students who wish to fulfill the academic requirements (DPD) for becoming a Registered Dietitian and who have not completed prerequisite courses in their undergraduate curriculum are encouraged to apply. Your advisor will create a plan of study which integrates prerequisite courses and graduate courses once designated prerequisite courses are completed. Students must earn a grade of B- (2.70) or better in each prerequisite course and an overall average of B (3.00). Students who earn a C- (1.70) or lower grade in undergraduate prerequisite courses are subject to dismissal from the program. A student will be dismissed when the student earns a C- (1.70) or lower grade in undergraduate prerequisite courses required for a graduate program.
  7. Students who do not fulfill the QPA requirement, but have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale and satisfactory GRE scores will be considered for admission after they complete two prerequisite courses at Framingham State University. These courses must have prior approval and must be completed with a grade of B or better.
  8. Applicants must submit official test score reports for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) which includes verbal and quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Preferred scores are: 150 Verbal; 150 Math, 4.0 Writing.
  9. Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation from professors, supervisors, and/or colleagues, submitted on the Framingham State University Letter of Recommendation form and sent directly to the University by the recommender.
  10. Applicants must submit a 300-word personal statement discussing their motivation for seeking a master’s degree in view of prior formal education, current job responsibilities and career plans.

The admissions committee will begin review of applicant materials upon receipt of all required documents. Complete applications include: application form, two current letters of recommendation, GRE test scores, 300-word personal statement, and all official undergraduate transcripts.

 

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Registration Information

Students seeking eligibility for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) examination for becoming a Registered Dietitian must complete the academic requirements for the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), including a supervised practice experience in an accredited program. The Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) specialization fulfills both of these requirements. Both the CP and the DPD are competitive programs which require a separate application by matriculated students.  Additional information can be found at the Food and Nutrition major website.  Framingham State University provides advising by the DPD Director for those students who elect to apply to a Dietetic Internship to fulfill the supervised practice experience.  These students must complete NUTR 005 Preparation for Academy Dietetic Internship (no course credit) offered each fall.

 

 

Effective as of the 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog