Dietetics
Overview
The Master of Science in Dietetics Program (MSD), housed in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont, is a 30-hour graduate credit degree that includes fully online didactic coursework, a graduate capstone project, and supervised practice experience culminating in student eligibility to write the exam for Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
The mission of the MSD is to prepare and educate graduate students who will successfully function as entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with specialized knowledge of and ability to apply the principles of population health across all community health and nutrition practice settings. Students will also develop competence in research methodology. Students will take graduate level courses throughout the University of Vermont as well as advanced nutrition courses offered in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. For more information about the program, please visit the MSD website.
For the core MSD courses (NFS 6100, NFS 6110, NFS 6120), there is a weekly mandatory online synchronous class meeting. During the supervised practice experience semesters, NFS 6110 and NFS 6120 class meetings are held every Monday.
The Master of Science in Dietetics is accredited by:
Accreditation Council for Education and Dietetics (ACEND)
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
800-877-1600, extension 5400
More information about ACEND and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is available on their websites.
Following completion of the supervised practice experience and all requirements for the MSD, students will be issued a verification statement of completion of the program and will be eligible to write the exam for Registered Exam for Dietitians.
Degrees
Bertmann, Farryl; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences; PHD, Arizona State University
Courses
NFS 5245. Nutrition for Global Health. 3 Credits.
Exposes students to global nutrition issues, with an emphasis on maternal and child nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Focus on the interplay between demographic, nutritional, and epidemiologic transitions. Examines nutrition issues and investigates efforts to control and prevent malnutrition. Prerequisites: NFS 1043; NFS 2113, NFS 2114, FS 2030, or ANTH 2191; or Instructor permission. Co-requisite: Minimum Junior standing. Catamount Core: GC1.
NFS 5253. Food Regulation. 3 Credits.
Comprehensive examination of US food laws and regulations and their relationships to the safety of the US food supply. Focus on how food-related laws and regulations are enacted and enforced, through detailed examination of selected food regulation topics. Prerequisite: NFS 2153 or equivalent course/training with Instructor permission.
NFS 5254. Global Food Safety. 3 Credits.
An overview of food safety issues, policies, and opportunities around the globe, with a focus on bacterial, viral, and parasite-based food safety challenges. Prerequisites: NFS 2153, NFS 2156; or NFS 2156, NFS 3203; or MMG 2010 and either NFS 2153 or NFS 2156.
NFS 5285. Food, Exchange and Culture. 3 Credits.
Examines practices and principles that cannot be fully understood within market based, industrially manufactured and/or globally sourced food and drink. These practices and principles shape food systems at the level of individual behavior and social institutions, including reciprocity, subsistence, charity, mutual aid and more. Prerequisites: NFS 1053 or ANTH 1140; NFS 2113 or ANTH 2152.
NFS 5990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
NFS 6100. MSD Journal Club. 2 Credits.
Critical review of current scientific, peer-reviewed literature, student-led facilitated discussions, abstract writing on topics related to nutrition, sustainable food systems, hunger and food insecurity, health promotion, chronic disease prevention and management. Prerequisite: Master of Science in Dietetics student.
NFS 6110. Supervised Practice I. 4 Credits.
Through lecture, discussion, presentations, and practical experience, students develop competencies in clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and food service management. Prerequisite: Master of Science in Dietetics student.
NFS 6120. Supervised Practice II. 4 Credits.
Through lecture, discussion, presentations, and practical experience, students develop competencies in clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and food service management. Prerequisite: Master of Science in Dietetics student.
NFS 6130. Evidence-based Practice Prjct. 2 Credits.
On site identification, review of literature for background and possible solutions, data collection and analysis, and writing and presenting the results and conclusions of a research problem. Pre/co-requisites: Successful completion of the first year of the Master of Science in Dietetics program.
NFS 6362. Intro to Research Methods. 3 Credits.
Basic introduction to research methods at the Master's level, including formulation of a research question and hypothesis, literature searching and preparation of a literature review, analytical methods and experimental design, data analysis and presentation, and journal article publication.
NFS 6391. Master's Thesis Research. 1-15 Credits.
Final research thesis under the direction of a graduate faculty mentor.
NFS 6392. Master's Project Research. 1-6 Credits.
Final project under the direction of a graduate faculty mentor. Prerequisite: Nutrition & Food Sciences non-thesis student; Instructor permission.
NFS 6990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
NFS 6991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
NFS 6993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
NFS 6994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory-level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
NFS 6995. Graduate Independent Research. 1-18 Credits.
Graduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.