Graduate Catalog: Nutrition and Dietetics Programs

Mission || Philosophy || Goals and Objectives || General Program Requirements || MS Nutrition || MS Sports Nutrition || Dietetic Internship

Chairperson: Lee Harrison, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics is to provide dedicated faculty, quality facilities, and a diverse environment, which support nationally recognized graduate education, research, and service in the areas of nutrition, and sports nutrition/exercise science.

Philosophy

The program promotes scholarship with a central focus on current research and advanced education. By providing a supportive environment, the program seeks to enable students and faculty to produce, synthesize, interpret, and apply research for the advancement of their discipline and improvement in their practice.

Goals and Objectives

The overall goals of the graduate nutrition programs are to develop proficient professionals who will be proactive in scholarship and leadership in their respective fields.

The objectives of the programs are:

1. To foster a learning environment that leads to quality teaching and learning, original research contributions, and scholarly pursuits within the nutrition discipline.
2. To prepare students who can think critically in the theoretical and practical areas of nutrition, exercise science, and sports nutrition.
3. To promote student commitment to life-long learning, professional development, and community service.
4. To encourage mentoring, teamwork, and collaboration among students and faculty.
5. To empower students to excel in their knowledge and skill development in order to competitively enter the jobmarket or doctoral programs.

 

General Program Requirements

M.S. in Nutrition

Applicants to the program leading to a degree in Nutrition are required to have earned a degree in nutrition, foods, or dietetics from an accredited undergraduate institution. Individuals with other degrees are encouraged to apply with the understanding that they need to have at least 3 credits in chemistry and 6 credits in anatomy and physiology as prerequisite to satisfy the departmental admissions committee. If they wish to meet the academic requirements for an RD, other prerequisites will be necessary which vary depending on what the applicant has taken as an undergraduate. GREs are required for admission into the program. The M.S. in Nutrition is a 36-credit program requiring 9 credits in core nutrition courses, 9 credits in the research sequence, and 18 credits of electives. In addition to the required courses, the candidate must successfully complete and defend an original research project. Students, after consultation with the chairperson, will select a member of the Nutrition/Dietetics faculty as a mentor. The mentor and two other committee members will work with the candidate on an individual basis throughout the research project.

Program of Study

36 semester hours

CORE COURSES
9 semester hours

N D 560	Biochemistry of Nutrition and Exercise	3
N D 581	Advanced Nutrition: The Energy Nutrients and Alcohol	3
N D 582	Advanced Nutrition: Vitamins and Minerals	3

RESEARCH SEQUENCE

9 semester hours

N D 590	Research Methodology	3
N D 591	Statistical Analysis	3
N D 595 A, B and C	Research Thesis (1 credit each)	3

ELECTIVE COURSES

18 semester hours

N D 501	Recent Trends in Medical Nutrition Therapy	3
N D 502	Exercise Testing and Nutrition Assessment (with lab)	3
N D 503	Endocrine Disorders, Nutrition and Exercise	3
N D 504	Nutrition and Gerontology	3
N D 505	Maternal and Child Nutrition	3
N D 506	Nutrition and Human Behavior	3
N D 507	International Nutrition	3
N D 508	Recent Trends in Food Service Management	3
N D 511	Environmental Nutrition	3
N D 520	Recent Trends in Normal Nutrition	3
N D 523	Immunology, Exercise and Nutrition	3
N D 525	Clinical Nutrition: Pharmacology and Fluid-Electrolyte Balance	3
N D 530	Health Promotion	3
N D 534	Private Practice in Nutrition, Exercise Science and Health Promotion	3
N D 536	Communication Techniques in Nutrition and Exercise	3
N D 541	Nutrition and Women’s Health	3
N D 549	Sports Nutrition	3
N D 575	Nutrition and Exercise for Weight Management	3
N D 577	Exercise and Nutrition Prescriptions In Health and Disease	3
N D 598	Field Work Experience	3
N D 599	Independent Study	3

Additional courses from the core or electives in the M.S. in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science may be selected with permission of the department Chairperson.

Other courses may be acceptable from Gerontology, Psychology, or other departments with permission of the chairperson.

M.S. in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science

The M.S. in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science is jointly administered by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Department of Health and Physical Education. Applicants to the program leading to a degree in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science usually have an undergraduate degree in nutrition/dietetics or an exercise-related field. Individuals with other backgrounds are encouraged to apply with the understanding that they will need at least one year of anatomy and physiology (minimum six credits) and one chemistry course (minimum three credits). These courses may be completed at Marywood during the first year of graduate coursework. GREs are required for admission into the program. The M.S. in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science is a 36-credit program requiring 21 credits in core nutrition and exercise courses, 9 credits in the research sequence, and 6 credits of electives. In addition to the required courses, the candidate must successfully complete and defend an original research project. Students, after consultation with the chairperson, will select a member of the Nutrition/Dietetics or Health and Physical Education faculty as a mentor. The mentor and two other committee members will work with the candidate on an individual basis throughout the research project.

Program of Study

36 semester hours

CORE COURSES
21 semester hours

SNES/N D 502	Exercise Testing and Nutrition Assessment (with lab)	3
SNES/N D 510	Biomechanics	3
SNES/N D 549	Sports Nutrition	3
SNES/N D 574	Exercise Physiology (with lab)	3
SNES/N D 578	Sports Supplements	3
SNES/N D 581	Advanced Nutrition: Energy Nutrients and Alcohol	3
SNES/N D 582	Advanced Nutrition: Vitamins and Minerals	3

RESEARCH SEQUENCE

9 semester hours

SNES/N D 590	Research Methodology	3
SNES/N D 591	Statistical Analysis	3
SNES/N D 595 A, B, C	Research Thesis (1 credit each)	3

ELECTIVES

6 semester hours

SNES/N D 503	Endocrine Disorders, Nutrition, and Exercise	3
SNES/N D 509	Principles of Strength and Conditioning	3
SNES/N D 513	Exercise and Aging	3
SNES/N D 523	Immunology, Exercise and Nutrition	3
SNES/N D 525	Fluid and Electrolyte Balance/Pharmacology	3
SNES/N D 575	Nutrition and Exercise for Weight Management	3
SNES/N D 577	Exercise and Nutrition Prescriptions in Health and Disease	3

Additional courses may be selected from graduate courses offered in Nutrition, Health and Physical Education, or other departments with permission of the advisor.

Dietetic Internship (DI)

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Marywood University offers a Dietetic Internship leading to achievement of the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) Competencies/Learning Outcomes with a Health Promotion and Wellness Concentration. The Marywood University Dietetic Internship is an accredited CADE program. A copy of the accreditation approval standards and/or the commission's policy may be obtained by contacting CADE staff at the American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606, telephone number (312) 899-5400.

Mission Statement of the Dietetic Internship (DI)

The mission of the Dietetic Internship program is to provide a broad-based educational curriculum, preparing students to meet CADE Competencies/Learning Outcomes with a Health Promotion and Wellness concentration. The DI program provides the knowledge, skills, and values required not only for successful entry into today's job market as competent entry-level dietitians, but also for the flexibility which permits changing roles and the development of skills needed for future specializations which the students wish to pursue. This educational framework also supports the mission of the college to educate graduate students in "an atmosphere of respect, individuality, and flexibility for the best collaborative practices to address current and emerging health and human service needs," together with the mission of Marywood University that "calls upon students to seek their full potential and invites all to engage in a lifelong process of learning."

Program Goals and Outcomes

1. The DI program will provide quality supervised practice experiences to produce competent entry-level dietitians.

2. The DI program will provide a foundation for expanded professional opportunities and/or for further academic studies.

 

Outcome with Target Measures:

Goal 1:

• Eighty percent of students will complete all program requirements within 150 percent of the time planned for program completion, which is 1.5 years. 
• Over a five year period >70 percent of program graduates who sought employment in dietetics will be employed within one year of program completion.
• Over a five year period the one year pass rate for DI graduates taking the registration exam will be at least 80 percent.
• On the one year post completion survey, 90 percent of program graduates will indicate they agree that they would recommend Marywood University’s internship to others.
• Upon completion of the self-evaluation >90 percent of the learning outcomes will be selected as at least moderately effective generating a mean value of >3.00.
• On the post completion preceptor’s survey, >90 percent of the preceptors will state the DI program compared favorably to other internship programs.
• One hundred percent of the students will achieve a score of 80 or better on the program final exam.
• On the one year completion employer survey, 90 percent of the knowledge/skill area will have a mean value of 2.00 or greater.

 

Goal 2:

• On the five and ten year post program completion survey, 90 percent will be professionally employed or enrolled in an academic program.
• One hundred percent of the students will present an acceptable student portfolio and a course binder after each completed rotation.
• 100 percent of interns will develop and implement at least one health promotion/wellness program (such as a health fair, eating disorder education program, diabetes treatment, weight maintenance, etc.)

 

Admission to the Dietetic Internship

Students who have completed a didactic program approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) are eligible to apply. The DI program has 2 tracks:

1. Onsite track.
2. Distance track. Students who live more than 125 miles from Marywood University are eligible to apply.

 

Admission to the program is competitive. Ten students are usually selected each year in the onsite track and 15 students in the distance track.

The Marywood University Dietetic Internship program is participating in the Dietetic Internship centralized Application System (DICAS) for the spring computer matching process.

Applicants to the DI must participate in the April computer matching. Students must register for this online at: http://www.dnddigital.com, enter contact information and Dietetic internship preferences, and pay the D and D Digital fee with a credit card on or before the deadline date. Refer to Dates for the Computer Matching Process for each appointment date.

Contact information for D and D Digital Systems Inc.: 304 Main Street, Suite 301, Ames, Iowa 50010: phone 515-292-0490; Fax 515-663-9427; E-mail dnd@sigler.com.

The admissions decision is based on: 1) A completed Dietetic Internship Centralized Application including GRE scores; 2) Marywood University graduate admission application; 3) registration online for D and D digital computer matching at www.dnddigital.com; 4) Additionally, distance track applications need signed preceptor agreement statements from all individuals who have agreed to precept planned experiences. Back up preceptors are strongly encouraged. All students must be accepted by Graduate Admissions. Acceptance into a graduate program may come prior to internship decisions. Acceptance into an M.S. program does not guarantee internship acceptance.

Retention in the Dietetic Internship Program

Required maintenance of:

1. A satisfactory (B-) grade in all courses with a supervised practice component and at least a competent score in all learning outcomes.
2. Satisfactory completion of all other required coursework with at least a B- average in all courses other than supervised practice. If the student intends to complete an MS degree, a B or 3.0 average is needed for degree conferral.
3. A student must have at least a B- average to receive a Verification Statement.

Completion

On successful completion of all the internship requirements, students will be awarded a Marywood University certificate of completion and a signed verification statement of internship completion. The DI verification statement is required to take the RD Exam administrated by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Curriculum

The Dietetic Internship at Marywood University offers experiences in clinical dietetics (MNT), food systems management, long term care, and community nutrition. The supervised practice requires utilizing many health care facilities which for the onsite track is in the greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and for the distance track is the home area of the student.

The onsite internship requires 33 credits for completion. The distance track requires 18 credits. The cost per credit is listed in Marywood University Financial Facts.

The distance track provides modules/planned experiences through Moodle. The Moodle based course complements the supervised practice with discussion forums, chat rooms, and web links.

Additional Costs After Acceptance

• 33 graduate credits for onsite and 18 graduate credits for distance
• books for three semesters
• transportation for 3 semesters - a car is necessary
• clothing for professional components
• medical exam and immunizations
• field trip expenses
• criminal background check
• FBI fingerprint check
• child abuse check
• medical insurance
• a drug screen may be required by some facilitities
• malpractice insurance

Call Program Director for details.

Courses

Onsite Track

Summer II – 7 credits

N D 565	Supervised Practice: Community Nutrition	4
* N D 536	Communication Techniques in Nutrition and Exercise	3

Fall Semester – 12 credits

N D 566	Supervised Practice: Food Systems Management	6
* N D 508	Recent Trends in Food Systems Management	3
* N D 581	Advanced Nutrition: The Energy Nutrients and Alcohol	3

Spring Semester – 14 credits

N D 500	Professional Practice in Dietetics/Staff Relief	2
N D 568	Supervised Practice: Clinical Dietetics	6
* N D 582	Advanced Nutrition: Vitamins and Minerals	3
* N D 590	Research Methodology	3

*Didactic Component of Program

Distance Track

N D 500	Professional Practice in Dietetics/Staff Relief	2
ND 565	Supervised Practice: Community Nutrition	4
ND 566	Supervised Practice: Food Systems Management	6
N D 568	Supervised Practice: Clinical Dietetics	6

 

Program Calendar

Onsite Track

Program begins in late June and lasts until early May – 10 months.

Community Nutrition update	Late June - Mid July
Community Nutrition Rotation	Mid July
Food Systems update	Late August/Early September
Food Systems Rotation	September - November
Medical Nutrition Therapy - LTC	Mid November - December
Holiday Break	December - January (2 weeks.)
Medical Nutrition Therapy - Acute Care	January - March
Staff Experience Rotation	Mid March - Early April
Choice Rotation	April - May

Distance Track

The required course sequence is:

1. N D 565 Supervised Practice: Community Nutrition
2. N D 566 Supervised Practice: Food Systems Management
3. N D 568 Supervised Practice: Clinical Dietetics/MNT including Long Term Care (LTC)
4. N D 500 Professional Practice in Dietetics/Staff Relief

 

Nutrition and Dietetics Programs Courses