Master of Science in Health - Nutrition and Dietetics
MSH/DI Program Mission
Through excellence in teaching, research, and service, UNF will provide a high quality 1200 hour supervised practice experience that is coordinated with related graduate coursework in a high quality learning environment to develop graduates who pass the National Registration Exam, secure employment in dietetics, and pursue professional development and service. The program will integrate theoretical and experiential learning in a variety of management, clinical and community settings to prepare entry-level generalist dietitians in conjunction with a four semester Master of Science in Health (MSH) degree.
MSH/ Thesis/NonThesis Program Mission
Through excellence in teaching, research, and service, UNF will provide high quality graduate coursework and research or project experience in a high quality learning environment to develop graduates who secure employment in dietetics and pursue professional development and service.
Objectives
The objectives of the MSH program in Nutrition and Dietetics are for each student to:
• complete a program focused on the principles enumerated above
• extend knowledge and skills in advanced nutrition and dietetics
• make a positive contribution to the body of knowledge encompassing nutrition and dietetics through the completion of the 1200 hour internship experience, a thesis or an approved research project.
Learning Objectives
General learning objectives that apply to the MSH in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Provide a competent faculty and adequate facilities for comprehensive student training toward the MSH degrees in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Provide classroom, laboratory, and field learning experiences that will expose students to the latest scientific principles and research techniques.
• Provide experience in making professional oral presentations using computer aided tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Students are required to make presentations in HSC 6934 (Graduate Seminar) and participate in all seminars during their graduate program.
• Students are also encouraged to participate in scientific meetings that contribute to effective learning, knowledge enhancement, and leadership skills.
• Students are required to present research in oral and written form whereby information can be disseminated to professional and non-professional audiences (HCS 6934 Seminar in Nutrition.
• Students are required to develop basic research skills, i.e. experimental design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of research by preparing a research proposal and other publication formats (HSC 6735 Health Science Research)
Specific Learning objectives that apply to the MSH in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Content/Disciplinary Knowledge & Skills - Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding and ability to demonstrate the following skills:
Proficiency in Clinical Nutrition
• Supervise counseling, education, and/or other interventions in health promotion/disease prevention for patient/clients needing medical nutrition therapy for uncomplicated instances of common conditions, e.g., hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and diverticular disease
• Develop and review educational materials for target populations
• Perform comprehensive nutritional assessments and make recommendations for care based on the assessment
• Provide continuous assessment of the nutrition care given using the Nutrition Care Process and Model
• Assess nutritional status of individual patients/clients with complex medical conditions, e.g., renal disease, multisystem disease, organ failure, and trauma
• Select, implement, and evaluate standard enteral and parenteral nutrition regimens, i.e., in a medically stable patient to meet nutritional requirements where recommendations/adjustments involve primarily macronutrients (perform)
• Develop and implement transitional feeding plans--i.e., conversion from one form of nutrition support to another, e.g., total parenteral nutrition to tube feeding to oral diet (perform)
Proficiency in Community Nutrition
• Calculate and interpret nutrient compositions of food for individuals or groups
• Supervise translation of nutrition into foods/menus for target populations
• Determine nutrient requirements across the lifespan
• Conduct assessment of the nutritional status of the population and/or community groups
• Provide nutrition care for people of diverse cultures and religions across the lifespan, i.e., infancy through geriatrics (perform)
• Conduct community-based health promotion/disease prevention programs
• Participate in development and evaluation of a community-based food and nutrition program
Proficiency in Food Production and Service Management
• Supervise production of food that meets nutrition guidelines, cost parameters, and consumer acceptance
• Manage safety and sanitation issues related to food and nutrition
• Determine recipe/formula propositions and modifications for volume food production
• Supervise development and/or modification of recipes/formulas
• Supervise the integration of financial, human, physical, and material resources and services
• Participate in facility management, including equipment selection and design/redesign of work units
• Supervise design of menus as indicated by the patient's/client's health status
Content/Disciplinary Knowledge & Skills Assessment Strategies
Proficiency in Clinical Nutrition
• Students are required to complete a series of clinical case studies including complex medical conditions, enteral and parenteral feedings and transition feedings in DIE 6248
• Students are required to take a comprehensive clinical exam in DIE 6248
• Students are required to complete clinical based case studies and exams in HUN 6225 Nutrition and Metabolism 1 and HUN 6331 Nutrition and Metabolism 2
• Students are required to perform clinical nutrition assessments in HUN 5265 Methods of Nutrition Assessment
• Students are required to present a seminar for other graduate students and faculty on a topic in clinical nutrition in HSC 6934 Seminar in Nutrition
• Students are required to present a paper on an advanced concept in nutrition and health in PHC 6525.
• Students in the MSH/Internship complete 300 hours of supervised practice in clinical nutrition
Proficiency in Community Nutrition
• Students are required to design a nutrition curriculum in HUN 6612 Nutrition Education and Counseling
• Students are required to do a community assessment in HUN 6123 Sociocultural Influences on Nutrition
• Students are required to evaluate case studies in HSC 6505 Epidemiology and Disease Control
• Students are required to perform nutrition counseling based on a nutrition assessment in HUN 6612 Nutrition Education and Counseling
• Students are required to prepare a presentation on another culture's foodways, cultural differences, and health and nutrition practices in HUN 6123 Sociocultural Influences on Nutrition
• Students in the MSH/Internship complete 300 hours of supervised practice in community nutrition . Proficiency in Food Production and Service Management
• Students are required to evaluate and propose a kitchen redesign or program change for a particular food service operation in DIE 6127 Advanced Administration of Food and Nutrition Programs
• Students are required to do menu planning for evaluation for selected food service operations in DIE 6127 Advanced Administration of Food and Nutrition Programs
• Students in the MSH/Internship complete 300 hours of supervised practice in nutrition
Assessment
Assessment Plan
Student Input in Assessment
• The Graduate Nutrition Program implements the university policy of having every course evaluated by students each time it is offered. Evaluations are viewed by the Graduate Nutrition Program Director and faculty annually to maintain the highest level of instructional competence.
• An in-depth exit survey of graduating graduate students is conducted by the Graduate Nutrition Program Director. The survey results from graduates are reviewed by the Graduate Nutrition Program Director and the nutrition faculty.
• The Graduate Nutrition Program conducts its own written exit survey. The results are regularly reviewed by the Graduate Nutrition Program Director.
Curriculum Assessment
• The Graduate Nutrition Program Director makes recommendations to and seeks input from the Graduate Nutrition faculty on a regular basis regarding graduate programs in the program. Assessment of graduate training involves continuous liaison with CADE (Commission on Accreditation of Dietetics Education), our accrediting body. Curricula are adjusted as needed to meet the skills and training required by CADE.
• In addition to adjustments based on continuous assessment, the Graduate Nutrition Program Director undertakes a comprehensive review of graduate program curricula at approximately five-year intervals. Such reviews include extensive surveys of current students, alumni, and employers of graduates, as well as reviews of comparable programs at peer institutions.
Student Performance Assessment
• The success rate of graduates from nutrition and dietetics graduate programs in career placement and/or admission to other graduate programs is closely tracked. An graduate nutrition program goal is to prepare graduate students to be competitive for professional positions in clinical or community settings, teaching, research, extension, or industry.
Additional Assessment Approaches
One of the direct measures to be used to assess content knowledge following graduation will be pass rates on the national Registered Dietitian Exam.
A culmination experience in the form of a Masters thesis or Masters project is required of each student in the non-internship MSH to assess how well they have accomplished the program objectives.
For a Masters project, the student must
• propose a project for the approval of the MSH Graduate Advisor
- specify the project time-line
- specify the resources required
- specify the deliverable
• work under the direction of a Nutrition Graduate Faculty member to achieve the project specified
• upon completion present the project outcomes to the Nutrition Graduate Faculty
• prepare a write-up of the project which conforms to commonly accepted standards for technical writing and is formatted in accord with published specifications
For a Masters thesis, the student must
• develop a prospectus for a thesis research topic in a Nutrition area under the guidance of a thesis advisor selected from the Nutrition Graduate Faculty
• present the prospectus for the approval of a Thesis Committee of Nutrition Graduate Faculty appointed to work with the student
• defend the results of the thesis research before the Nutrition Graduate Faculty
• prepare a write-up of the thesis which conforms to commonly accepted standards for technical writing and is formatted in accord with published specifications