Twin Cities campus

This is archival data. This system was retired as of August 21, 2023 and the information on this page has not been updated since then. For current information, visit catalogs.umn.edu.

 
Twin Cities Campus

Dietetics M.P.S.

Food Science & Nutrition
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Food Science and Nutrition 1334 Eckles Ave St. Paul, MN 55108 612-624-1290
Email: fscngrad@umn.edu
Website: https://fscn.cfans.umn.edu/graduate/nutrition
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2024
  • Length of program in credits: 30
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Professional Studies
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The Dietetics Master of Professional Studies (MPS) focuses on coursework that combines advanced knowledge of nutrition, dietetics, and evidence-based practice. Graduates will be positioned to interpret and communicate evidence-based nutrition concepts to socioeconomically and culturally diverse audiences including content experts, educators, media, patients/clients, and the public. The Dietetics PMS Program was developed for students intending to pursue a career in dietetics and plan to sit for the Entry-level Registration Examination for Dieticians, colloquially referred to as the RDN Exam. The expected time to degree for a Dietetics MPS student is typically one year. A student completing the Dietetics MPS program in one year will take two 15-credit semesters. The Dietetics MPS is considered the terminal degree for registered dieticians.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
Dietetics Master of Professional Studies (MPS) applicants are required to have successfully completed an ACEND-accredited undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Fall admission only.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Dietetics MPS Program applicants are required to submit the following with their application package: • DPD Affidavit • Personal Statement • Diversity Statement • Resume • 2 Letters of Recommendation
Special Application Requirements:
Admitted MPS applicants will be required to submit their DPD Verification Statement to the MPS Graduate Program Coordinator prior to the first day of classes of the term for which they are admitted. In lieu of a DPD Verification Statement, admitted applicants can submit a signed approval form from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Department of Food Science and Nutrition DPD Program Director. More information about the DPD Program Director Approval Form can be found on the application itself and on the document found at z.umn.edu/MPSAppInstructions.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 79
    • Internet Based - Writing Score: 21
    • Internet Based - Reading Score: 19
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 6.5
    • Reading Score: 6.5
    • Writing Score: 6.5
Key to test abbreviations (TOEFL, IELTS).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan C: Plan C requires 26 to 27 major credits and 3 to 4 credits outside the major. There is no final exam.
This program may not be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
Core Nutrition Requirements (15 credits total)
Take the following 15 credits.
FSCN 4665 - Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3.0 cr)
FSCN 4666 - Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3.0 cr)
NUTR 6014 - Advanced Nutrition Education and Counseling (4.0 cr)
NUTR 6064 - Current Trends in the Dietetics Profession (2.0 cr)
NUTR 6067 - Clinical Decision-Making in Nutrition (3.0 cr)
Nutrition Selectives (11-12 credits)
Take a minimum of 11 credits from the following list, ensuring that the program's 30 cumulative credit requirement is satisfied. Course substitutions are permitted with permission from both a student's advisor and director of graduate studies (DGS). Contact the program's graduate program coordinator (GPC) with all course substitutions.
FSCN 5601 - Management of Eating Disorders (3.0 cr)
or NUTR 5622 - Vitamin and Mineral Biochemistry (3.0 cr)
or NUTR 5624 - Nutrition and Genetics (2.0 cr)
or NUTR 5625 - Nutritional Biochemistry (3.0 cr)
or NUTR 5626 - Nutritional Physiology (3.0 cr)
Statistics Selective (3-4 credits)
Choose at least 3 credits from the following list, ensuring that the program's 30 cumulative credit requirement is satisfied. Course substitutions are permitted with permission from both a student's advisor and director of graduate studies (DGS). Contact the program's graduate program coordinator (GPC) with all course substitutions.
PUBH 6414 - Biostatistical Literacy (3.0 cr)
or PUBH 6450 - Biostatistics I (4.0 cr)
or STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (4.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View PDF Version:
Search.
Search Programs

Search University Catalogs
Related links.

College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

Graduate Admissions

Graduate School Fellowships

Graduate Assistantships

Colleges and Schools

One Stop
for tuition, course registration, financial aid, academic calendars, and more
 
FSCN 4665 - Medical Nutrition Therapy I
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Nutrition care process, with a focus on nutrition assessment and support, and on pathophysiology, management, and nutrition care of disease and injury, e.g. gastrointestinal (GI), pancreatic, hepatic, and pulmonary disorders; surgery/trauma/burns; and cancer. prereq: FSCN 4612, PHSL 3051, BIOC 3021
FSCN 4666 - Medical Nutrition Therapy II
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Nutrition care process, with a focus on pathophysiology, management, and nutrition care of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, renal disorders, and obesity. prereq: FSCN 4665, FSCN 4612, PHSL 3051, BIOC 3021
NUTR 6014 - Advanced Nutrition Education and Counseling
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Effective counseling skills are especially important for clinical dietitians. This course will build off the basic nutrition counseling skills covered in FSCN 3614, and help students develop advanced skills needed to navigate difficult interactions, understand diverse patient populations, and communicate complex concepts in an educational setting. This course is suitable for advanced/graduate-level dietetics students, entry-level practitioners, and seasoned professionals who want to refresh their skills. The first half of the course will focus on Motivational Interviewing, and the second half will focus on several specific patient populations and communication issues that may arise during nutrition counseling sessions. We will discuss establishing rapport with patients who have food insecurity, neurodivergence, chronic health conditions, personality disorders, and challenging family dynamics. You will develop skills and explore these concepts through application by practicing in small group breakout sessions and by completing written assignments.
NUTR 6064 - Current Trends in the Dietetics Profession
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course will explore current trends and issues in the dietetics profession. We will review the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics? code of ethics, scope of practice, standards of professional performance and professional development. Students will develop skills in salary negotiation and familiarity with the legislative process surrounding dietetics. Additional topics will include sustainability, fad diets, and inter-professional education. This course allows the student to demonstrate formulation and analysis of professional opinions based on current research and evidence-based resources.
NUTR 6067 - Clinical Decision-Making in Nutrition
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Real-world patients often present with complex medical and social histories, comorbidities, individual health beliefs and values, and other complexities that do not fit within simple, clear clinical guidelines, or have clinical conditions for which research and clinical guidelines for nutrition therapy are lacking. Thus, clinical decision-making is an essential skill for evidence-based dietetics practice. In this course, students will apply current research, evidence-based guidelines, foundational knowledge in medical nutrition therapy, ethical practice principles, and critical thinking skills to work through a variety of complex clinical case studies using the steps of the Nutrition Care Process.
FSCN 5601 - Management of Eating Disorders
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Etiology, occurrence, course, treatment, prevention of eating disorders from multidisciplinary perspective. Roles and responsibilities of eating disorder treatment team members of varying types across various treatment milieus. Prereq: Junior, senior or graduate student in nutrition or health related program or instructor consent.
NUTR 5622 - Vitamin and Mineral Biochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Nutritional, biochemical, and physiological aspects of vitamins and essential minerals in human and experimental-animal models. prereq: BioC 3021, Phsl 3051, FSCN 4612
NUTR 5624 - Nutrition and Genetics
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview of gene-diet interactions and relevant technologies used to study such interactions. Nutrigenomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics. Examples of gene-diet interactions, implications. Current issues. Prerequisites: Courses in Nutritional Biochemistry (e.g., NUTR 5625), and Vitamin and Mineral Biochemistry (e.g., NUTR 5622), or consent of instructor
NUTR 5625 - Nutritional Biochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview of biochemical molecules and pathways important in nutritional events. prereq: BIOC 3021 or instr consent
NUTR 5626 - Nutritional Physiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Whole body macronutrient metabolism as it relates to etiology of metabolic diseases. Signaling between tissues to control homeostasis. How dysregulation of crosstalk can lead to metabolic diseases. How diet, exercise, or starvation impact metabolism. Regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Designing/analyzing/interpreting research data. prereq: NUTR 5625
PUBH 6414 - Biostatistical Literacy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Develop ability to read/interpret statistical results in primary literature. Minimal calculation. No formal training in any statistical programming software. Biostatistical Literacy will cover the fundamental concepts of study design, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, odds ratios, relative risks, adjusted models in multiple linear, logistic and Poisson regression, and survival analysis. The focus will be when to use a given method and how to interpret the results, not the actual computation or computer programming to obtain results from raw data. prereq: MPH or certificate student or environmental health or instr consent
PUBH 6450 - Biostatistics I
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course will cover the fundamental concepts of exploratory data analysis and statistical inference for univariate and bivariate data, including: ? study design and sampling methods, ? descriptive and graphical summaries, ? random variables and their distributions, ? interval estimation, ? hypothesis testing, ? relevant nonparametric methods, ? simple regression/correlation, and ? introduction to multiple regression. There will be a focus on analyzing data using statistical programming software and on communicating the results in short reports. Health science examples from the research literature will be used throughout the course. prereq: [College-level algebra, health sciences grad student] or instr consent
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Intensive introduction to statistical methods for graduate students needing statistics as a research technique. prereq: college algebra or instr consent; credit will not be granted if credit has been received for STAT 3011