Master of Science Human Clinical Nutrition
Program Description
The Master of Science in Human Clinical Nutrition is for candidates with an earned bachelor’s degree in nutrition or other health related fields. The program prepares graduates for entry-level practice in personalized nutrition and to serve as dynamic leaders working toward the advancement of health, healing and wellness as a practicing nutritionist. The curriculum combines theoretical knowledge and evidence-based research with practical therapeutic applications. Graduates will use these holistic science-based perspectives to collaboratively solve nutritional related health problems for clients needing nutrition counseling, food literacy and equitable access to healthy food choices. They will inspire clients and engage in a person-centered practice by delivering compassionate care according to the profession’s core values and ethics. The full time, two-year program consists of six academic trimesters plus one trimester (440 hours) of supervised clinical fieldwork post the baccalaureate degree. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) exam administered by the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board (CNCB) and are prepared for entry-level clinical practice. Graduates will be well prepared for careers in federal or state agencies, private practice, research, public health or wellness settings.
Accreditation
The University is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). SHU has applied for initial accreditation to the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACPNE). ACPNE accredits master’s-degree clinical programs in nutrition to enhance the quality of learning by setting standards for knowledge and skills needed to practice advanced nutrition care safely and effectively. ACPNE is located at 20 West 20th Street, Suite 204, New York, NY 10011, Telephone: 646-455-1149.
The program is responsible for complying with all ACPNE accreditation standards and policies and interacting with ACPNE with integrity and honesty during the initial accreditation process. The program will inform ACPNE of all major changes in curriculum, site locations, online/onsite formats, and the program director in a timely manner. The program will honestly and accurately represent the program and its ACPNE accreditation status in all its publications and web page available to the public.
More Information about Accreditation:
Dana Reed, MS, CNS, CDN
Executive Director
ACNPE
20 West 20th Street, Suite 204
New York, NY 10011
Tel: (646) 455-1149
Web address: https://acnpe.org/
Disclosure, Certification, Licensure
Authorization
Sacred Heart University, as a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), is authorized to offer distance programs in all states and United States Territories that participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).
SARA is a voluntary agreement of states and United States Territories that has established comparable standards for distance education programs offered across state lines. Only accredited, federally-recognized institutions are able to offer distance education programs under SARA.
Sacred Heart University’s institutional participation was granted by the State of Connecticut Office of Higher Education on January 11, 2017. California is the only state that does not participate in SARA therefore Sacred Heart University is exempt from approval from the California Bureau of Post-Secondary Education.
Participation in SARA does not absolve Sacred Heart University programs from the need to meet applicable state licensing and certification requirements. Prospective students are advised to refer to the information below about state professional licensing and certification requirements, states in which clinical placements are either limited or restricted, and potential consequences of relocating to a different state at any time after admission to a degree program.
Prospective students are also encouraged to review the Licensure & Certification Disclosures by State section of Sacred Heart University’s Disclosures & Student Complaint Process for additional information.
Disclosures
Additional program requirements:
- Complete the Medical Terminology Prerequisite Requirement Independent Study course prior to enrollment offered through Coursera: Clinical Terminology for International and US Students ($49 for Certificate) from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Complete the Serv-Safe™ Food Safety Manager Course from the National Restaurant Association. Certification must be obtained prior to enrolling in NUTR 535 Food Insufficiency and Culinary Medicine.
- A non-credit bearing course, NUTR 561 Clinical Seminar, an interactive seminar with professionals in the field, will be offered during the clinical preceptorship and will prepare students for the comprehensive examination.
- Earn a passing grade on the comprehensive exam at the end of the academic program.
- Each Student must complete 1,000 hours of supervised practice experience to be eligible for the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) exam with hours distributed as follows:
- Personalized Nutrition Assessment and Interpretation (minimum 200 hours)
- Personalized Nutrition Intervention, Education, Counseling, and Ongoing Care (min 200 hours)
- Personalized Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation (minimum 200 hours)
- The remaining hours may be in any of the above categories.
Documentation Requirements for Connecticut Certification
To become certified as a Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist in the State of Connecticut, the following documents are required: Verification of Course of Study documenting the type of degree earned and coursework completed (If the applicant attended more than one institution, a form should be completed by each school attended). In addition, verification of successful completion of the examination administered by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists (CBNS); a completed application and fee are required. All supporting documents must be submitted directly from the source to:
Connecticut Department of Public Health
410 Capitol Ave., MS# 12 APP
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134
Phone: (8600 509-7603
Fax: (860) 707-1929; Email:dph.dentalteam@ct.gov
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements
Sacred Heart University has been approved by Connecticut to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of post-secondary distance education.
For information regarding professional licensure by state, go to this link.
Licensure and Certification Disclosures for Human Clinical Nutrition
Program Mission
Our program mission is to inspire students to be innovative nutritionists that promote food sustainability and stewardship for our global food system.
The MS in Human Clinical Nutrition program outcomes align with the CHP outcomes and the University’s Mission and core values with the emphasis on promoting wellness among diverse populations, developing, and implementing culturally relevant nutrition interventions that align with client’s cultural beliefs and lifestyles, ethical practice, and commitment to excellence through evidence-based practice and advancement of knowledge.
What Makes Our Program Unique
With a growing need for nutritionists nationwide1, and increasing public interest in the profession, our program is committed to personal attention and forging learning partnerships between faculty and students. This allows our faculty and students to get to know each other, create a learning community to engage in collaborative scholarship, and support continual learning for members of our integrative and functional nutrition community.
US. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, June 2). Employment situation summary. Retrieved June 11 2021, from Dietitians and Nutritionists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
Admission Requirements
Students entering the program must have completed their undergraduate degree in a discipline of their choice. Sacred Heart University undergraduates interested in completing their undergraduate study in three years may consider the 3 + 2 plan of study, if they major in Health Science providing that they complete all required prerequisites and meet all enrollment criteria by the end of the summer prior to enrollment. Refer to the respective Sacred Heart University program webpages for the 3 + 2 plan of study. Students must have earned a bachelor’s degree and completed all prerequisite courses from a university accredited by a United States Department of Education recognized regional accrediting authority. All prerequisites must be successfully completed prior to enrollment. Students educated outside the U.S. will need to have their transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org) for equivalency and must meet University established scores for the TOEFL exam. Provisional acceptance may be offered to students needing to complete prerequisite courses.
All applicants applying for entry are required to successfully complete the bachelor’s degree and prerequisite requirements, maintain a 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 prerequisite GPA with no individual prerequisite grade below a C. There is a 3.0 prerequisite science GPA (Fundamentals of Nutrition, Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab; and, Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab, Biochemistry). Students may retake a maximum of two prerequisite courses for grade replacement. The baccalaureate degree and all prerequisite courses must be successfully completed prior to enrollment.
All of the following prerequisite courses must be completed by the application deadline published by the Office of Graduate Admissions to determine admission status and eligibility for enrollment in the program: human anatomy and physiology I with laboratory, human anatomy and physiology II with laboratory, fundamentals of nutrition and biochemistry.
Only official transcript grades submitted by the application deadline can be considered in determining whether or not a student maintains his or her admission status, seat in the program, and eligibility for enrollment. The program cannot hold seats beyond the application deadline to allow for students to take or re-take any of the above listed prerequisite courses. Students who have additional outstanding prerequisites may be considered for provisional admission pending successful completion of all prerequisite courses.
Exam
Students must complete all fieldwork requirements within 24 months of completion of the didactic portion of the program. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national Certification Examination for Nutrition Specialists℠ to demonstrate that their education, experience, and training have resulted in a mastery of the knowledge and skills required of the Certified Nutrition Specialist™.
Degree Requirement
Master of Science or Doctoral degree in a field of nutrition or a related field (including, but not limited to Public Health, Health Science, Biochemistry, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Dietetics) from a United States regionally accredited college or university, or its foreign equivalent; OR
Doctoral degree in a field of clinical healthcare (including, but not limited to, DC, DDS, OD, Doctor of Nursing, ND, PharmD) from a United States regionally accredited college or university, or its foreign equivalent.
The program is part-time time consisting of five academic trimesters followed by one trimester of full-time supervised clinical fieldwork with hours determined by the clinical site. A non-credit clinical seminar will be held during fieldwork to introduce the student to topics such as professionalism, ethics, and clinical nutrition topics by invited practicing nutritionists. Coursework during the academic trimesters is completed online. The curriculum sequence is completed in two calendar years including summers. Successful completion of all coursework, fieldwork, and a comprehensive examination are required for graduation. Fieldwork experiences must be successfully completed within 24 months of completion of coursework.
Note: A criminal background or felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the Certified Nutrition Specialist Board Examination (CBNE) and/or attain state licensure. All graduate programs in clinical nutrition require the successful completion of level I and level II supervised clinical fieldwork. The majority of clinical fieldwork sites require students to complete a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and/or drug testing prior to clinical education placements. Additionally, states may restrict or prohibit those with criminal backgrounds from obtaining a professional license, and CBNE may deem persons with criminal backgrounds as ineligible to sit for the CBNE. Therefore, students with criminal backgrounds may not be able to obtain the required clinical education experience(s), thus failing to meet the MSNU program’s academic requirements. It is therefore the program’s policy that all admitted students planning to enroll must consent, submit to, and satisfactorily complete a criminal background check (CBC) within six (6) weeks of registration for courses as a condition of matriculation. Matriculation will not be final until the completion of the criminal background check with results deemed acceptable to the program director or academic fieldwork coordinator. All expenses associated with the CBC, fingerprinting, and/or drug screening are the responsibility of the applicant. Applicants who do not consent to the required background check, refuse to provide information necessary to conduct the background check, or provide false or misleading information in regard to the background check may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including refusal of matriculation or dismissal from the program.
Some fieldwork placements may require an additional background check, fingerprinting, and/or drug screening prior to beginning the fieldwork experience, which must be completed at the student’s expense. The University and or the MSNU program will have no obligation to refund tuition or otherwise accommodate students in the event that a criminal background check or drug screening renders the student ineligible to complete required courses or fieldwork. Please see the MSNU program’s Student Manual for complete information on criminal background checks and policy regarding adverse information in a CBC report. Students who are twice denied a fieldwork placement based on the results of a background check, fingerprinting, and/or drug screenings will be considered ineligible for placement and unable to complete the program and, therefore, will be dismissed from the program.
Coursework Requirement
Thirty-four semester credit hours of relevant coursework to provide the foundational knowledge for the development of core competencies is required for the practice of effective personalized nutrition as indicated by the CNS Examination Content Outline.
Please note that a felony conviction might affect a graduate's ability to sit for the CNS exam and/or attain state licensure or certification.
Prerequisite Courses
- Biochemistry I with lab (4 credits)
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (4 credits)**
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (4 credits)**
- Fundamentals of Nutrition, or equivalent (3 credits)
**Must have been completed within the past 10 years. These courses can be substituted with similar 3 credit courses plus labs in a single Human Anatomy and a Human Physiology, as some university format Human A&P. Licensed professionals may present a portfolio of performance in actual practice settings as evidence of current knowledge to determine an applicant’s eligibility for a waiver of the course expiration date.
Additional Program Requirements:
- Complete the Medical Terminology Prerequisite Requirement Independent Study course prior to enrollment offered through Coursera: Clinical Terminology for International and US Students ($49 for Certificate) from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Complete the Serv-SafeTM Food Safety Manager Course from the National Restaurant Association ($179.00). Certification must be obtained prior to graduation or before enrolling in NUTR 535 Food Insufficiency and Culinary Medicine.
- A non-credit bearing course, NUTR 561 Clinical Seminar, an interactive seminar with professionals in the field will be offered during the clinical preceptorship and will prepare students for the comprehensive examination.
- Earn a passing grade on the comprehensive exam at the end of the academic program.
Additional admission criteria include:
- A baccalaureate degree with a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA and official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- A 3.0 or better prerequisite course GPA with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C. Only two prerequisites may be re-taken for grade replacement. Required prerequisite courses are: human anatomy and physiology I with laboratory*, human anatomy and physiology II*, fundamentals of nutrition and Biochemistry *Must be taken within past 10 years.
Essay completed online with the application.
- Relevant volunteer, observation, and/or work experience in the healthcare field with specific knowledge of medical nutrition therapy is recommended.
- All applicants, except students admitted directly into the program as freshman, must successfully complete an interview experiencewith the MSNUTR Admissions Committee upon invitation.
- All applicants including those admitted as freshman must maintain all GPA and admission requirements as a condition for enrollment.
- Students are required to have a laptop computer inclusive of professional-level Microsoft Office Suite, high-speed Internet access, a printer, and proficiency in word processing and e-mail at the time of enrollment and throughout the program.
Required Application Materials
Sacred Heart University students apply online at www.sacredheart.edu or through the Office of Graduate Admissions’ webpage. Please refer to the Office of Graduate Admissions’ website for details on the Sacred Heart University application processes.
Applications must include the following materials:
- Completed application with essay discussing reasons for pursuing the MS in Human Clinical Nutrition at Sacred Heart University.
- Freshman Admission and Sacred Heart University internal students applying competitively complete the online application (fee waived) through the Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- Interview upon invitation. In lieu of interview, students admitted as freshman will participate in mandatory advisement and orientation meetings as undergraduates.
- Writing samples may be required.
- Observation of certified or registered dietitian-nutritionists (CDN/RDN) in practice is highly recommended. Documented hours are not required.
Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines for Spring Enrollment
Applicants external to Sacred Heart University may apply through a rolling admissions process. The deadline for all applications will be November 1st, however, applications will be accepted until the class is filled.
Regular Application
The application deadline for all is November 1st (or the date published by Graduate Admissions) for the incoming Spring class. All applicants must have successfully completed prerequisite courses in human anatomy and physiology I and II with laboratories, fundamentals of nutrition and biochemistry with final course grades entered with the University’s Registrar and complete an interview with the MSNU Admissions Committee upon invitation
Refer to “Admissions Requirements” above.
Transfer of Credits
Students interested in transferring into the MSNU program from another nutrition program may do so at the discretion of the program director and faculty admissions committee, depending on the student’s qualifications, reason for transfer, and available seats. Transfer students must adhere to Sacred Heart University’s course grade requirements for transferring into graduate programs (See “Transfer Credits and Residency Requirements” in the Graduate Admissions section of Sacred Heart University’s Graduate Catalog). Only courses taken within the past six years at the graduate level from a USDE recognized regionally accredited college or university with a minimum grade of B are eligible for transfer credit. Students interested in transferring into the Graduate Human Clinical Nutrition program must meet all admission criteria and complete an application with the Office of Graduate Admissions.
The MSNU curriculum reflects its philosophy, problem-based learning pedagogy, vision, mission, and objectives to prepare reflective practitioners.Transfer students, therefore, are required to take all courses rooted in these philosophies and problem-based learning pedagogy regardless of the number of credits that may qualify for transfer.
Required Courses
Spring Trimester PY 1
Summer Trimester PY1
| NUTR 522 | Nutritional Biochemistry | 3 |
| NUTR 523 | NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES & APP | 3 |
Fall Trimester PY1
Spring Trimester PY2
Summer Trimester PY2
Fall Trimester PY2