CSE Homepage
APPLY! Make a Gift Visit CSE Calendar Directory
facebook YouTube
Img

Foods & Nutrition Program

Monica Luby, M.S., R.D.
DPD Director
Henderson Hall
First Floor
Room 152

Line
Phone: (973) 290-4092
Email: mluby@cse.edu


Img

Foods & Nutrition Program

Dr. Marie Boyle, RD
Program Chairperson
Henderson Hall
First Floor
Room 150

Line
Phone: (973) 290-4127
Email: mboyle01@cse.edu


Nutrition

Overview & Mission

Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition

The Bachelor of Science degree in Foods and Nutrition provided by the Program is currently granted continuing accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). ACEND is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This recognition affirms that ACEND meets national standards and is a reliable authority on the quality of nutrition and dietetics education programs. ACEND can be contacted at 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606 or www.eatright.org.

The Program encourages students to adopt an integrated, holistic approach to understanding the food, nutritional, and dietetic needs of individuals, through a rigorous course of study that provides a strong foundation in the sciences and liberal arts. Emphasis on personal enrichment with leadership, social responsibility, service and ethics within a diverse society is central to the Program’s mission.

The undergraduate program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills for entry into foods, nutrition and dietetics-related professions or advanced study.  The curriculum is designed to primarily prepare students to meet the general academic requirements of the ADA Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Students who successfully meet degree and DPD program requirements receive a verification statement that makes them eligible to apply to a dietetic internship program to obtain the credentialing requirements for becoming a Registered Dietitian. 

Master of Science in Nutrition

The 38-credit graduate program combines advanced study in nutrition and health promotion with a competency-based, multidisciplinary core curriculum that provides nutrition and health professionals with a broad perspective of current issues in nutrition, psychology, ethics, and technology.  Nutrition professionals develop skills to assume leadership roles in delivering nutrition and wellness-related services in a variety of settings.  The Program emphasizes ways to incorporate new research, evidence based practice, and technologies into the practice of nutrition.

The Program prepares students for a variety of career opportunities in business, government, health care, and education.  Graduates work in private practice; nutrition education; school systems; the food and pharmaceutical industries; clinical and corporate research; community organizations; hospitals; public health agencies; work site wellness and health promotion programs; and fitness facilities.

Dietetic Internship Program

The Dietetic Internship Program (DI) provides supervised practice in dietetics to individuals who have a baccalaureate degree and who have completed the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements of the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association. 

After completing the Program, interns receive a verification statement of program completion and are eligible to take the national examination to become a Registered Dietitian (RD).  The Program provides a choice of two concentration areas; Nutrition Education and Counseling (NEC) and Food and Nutrition Business and Communications (FNBC). The Program is designed to ensure training and skills in the practice competencies established for entry-level dietitians.

Accreditation Status

The Dietetic Internship Program of the College of Saint Elizabeth is currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the American Dietetic Association. ACEND is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).

The address and phone number of ACEND are 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL, 60606, (312) 899-4876.  The program is accredited through 2015.



Student Outcomes

Master of Science in Nutrition

Graduates of the program will be able to:

  • Translate nutrition theory and apply current nutrition research to evidence based nutrition practice
  • Demonstrate professional leadership through the communication of nutrition research using professional activities such as grant writing, peer reviewed journal publications and/or presentations at professional meetings
  • Recognize the psychological, social, and ethical factors that influence health and nutrition practices and the impact on delivery of nutrition services from different perspectives

Dietetic Internship Program

The goals of the Program are to:

1
Prepare students for entry level positions in dietetics with an emphasis on developing knowledge and practice skills in the concentration area selected; either Nutrition Education and Counseling or Food and Nutrition Business and Communications while meeting the Competencies/Learning Outcomes for Dietetic Internship Programs as established by The American Dietetic Association, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

2
Provide a supportive environment in which students develop leadership and professional dietetic practice skills through self-assessment of competence in chosen concentration and initiation of draft professional portfolio.

3
Promote ethical practice in a spirit of service and social responsibility Admission Standards and Procedures.


Applicants to the Dietetic Internship (DI) must follow the procedures described in the DI application materials, including the instructions for participating in the computer matching process (DND Digital) and the centralized application process (DICAS).

Application instructions are available on the College web site and must be submitted directly to the Dietetic Internship office as outlined in the application instructions; the process is separate from other graduate program admissions. Applicants are responsible for meeting all application deadlines. Individuals applying to the dietetic internship are not required but may apply to the MS in Nutrition program. Part time interns have the option of completing the MS in Nutrition concurrently. Individuals interested in applying should contact the Dietetic Internship Director with any questions. 

All students matched to the DI must  have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent and a Verification Statement from a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), meeting requirements of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the American Dietetic Association  (www.eatright.org). Acceptable Background and Medical Clearances at the expense of the applicant are required as a condition of admission to the Dietetic Internship program. (Applicants should contact the Dietetic Internship program for full policy, requirements and procedures.) These clearances must be obtained during a specified time period before the start of the program.

The Program has 14 full time and 6 part time positions with two separate DnD Digital Match Codes.  Applicants may apply to one or both of the full and part time options but must be sure to rank these choices appropriately.  For example, an applicant applying to both the full and part time option would be expected to use both of the program’s codes in priority order.  An intern interested in applying only to the program’s full or part time option, would use only that appropriate code.   Interns are matched with the program through the national matching process for the April match. The Dietetic Internship has two choices of concentrations; Nutrition Education and Counseling (NEC) and Food and Nutrition Business and Communications. Applicant select the choice of concentration after admission to the program.  Note: At the time of application, students who have not completed the educational requirements provide an Intent to Complete from a DPD.  Applicants must successfully complete the bachelor’s degree prior to program start date. Final acceptance into the Program requires the applicant to meet all admission criteria, health and medical requirements, proof of medical insurance, and student healthcare background clearance.


Graduates

The professional field of foods, nutrition and dietetics is a dynamic career choice in today’s health and consumer oriented society. This field offers the potential for a wide variety of employment options within the food industry, communications and health-related fields.

Our graduates have developed successful careers in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry as regulatory affairs specialists or as supermarket specialists, in communications as food writers, in education, community and public health agencies, and in the areas of nutrition counseling, corporate wellness, personal health, lifestyle motivation, and fitness.

Many graduates complete their program requirements to become Registered Dietitians. As RDs they are highly trained and qualified to offer specialized, in-depth medical nutrition and preventive nutritional care to patients and clients. For more information on careers in dietetics please see the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website at www.eatright.org.

Foods & Nutrition Program

Undergraduate Graduate Non Degree Faculty Courses Internships Programs

Requirements for a Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition

The Program is designed for eligible undergraduate students who want to earn B.S. and M.S. degrees in Foods and Nutrition in a five-year period. The student who wishes to apply to this Program must: be a Foods and Nutrition major and meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Have completed five (5) semesters of college or completed 76 credits.
  • Have completed the following M.S. in Nutrition program prerequisites: BIO117 Human Physiology with Lab, CHEM121/131 Introduction to Chemistry with Lab, CHEM123 Organic Chemistry with Lab, CHEM201 Biochemistry with Lab, FN315 Advanced Nutrition, MATH119 Elementary Statistics.
  • Have completed all of the College’s undergraduate general education requirements.
  • Have attained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in both College of Saint Elizabeth and transfer coursework.

Students enrolled in the Combined Degree Program will:
  • Complete 116 undergraduate credits and 38 graduate-level credits, for a total of 154 credits.
  • Receive their B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition upon completing 128 credits, which must include all general-education and major requirements. In the process of meeting B.S. degree requirements, students also fulfill the ADA Didactic Program in Dietetics verification statement requirements.


Senior-year students accepted into the Graduate Program in Nutrition can:

  • Use free electives to complete one graduate-level course from the Multidisciplinary Core Issues (3 credits)
  • Complete the following graduate-level professional concentration credits:
    • FN501 Medical Nutrition Therapy (4)
    • FN502 Medical Nutrition Practice (2)
    • FN655 Research Methods (3 credits; replaces FN463)
    • FN677 Program Design and Management in Community Nutrition (3 credits; replaces FN455)

Note: Descriptions of these graduate courses can be found in the Graduate Catalog. These 15 graduate-level professional concentration credits may only be applied to the M.S. in Nutrition Program, not to another graduate program or to the Dietetic Internship.

 

Master of Science in Nutrition

The M.S. in Nutrition Program consists of a total of 38 credit hours and offers three options.

  • Option A:  Designed for the Registered Dietitian (RD) who has completed an Approved Pre-professional Practice Program (AP4) or Dietetic Internship Program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the American Dietetic Association.  Those students who have received graduate level credit for this experience may be eligible to receive up to nine graduate credit hours towards their M.S. in Nutrition.
  • Option B:  Designed for the person with a bachelor’s degree in foods, nutrition and/or dietetics or the person with a baccalaureate degree in a non-nutrition area who desires an advanced degree in nutrition.
  • Option C:  Designed for the person with a baccalaureate or masters degree who desires an advanced certificate in nutrition with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition and Wellness or Weight Management and Counseling.  Students complete 15 credits in these specialized areas.  These certificates can be completed independently from the master’s degree or combined with the core requirements to be eligible for an MS degree in Nutrition.

 

Additional Admission Criteria for M.S. in Nutrition

An individual seeking direct admission to the graduate program in Nutrition must hold a baccalaureate degree in nutrition, foods, or dietetics from an accredited undergraduate institution.  Other individuals with an undergraduate degree in other areas are encouraged to apply with the understanding that they may be required to take various undergraduate courses as prerequisites to satisfy the admissions criteria.  Generally, applicants must have achieved a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  Students who have background and potential for success but whose GPA is less than 3.0 may be admitted to the graduate program on a provisional basis.

A maximum of 9 credits total (both supervised practice and other graduate credit) will be accepted in transfer.

 

Option A

  • Applicants pursuing Option A who have completed a supervised practice program must submit verification of completing that program before starting the graduate program.
  • Students who apply to the graduate program under Option A but who have completed their supervised practice program in dietetics at another institution must have completed their experience at a college/university-based program in order to receive transfer credits. Transfer credit will only be given if graduate credit was received for this experience. Courses identified as supervised practice will not be considered for transfer.  Supervised practice programs vary extensively in program format and structure lecture content and program’s emphasis.  It is because of these variations that the Admission Committee will evaluate each student’s supervised practice program transcript.  For this evaluation to occur, the student must be able to provide an official transcript, a catalog description, and a course outline.  In addition, the student may be asked to submit samples of his/her work completed during the supervised program as part of the review process.
     

 

Option B/Option C

  • Applicants pursuing Option B or Option C whose undergraduate degree is in an area non-related to nutrition may be required to complete graduate course prerequisites prior to being matriculated into the program.  Students may, however, take ten credits towards their graduate degree program while concurrently completing their prerequisites.  This may be done only with the permission of the Course of Study Coordinator.  The prerequisites for the graduate program in Nutrition include the following:  Introductory and organic chemistry, biochemistry, statistics, physiology, and advanced nutrition.

Transfer of credit into the graduate program (other than specific graduate course credit) will be subject to evaluation and approval by the Course of Study Coordinator.  All transfer credits must carry a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).  All courses in the Multidisciplinary Core must be taken at the College of Saint Elizabeth.

 

Program Requirements

The following are required to fulfill the M.S. in Nutrition degree requirements, depending upon enrollment option:

  • Nine (9) credit hours in a multidisciplinary core curriculum in which students take:
    • MC626 Ethical Issues 
    • MCFN622 Nutrition Applications of Psychological and Social Issues
    • MCFN638 Nutrition Applications of Technical and

Ethical Issues

  • 18 - 16 credit hours of nutrition core curriculum in which the students take:
    • Six (6) credit hours in human metabolism, or
      • FN645 Human Metabolism I
      • FN651 Human Metabolism II
  • Four (4) credits (Option A or C) or six (6) credit hours in nutrition and disease management (option B)
    • FN501 Medical Nutrition Therapy
    • FN502 Medical Nutrition Practice

Or, for Dietetic Interns who matriculate into the M.S. in Nutrition:

  • FN603 Applied Concepts in Clinical Nutrition Practice I (3) and
  • FN 617 Applied Concepts in Clinical Nutrition Practice II (1)
  • Four (4) credits in nutrition and disease (option A or C)
    • FN647 Nutrition and Disease Management
  • Three (3) credit hours in research methods
    • FN655 Research Methods for Health Care Professionals
  • Three (3) credits of Thesis or Portfolio
    • FN695 Professional Portfolio, or
    • FN699 Thesis

 

Requirements for the Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Degree 

B.S. in Foods and Nutrition/M.S. in Nutrition

Eligible undergraduate students can earn a combined B.S./M.S. degree for a total of 154 credits.  Students are required to complete 116 undergraduate credits and 38 graduate-level credits to meet the combined degree requirements.  The Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded upon completion of 128 credits, which must meet all general education and professional concentration requirements.  

In the process of meeting the B.S. degree requirements, students also fulfill the ADA DPD verification statement requirements; however thisstatement will be issued at the completion of the M.S. degree.  Students interested in the B.S./M.S. program option, must be a major in Foods and Nutrition and meet the department’s eligibility criteria. Combined degree students must continue in the master’s program without interruption until completion or risk being dropped.  Combined degree students must apply and be granted a leave of absence in order to interrupt their studies.

1
Students must have established junior-level standing, or completion of 76 credits. Generally, this process is met at the beginning of the junior year. 

2
Complete the prerequisites to the M.S. in Nutrition program coursework: Human Physiology, Introductory and Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Advanced Nutrition, and Statistics. 

3
Have a completed all undergraduate general education requirements at the time of application. 

4
Hold a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in both College of Saint Elizabeth and transfer credits.

Upon acceptance into the Graduate Program in Nutrition, students in their senior year may use free electives to complete one graduate-level course from the Multidisciplinary MC 620 Ethical Issues (3 credits), and complete the following graduate-level professional concentration credits: FN 501 Medical Nutrition (4 credits), FN 502 Medical Nutrition Practice (2 credits), FN 655 Research Methods (3 credits – replaces FN 463), FN 677 Program Design and Management in Community Nutrition (3 credits – replaces FN 455). 

The fifteen (15) graduate-level professional concentration credits may only be applied to M.S. in Nutrition Program and cannot be applied to another graduate program or the Dietetic Internship.  Note: students who chose this option must complete the M.S. degree to receive the verification statement for the DPD.

Students accepted into the B.S./M.S. program may apply to the Dietetic Internship Program at the College of Saint Elizabeth under the Pre-Select Option.

  • Student must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA to be eligible.
  • Application material may be obtain from the Dietetic Internship Director after September 1st and must be returned by October 1st. 
  • Preselect decisions will be based on the applicant’s overall application packet, including GPA, a writing sample, evidence of work experience, recommendations and interview. 
  • Preselect decisions will be made by the Dietetic Internship Selection Committee and announced by November 1st. 
  • Applicants not admitted during this process may apply during the regular application process to this or any other program. 
  • Up to six of the dietetic internship slots may be awarded with this option.
  • There is no application fee for this option.
  • Applicants must have a Verification Statement to apply and must complete the MS in Nutrition degree requirements prior to the start date of the dietetic internship program.
College of Saint Elizabeth
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ 07960-6989
973-290-4000

© 2013 College of Saint Elizabeth
Contact Us Employment Feedback Maps & Directions Site Index