Master in Nutrition

Mission

The Mission of the Cedar Crest College Master in Nutrition is to develop leaders in the field of health promotion and disease prevention by providing the educational experiences that allow you to gain the competencies and skills needed to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health programing to meet the needs of diverse populations locally, nationally and globally.

The program’s curriculum will empower Registered Dietitians and other health professionals to take on the many nutrition challenges associated with public health. Graduate students will gain assessment and effective program planning skills through a comprehensive curriculum that prepares them to make a positive impact on the health of the community.

Mission of the Nutrition Program

In concert with the philosophy of Cedar Crest College and the Standards of Practice of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the nutrition program is committed to developing competent dietetic professionals who serve the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition and act with integrity and respect for differences.

The Master of Health Science Program Description

The 36 credit online curriculum for the Master in Nutrition is built on clearly defined competencies for advanced level application and practice, beyond the Baccalaureate entry level health professional. The nutrition focused curriculum is aimed to address population health, education theory and practice to facilitate behavior change as well as the monitoring and nutrition management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD). The program allows students and professionals to pursue elective coursework which will further support their professional goals. The Master in Nutrition Awards a Master’s Degree in Health Science (MHSc). The MHSc is an interprofessional course of study with an emphasis on health and healthcare and focusses on the role nutrition plays in the health of our communities.

Graduates will develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies needed through the following program competencies:

Domain 1. Advocacy/Public Policy:

• Influences decision makers related to public policy, resources and program services.

Domain 2 Education:

• Design, develop, direct, plan for implantation/or implement, and evaluate education and training programming in the identified focus area.

Domain 3 Application of Knowledge and Skills:

• Utilizes principles of cultural competency and ethical practice in program planning and assessment.
• Translates and applies evidence based research into program development, implementation and assessment.
• Design, develop, plan for implantation/or implement and evaluates programming to meet the needs of a specific population/organization

Domain 4 Scientific Inquiry:

• Conducts systematic review of the literature that identifies the weight of evidence including areas of consensus, inconsistency, and opportunities for further research, program development, and public policy.

Domain 5 Communication:

• Identifies and uses innovative, appropriate communication techniques and the most effective formats for the intended audience

Domain 6 Business Skills:

• Identifies, designs and applies operational systems to ensure effective and efficient outcomes.
• Identifies and applies appropriate quantitative and qualitative models to plan an improve effectiveness

The core curriculum also provides a comprehensive framework which aligns with the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing’s (NCHEC) National Health Educators Job Analysis (HEJA) based competency categories.

I. Assess needs, assets, and capacity for health education
II. Plan health education
III. Implement health education
IV. Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
V. Administer and manage health education
VI. Serve as a health education resource person. Communicate and advocate for health and health education

Program Outcomes

I. Eighty percent of all graduate students will earn >83% (meets expectations) on all graded assignments, identifying program competencies met.

II.Eighty percent of all graduate students will complete the Program within 6 months of their initial timeline, as reported on their admission essay.

III.Upon completion of the Program, 80% of graduates will agree or strongly agree that the Program’s online format proved successful in enabling them to achieve a graduate degree in their desired course of study.

IV.When surveyed one year after program completion, 80% of respondents will report that the Program was integral to achieving their professional goals.

General Admissions Requirements

Students are admitted to graduate programs at Cedar Crest College on the basis of individual qualifications. Requests for application materials and all correspondence relating to admission should be addressed to:

Cedar Crest College

School for Adult and Graduate Education

100 College Drive

Allentown, PA 18104-6196
Phone: 610-740-3770

Email:sage@cedarcrest.edu

Fax: 610-740-3786

Online Application Materials: www.cedarcrest.edu/apply

On campus, the main office for the School for Adult and Graduate Education is located in Blaney Hall, Room 105 and is open Monday--Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

The program has three semesters per calendar year (Fall, Spring Summer) A rolling admissions policy is in effect for this program. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a continuing basis throughout the year. Students may be admitted officially at the beginning of any academic term, including summer.

Standards for Admission

• A Bachelor of Science degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Completion of prerequisite coursework: Anatomy & Physiology I and II (or 1 semester of Pathophysiology) and Principles of Nutrition. Anatomy and Physiology I and II (or Pathophysiology) must be completed within 10 years of entering the program and Principles of Nutrition must be completed within 5 years of entering the program. If the applicant is a credentialed health practitioner who has been employed within their health care field since obtaining their practice credential, they may petition for a waiver of the time frame specified.
• A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate coursework
• Two letters of recommendation attesting to the student's abilities to successfully engage in graduate level studies.  One letter is preferred from a faculty member who can reflect on the student's prior academic performance.
• Current resume that lists all previous professional, job, and volunteer experiences
• Application Goal Statement describing your professional ambitions, motivation for seeking a Master in Nutrition, career goals, practicum interest, and timeline for completion
• Official transcript(s) from all colleges/universities previously attended (If previous coursework was completed outside of the United States, students should have their academic degree validated as equivalent to a degree in the United States through a non-profit agency, such as World Education Services www.wes.org.) 
• For international applicants official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Admissions Decisions

The Nutrition Department will make final admissions decisions on the basis of the following criteria: GPA, writing sample, letters of recommendation, related experience and background. Candidates will be considered from a holistic perspective. The Nutrition Department reserves the right to ask the prospective candidate for additional information.

Cedar Crest Dietetic Internship Credits and Enrollment

Students accepted to the Cedar Crest College Dietetic Internship are also accepted into the Master in Nutrition. Interns will earn twelve credits throughout the internship that are applied to the credits requirements for the Master in Nutrition. 

Credits earned in the Dietetic Internship will be applied to the nutrition and/or elective course requirements of the program.

Cedar Crest College Master in Nutrition, Dietetic Internship Pre-Select,

Master in Nutrition students that have completed a minimum of nine credits, have earned a Graduate GPA: 3.6 in courses completed at CCC (up to and including Fall Semester at the time of application) are eligible to participate in this CCC DI Preselect Process.

Students interested in the Pre-Select process must communicate their intent with the Master in Nutrition Program Director no later than the start of the Fall semester they plan on applying.

The CCC Master in Nutrition Preselect application process closes  at 5PM ET on the Monday before Thanksgiving

All Master in Nutrition Pre-Select applicants will be notified of acceptance in late December.

Accepted Preselect students must begin the CCC DI the following term, which begins with orientation in the summer. 
For more information about the CCC DI Please visit our website at http://www.cedarcrest.edu/di    

Up to 10 applicants who meet all qualifications will be admitted to the CCC DI though the Pre-Select process. (Note: The preselect pool includes students from both from the Master in Nutrition and/or the undergraduate DPD program). 

Cedar Crest College Master in Nutrition, Dietetic Internship Pre-Select

Master in Nutrition students that have completed a minimum of nine credits, have earned a Graduate GPA: 3.6 in courses completed at CCC (up to and including Fall Semester at the time of application) are eligible to participate in this CCCDI Preselect Process.

Students interested in the Pre-Select process must communicate their intent with the Master in Nutrition Program Director no later than the start of the Fall semester they plan on applying.

The CCC Master in Nutrition Preselect application process closes on the first Friday of January.

All Master in Nutrition Pre-Select applicants will be notified of acceptance by the last Monday of January.

Accepted Preselect students must begin the CCC DI the following term, which begins with orientation in the summer.

For more information about the CCC DI Please visit our website at http://www.cedarcrest.edu/di

Up to 10 applicants who meet all qualifications will be admitted to the CCC DI though the Pre-Select process. (Note: The preselect pool includes students from both from the Master in Nutrition and/or the undergraduate DPD program).

Acceptance of Transfer Credits/ Foreign Credit Evaluation

Students with the RD/RDN credential who completed a post-baccalaureate Dietetic Internship or post-baccalaureate /graduate Coordinated Program may waive nine credits from the nutrition /elective course requirements.

Students who hold the RD/RDN credential, who are graduates of baccalaureate level Coordinated Programs may waive a total of six credits from the nutrition /elective course requirements.

Students entering the program from other health professions may transfer up to 6 credits of graduate coursework. The transferred coursework, however, must be equivalent to courses competencies in the curriculum and must have been completed within five years of the date of enrollment in the program (the first day of classes of a student’s first academic year).

Once matriculated in the program, students will not receive any credit for coursework taken at another institution. Non-matriculated students who take program courses at Cedar Crest, may transfer all applicable Cedar Crest courses after matriculation.

If previous coursework was completed outside of the U.S, students should have their academic degree validated as equivalent to a degree in the U.S. through one of the following non-profit agencies:

World Education Service Credentials Evaluation Services, Inc

P.O. Box #745 P.O. Box 66940

Old Chelsea Station Los Angeles, CA 90066

New York, New York 10011 1-310-390-6276

1-212-966-6311
Education Credential International Education Consultants Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box #248233

P.O. Box #92970 Coral Gables, FL 33124

Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970 1-305-666-0233

1-414-289-3400
International Consultants Foreign Educational Document
of Delaware, Inc Service Credential

914 Pickett Lane P.O. Box #4019

Newark, DE 19711 Stockton, CA 95204

1-302-737-8715 1-209-948-6589
Association of International Evaluators

P.O. Box #6756 

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

1-888-263-2423

Matriculation

Accepted students are matriculated into the program once they have registered for classes during their first term of academic study. Any post-baccalaureate student wishing to register for a program course may do so without matriculating. Only matriculated students, however, can file for a degree.

Requirements for Continued Matriculation and Completion of Program

Students must complete every class with a minimum of a B. Students who receive a grade of B- or below or withdraw from a course are only allowed to repeat the class one time. If a student does not receive a grade of B or above the second time that the student takes a course, the student will be dismissed from the program. Students receiving a grade of F in a course taken for the first time may be subject to dismissal from the program.

Maximum Period of Candidacy

Students must complete the program in seven academic years beginning from the first term of matriculation.

Leave of Absence Policy

Students wishing to take a leave of absence from the program may request to do so in writing to the Program Director. The granting of the requested leave is at the discretion of the Program Director and pending approval from the Associate Provost of the School of Adult and Graduate Education.  The time frame associated with a leave of absence is not counted in the seven years necessary to complete the program.  Students who wish to withdraw from a course must consult with their advisor to determine how withdrawal from a course may impact their program completion timelines, Students are also strongly recommended to consult with Student Financial Services to determine any financial implications related to their change in course enrollment. 

A temporary grade of Incomplete (I) is only given to a student who is doing passing work in a course but who, for reasons beyond the student's control, is not able to complete the course requirements by the deadline for submitting grades. At least 80% of the assigned work for the class must have been completed with a current cumulative grade of B or above before a grade of "I" can be requested.

The student, who will provide proper written documentation of the reason for the request, must request an Incomplete. The student will also be required to submit a timeline for completion of remaining work for approval to the faculty member prior to approval for the “I” The Incomplete must be approved both by the instructor and by the Director of the graduate program in question.

The deadline for requesting an Incomplete grade is ordinarily the last day of classes for the semester in which the course is taken. However, in cases involving unusual circumstances, such as sickness or injury, a member of Academic Services Staff or the instructor may request an Incomplete on the student's behalf. A grade of "I" is not entered on a student’s permanent record.

Ordinarily, coursework must be completed within the first six weeks after the last day of the course’s culminating experience (e.g. final exam, final paper, final presentation). The instructor may choose to indicate on their reply to the Request for an Incomplete the grade the student should receive if no additional work is completed by the deadline specified. If the instructor does not turn in a grade within the six-week period and has not indicated a grade on the incomplete form, a grade of “F” will be recorded for the course

Reinstatement

If a student has been dismissed from the program for any reason, the student can reapply to the program but must wait one full academic year before doing so. Students coming back from a leave of absence will be reinstated into the program and will continue at the point where they left off.

Completion of the Graduate Program and Graduation

To successfully complete the Master in Nutrition a student must adhere to the following:

• Complete all graduate courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher  (minimum course grades of B).Apply to the Registrar for graduation at a specific scheduled graduation time.
• Complete all the requirements for the program.
• Fulfill all financial responsibilities to the College.

Graduate 2022-2023 Tuition and Fees

Master in Nutrition Graduate Tuition, per credit $750.00

All Undergraduate Evening/Weekend/Online courses $625.00

Audit Fee (non-refundable) per credit $203.00

Full-Time/Part-Time Student Activity Fee/semester$20.00
Full-Time Technology Fee, per semester $100.00

Part-Time Technology Fee, per semester $50.00

Note: The College reserves the right to change the fees and charges when necessary.

Preceptor Tuition Remission Policy

Preceptors for the Cedar Crest Didactic Program, Dietetic Internship and Master in Nutrition Program are eligible the equivalent remission of one credit hour for every 300 hours of precepting service for these Cedar Crest programs as follows:
a. The primary preceptor for any site is the person designated by Cedar Crest College Department of Nutrition as the person who earns the credit hours. The primary preceptor may, at their discretion, assign earned credits to other staff members who precept Cedar Crest students (“their designee”) with approval of the Chair of the Nutrition Department.
b. The credit hours earned are for service to the Program, not individuals. A preceptor will receive the equivalent remission of one credit hour for every 300 hours of precepting service for the Program, regardless of whether there is one student or more than one student at the site.
c. The credit hours earned through this credit remission process must be used within three years. They will expire at the end of year three corresponding to the term or semester in which the credit hour remission was initially earned.
d. The primary preceptor or their designee may use the credit towards a class for credit or to audit a course for the purpose of continuing education units.
e. The courses that may be taken by the primary preceptor or their designee with their credit can ONLY be used within the Nutrition Department at Cedar Crest College. However, they may be used for either graduate or undergraduate level courses.
f. The primary preceptor will be responsible for submitting ongoing preceptor hours to the Department of Nutrition.
g. The Department of Nutrition will be responsible for keeping a record of total hours and credit remission earned for primary preceptors or their designee(s).
h. The primary preceptor or their designee must accumulate 300 hours of preceptor time in order to be granted 1 credit of tuition remission. Tuition remission cannot be granted for less than 300 hours of total preceptor time.
i. For non-matriculating students who simply choose to audit nutrition courses for CEU credits, there will be no need to satisfy program prerequisites. For those preceptors who intend on pursuing the Master of Health Science degree at CCC, they will need to apply to the program first.

Advising

Students coming into the program will be contacted individually by the program director prior to their first term of academic study to develop a course progression plan. During this time, each student will be assigned an academic advisor who will be a member of the Master in Nutrition program faculty. Students are required to consult with their faculty advisor prior to registering each term to review their course plan and professional goals.

Graduate Student Handbook

Each student will be sent an electronic  copy of the Graduate Student Handbook prepared specifically for the Master in Nutrition. The purpose of the handbook is to provide students with information pertaining to the curricular requirements, policies and procedures associated with the program. Students must affirm their acceptance of all program requirements and responsibilities.  Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves and understanding the information presented in the Graduate Student Handbook. Questions regarding the content of the handbook should be directed to either the student’s faculty advisor or the Director of the Master in Nutrition Program.

Program Requirements

The Master in Nutrition is conducted completely on-line. Students will need access to a computer and working internet connection. Students must also be familiar with using the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Resources for on-line learning can be accessed on the Cedar Crest web site within the Cedar Crest online link at https://my.cedarcrest.edu/ICS/Current_Students/Cedar_Crest_Online.jnz

A total of 36 graduate coursework credits are needed for completion of the degree.

Students fulfilling curricular requirements for the Master in Nutrition degree must complete the following courses:

Core Courses (15 credits )

MHS 600 Health Statistics/Epidemiology (3 Credits)
MHS 601 Health Policy and Advocacy (3 Credits)
MHS 602 Evidence Analysis (3 Credits)
MHS 603 Health Program Planning and Management (3 Credits)
MHS 604 Culture and Ethics in Healthcare (3 Credits)

Capstone Courses (6 credits)
MHS 630 Practicum I (3 Credits)
MHS 631 Practicum II (3 Credits)
Or
MHS 632 Thesis I (3 Credits)
MHS 633 Thesis II (3 Credits)

MHS 635: Culminating Project: Maintenance of Candidacy (1 Credit)

Nutrition Courses (9 credits)
MHS 610 Health Education: Throughout the Lifespan (3 Credits)
MHS 613 Nutrition and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) (3 Credits)
MHS 614: Lifecycle Nutrition (3 Credits)

Electives (6 credits)
MHS 620: Advanced Concepts in the Treatment of Disordered Eating (3 credits)
Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Nutrition and the Health of the Public (3 credits)
MHS 621: Applied Sports Nutrition
Grantsmanship (3 credits)
Advanced Topics in Nutrition (Independent Study) (3 Credits)

Practicum or Thesis Summer Seminar (no credits)
All students entering the Practicum or Thesis sequence must participate in the Pre-Practicum or Pre-Thesis Workshop/Seminar and complete all associated work.  Failure to do so will result in removal from Practicum I or Thesis I.

Dietetic Internship Fast-Track Master’s

Interns who are enrolled in the Fast-Track Master’s will be required to complete the following courses:

DI Courses (12 credits)

NTR 572 Clinical Nutrition (3 credits)
NTR 573 Food Service Management (3 credits)
NTR 574 Community Nutrition (3 credits)
NTR 575 Advanced Community Nutrition (3 credits)

Core Courses (15credits )

MHS 600 Health Statistics/Epidemiology (3 Credits)
MHS 601 Health Policy and Advocacy (3 Credits)
MHS 602 Evidence Analysis (3 Credits)
MHS 603 Health Program Planning and Management (3 Credits)
MHS 604 Culture and Ethics in Healthcare (3 Credits)

Nutrition/Electives (3 credits)
One course from either the Nutrition Course or Electives List

Capstone Courses (6 credits)
MHS 630 Practicum I (3 Credits)
MHS 631 Practicum II (3 Credits)
Or
MHS 632 Thesis I (3 Credits)
MHS 633 Thesis II (3 Credits)