MS in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship

Overview

The Keene State College combined Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship (MSDI) cultivates leaders as Public Health Dietitian Nutritionists to inform, educate, and empower the public about health and nutrition issues. Through a policy, systems, and environmental focus, graduates will form community, state and national partnerships and collaborate to identify and solve pressing health and nutrition concerns.

In the MSDI, graduate students will complete a minimum of 1,200 hours supervised practice in clinical, food service management, community, and specialty rotations (14 credits) in addition to 31 credit hours of graduate coursework. The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) in conjunction with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) is working towards the new education model for practice in nutrition and dietetics, which will require a Master’s degree to qualify for the national registration exam to be credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist after January 1st 2024. The KSC MSDI will meet all requirements established by ACEND and CDR.

Attend a Virtual Open House!

The stand-alone KSC dietetic internship is no longer available.

Accreditation Status

Keene State’s Dietetics Internship program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The KSC MSDI was provided provisional accreditation through ACEND in January 2020. Program Outcome Data for Stand-Alone KSC DI Available Upon Request

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995 (800) 877-1600 www.eatrightpro.org

What, Who, Why, How

What is the MSDI at Keene State?

The Keene State College combined Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship (MSDI) is a 22-month long, full-time program for people who have bachelor’s degree in a nutrition-related field and who can provide verification that they have completed the Didactic Programs in Dietetics (DPD) coursework.

It combines rotations working in clinical, food service management, community, and specialty settings. We are unique in that we provide diverse dietetic training while offering interns an opportunity to fully invest in a region within New Hampshire. At the start of the program, interns are placed in one of four regions throughout the state and complete most, if not all, supervised practice rotations within that geographic area. This will allow them to connect with their local community and develop a deeper understanding of the role of the RD throughout a population and system.

Who applies to the MSDI?

MSDI candidates are people who would like to become Master Prepared Registered Dietitians (RDs). Completion of an ACEND accredited MSDI program and the receipt of a Verification Statement from the MSDI Director qualifies graduates to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitian Nutritionists administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

More information about the RDN exam can be found here.

All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure and certification requirements. The KSC MSDI curriculum meets State requirements for licensure/certification including education, supervised practice and eligibility to sit for the CDR exam upon receiept of a verification statement. If a graduate wishes to obtain New Hampshire State licensure, they must first hold an RDN card, verifying registration. They then must submit the following to the New Hampshire Board of Licensed Dietitians, Office of Professional Licensure & Certification (121 South Fruit Street, Suite 303, Concord, NH 03301):

Completed application form, available here
Passport-type photograph
A letter of verification of their RDN status sent from CDR, sent directly to the Board (see address above)
A check or money order in the amount of $110.00 made payable to: Treasurer, state of New Hampshire
Transcript sent from school granting highest relevant degree directly to the Board (see address above)
Verification Statement document from MSDI.

Additional information about New Hampshire state licensure can be found here

Additional information about US state licensure/certification can be found here.

Why become a Registered Dietitian?

Registered Dietitian (RD) credentials qualify food and nutrition specialists for careers in health-care facilities as nutritional counselors and educators, in institutions like schools and hospitals as food service managers, in community and public health settings, in food and nutrition-related businesses and industries, in nutritional research, in private practice as consultants and educators, and more.

How does the application process work?

The Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship accepts 10 graduate students/interns annually. Applying to the program is a multi-step process completed through the Dietetic Internship Computerized Application Services (DICAS), D&D Digital, and the College. Participation in the DICAS application process and matching process through D&D Digital allows prospective students to apply to more than one program.

The Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship requires applicants to also submit an application to the College through Graduate Studies. The graduate school application fee and additional requirements have been waived.

Online application

In addition to the DICAS standardized application, D&D Digital ranking and graduate studies application, the KSC MSDI requires supplemental documentation including a professional portfolio. Additional information is available here

The Program

The MS in Public Health Nutrition with Dietetic Internship (MSDI) encourages interns to work at the community, county and state level with a strong focus in population health. Students will work within counties and public health networks throughout New Hampshire to complete their experiential learning hours in food service management, counseling, clinical, specialty, community and public health. Our fully online Masters provides students with the flexibility to complete coursework on their time and invest in the community that they live.

Each year, the KSC MSDI will accept 10 applicants during Spring match through DICAS.

MSDI Course Sequence

FIRST YEAR (Total Credit Hours: 24)

Special Summer Session (6 Weeks, 6 Credits Total)

PH 601 Food Systems and Sustainability (2 Credits)
PH 602 Food and Nutrition Policy, Programs and Services (2 Credits)
PH 630 Dietetic Internship (2 Credits)

Fall Semester (9 Credits Total)

PH 603 Advanced Nutrition Counseling and Assessment (3 Credits)
PH 604 Learning Theory: Practical Applications throughout the Lifespan (3 Credits)
PH 630 Dietetic Internship (3 Credits)

Spring Semester (9 Credits Total)

PH 615 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 Credits)
PH 605 Nutritional Epidemiology (3 Credits)
PH 630 Dietetic Internship (3 Credits)

SECOND YEAR (Total Credit Hours: 24)

Summer Session (6 Credits Total)

PH 618 Advanced Nutritional Biochemistry (3 Credits)
PH 608 International Health (3 Credits)

Fall Semester (9 Credits Total)

PH 620 Advanced MNT (3 Credits)
PH 612 Public Health Nutrition I: Capstone (3 Credits)
PH 630 Dietetic Internship (3 Credits)

Spring Semester (9 Credits Total)

PH 616 Research Methods and Design (3 Credits)
PH 614 Public Health Nutrition II: Capstone (3 Credits)
PH 630 Dietetic Internship (3 Credits)

For Course Descriptions, visit the academic catalog here

Transfer Credits

MSDI Students can request that up to 12 credits from other institutions be transferred. These must have been completed with a grade of ‘B-’ or better and cannot have been counted towards the awarding of another degree. The decision to accept transfer credits is fully at the discretion of the Graduate Program Coordinator and/or by committee or other review process set up by the academic degree program. Documentation of transfer credit acceptance must follow standard KSC procedures set by the Registrar.
Graduate level courses taken elsewhere can be evaluated by MSDI faculty for satisfying specific course requirements for the master’s degree. For consideration, students must supply the syllabus that lists course outcomes and assessment methods, and have earned a “B-“ or better in the course under consideration.
MSDI students who have completed the B.S. in Public Health/Nutrition and/or the Dietetic Internship at KSC, the following courses will be considered based on grade earned, and semester completed:

PH 415 Nutritional Biochemistry: If KSC B.S. Public Health/Nutrition students have earned an “A” or “AB” in fall 2018, 2019 or 2020, PH 615 Nutritional Biochemistry can be “waived”.
EDUCCI 698 Research and Public Practice: If Dietetic Intern alumni took this course in spring 2021, it will satisfy PH 602 Food and Nutrition Policy.
EDUC 690 Food, Wellness and the Social Environment: If Dietetic Intern alumni took this course in spring 2020 or spring 2021, it will satisfy PH 601 Food Systems and Sustainability.

Financial Aid

For more information about financial aid visit the KSC Financial aid website.

Length

The MSDI is a 22-month long, full-time program with a minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised practice coordinated with asynchronous online graduate coursework. Orientation begins the last week of June with classes and supervised practice beginning the first full week after the July 4th holiday. The program concludes in May, 22-months after the start, with the Keene State College commencement ceremony.

Program Completion Requirements

Interns will be supported and assisted by the MSDI staff in order to successfully complete the program. In order to be eligible to graduate the graduate student/intern must:

Meet all core competencies as outlined by ACEND
Meet all program competencies as outlined by the KSC MSDI
Complete the minimum of 1,200 hours of practical experience
Receive a rating of “3” or greater on a 4 point Likert scale on final evaluation forms
Earn a B or higher in all graduate coursework
Complete all of the performance requirements of graduate courses
Fulfill all financial obligations of the internship (tuition and program fees)

Supervised Practice Rotations

Clinical (480 Hours)

Food Service Management (200 Hours)

Specialty (120 Hours)

Public Health and Community Nutrition (400 Hours)

More Information Coming Soon