Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Master of Science in Dietetics


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The Coordinated Program in Dietetics (also referred to as CP or Program) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL  60606-6995
800/877-1600 ext. 5400
www.eatright.org

Career Opportunities

A degree in dietetics culminating with the registered dietitian credential provides many options for employment.  Job opportunities are available in the clinical area in hospitals, long-term care facilities, specialized healthcare settings, and insurance companies.

In addition, there are many opportunities in the community including positions in federal and state programs like the Women, Infant and Children’s Nutrition Program, Head Start and Area on Aging.  The food service industry is also a place for employment including hospitals, long-term care facilities, corporate operations and school systems.  Other areas where dietitians provide their expertise is in sports nutrition, universities, private practice, research, writing and other government agencies such as the FDA and the USDA.

For current information related to a career in dietetics please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Site, by clicking here.

Important Information

[Information Packet​ ] [Dietetics Infographic ] [Colorado Residents ] [Preceptor Handbook ] [Directions for Securing Distance-Online Preceptors ] [Practice Experience Site Map for MI & OH Distance-Online Students ]

Information/Group Advising Sessions for Dietetics Intent Students

On-campus information/group advising sessions and the online EMU Dietetics Information Session PowerPoint are designed to provide an introduction to the EMU Dietetics Program.

All interested students and potential applicants are strongly encouraged to view the Advising Session PowerPoint and/or attend a scheduled On-Campus Group Advising Session (Advising Session PowerPoint ).

Program Admission


***Please see the current academic year’s catalog for the most up to date program admission information.***

Eastern Michigan University offers two-degree programs in Dietetics, one ending in a Bachelor of Science and another ending with a Master of Science.

Applicants interested in either program will follow the same application process, and at the end of the process applicants will either be admitted into the bachelor’s degree program, master’s degree program, waitlisted, or not admitted.

The application process includes 5 components, as described below.

1) Undergraduate Application & Admission

Apply to and be accepted as an Eastern Michigan University student as an undergraduate student (first or second bachelor’s degree). Applicants who previously completed a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics need to contact the program before applying.

Please see emich.edu/admissions for general requirements and application. Submission of official transcripts from every institution from which the applicant received credit, is required. (International Transcripts - Post-secondary transcripts from a non-U.S. institution must be submitted directly to one of four approved evaluation services for a detailed, course by course report. See International Admission Checklist for additional information. Applicants should allow 2-6 weeks for the evaluation to be completed.)

Admission to the University is not a guarantee of entry into the dietetics program

2) Prerequisite Coursework

Once accepted to EMU as an undergraduate student with a dietetics intent major, the College of Health and Human Services Advising Office evaluates the student’s transcript(s) to determine which prerequisites the student still needs to complete.

Prerequisite courses cannot be older than ten years at the time of Dietetics program application (except for General Psychology and Statistics, which have no time limit). Satisfactory completion (C or above) of all prerequisite courses (pre-application and pre-admission) is required before starting the CP in the fall.

Pre-Application Phase: 20-21 hours

Pre-application course GPA must be 3.0 or higher.

The following prerequisites are to be completed prior to submitting the Prerequisite & Reference Form (See details below).

Pre-Admission Phase: 14-15 hours

The following prerequisite courses may be completed before applying for the program but must be completed before enrolling in courses listed under Major Requirements. These must be completed with a transcript submitted to the Program Director by September 1 of the year the student begins the program. Completing Pre-Admission Phase courses prior to applying strengths a candidate’s application.

Pre-Program Course Requirement: 2 hours

DTC 230 - Fundamentals in Nutrition Therapy  is required for all students accepted into the CP and alternates. This course will be offered in Summer II only. The Program Director will provide permission to register for those students accepted into the CP.

3) Prerequisite & References Form

After completing, at a minimum, the Pre-Application Phase prerequisite courses, an applicant must complete a Prerequisite & References form.

Reference providers can be professional or academic (not family members) and should be chosen based on their ability to assess multiple characteristics.

   

The form asks the applicant to list the course number, title, university, the year it was taken, credit hours, and final grade for each completed prerequisite course, as well as, provide the contact information for two references. The listed references are e-mailed a reference form to complete and return.

The deadline for completing this form is January 2, 2019.

Instructions for students who already had paper references completed (2019 application year only): After student submits prerequisite and reference form and pays the fee, they should physically hand references to Mandy Niemiec (Marshall 214) or Sandy Pernecky (Rackham 260) or SHS Office (Marshall 313), to place in Sandy Pernecky’s mail file. A receipt email will be provided.

4) Program Application

Having received the applicant’s Prerequisite Form, program faculty will determine if they meet the minimum qualifications to proceed with the application process. Applicants invited to apply will receive a link to a Kira Talent check-in page.

The program application deadline for both delivery methods is January 15, 2019, at 5 pm, EST for consideration for entrance into the Coordinated Program the following Fall semester; the program only begins in the Fall semester.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required to apply, including all previous college-level courses. If a student does not meet the 2.75 minimum overall/cumulative GPA requirement, they are not automatically ineligible to apply. They may retain eligibility by carrying a prerequisite GPA (pre-application courses only) of 3.5 or higher.

A minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 is required to apply. This is comprised of the six pre-application phase courses

A screening procedure is used for cohort selection that evaluates:

  • GPA - Cumulative & Prerequisite Courses
  • Two Reference Forms
  • Personal statement
  • Answers to application questions
  • Overall application
  • Online assessment
  • Committee input

Based on accreditation and the availability of supervised practice experience sites, the CP limits the number of students admitted to each class

The Program Application includes three parts, as detailed below. All three parts are submitted through Kira Talent (A link will be provided by the Dietetics Program).

Part I - Document A (.pdf)

The applicant will upload Document A (.pdf), to Kira. The file name must be formatted as, LAST NAME.FIRST NAME.MIDDLE INITIAL.A.pdf (e.g., SMITH.JOE.A.A.pdf). The required contents of Document A, are as follows:

Face Sheet

Document A (.pdf) requires a FACE SHEET as the first page (template ).

Section #1: Resume

Provide an up-to-date resume (template ).

Section #2: Volunteer Verification

Applicants for the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of volunteering at a venue or venues of their choice, preferably related to nutrition, food or health care. These hours must be completed post-high school and most occur within 5 years of applying. Please include documentation of all volunteer hours completed (Volunteer Form ).

Section #3: Personal Statements

Answers to questions about what brought you to dietetics and what makes you a good fit for the program at EMU and a letter to the program director (Additional Information ).

Section #4: Physical & Mental Requirements

Review and sign the Physical and Mental Requirements Form .

Part II - Document B (.pdf)

The applicant will upload Document B (.pdf) to Kira. The file name must be formatted as, LAST NAME.FIRST NAME.MIDDLE INITIAL.B.pdf (e.g., SMITH.JOE.A.B.pdf). The required contents of Document B, are as follows:

Face Sheet

Document B (.pdf) requires a FACE SHEET as the first page (template ).

Section #5: Immunization Proof

Provide proof of all required immunizations and vaccinations. A complete list of these requirements can be found in the Immunization & Physical Exam Form . 

Section #6: Preceptors

This section is ONLY for distance-online applicants

Provide documentation showing you’ve secured all required Supervised Practice Experience preceptors to apply for year one of the program. Please provide all of the information listed in the Preceptor Summary Form for the four preceptors secured for year 1 in the program and year 2 final Nutrition Therapy III Experience. 

Online Commitment Form   

Preceptor Summary Form   

Part III – Timed Video and Written Assessment

In addition to uploading the two documents (.pdf) to the online application, applicants are required to complete a timed video and written assessment. The timed video and written assessment will be accessed through the link sent to the applicant. This part of the program application allows program faculty to better get to know the applicant. Applicants can expect to be asked a series of questions about their motivations for applying to the program.

Please note that you will need a computer with a webcam and microphone for this assessment.

5) Graduate School Application

If accepted to Master of Science in Dietetics Program, the applicant will process a Graduate School Application prior to July 15 of the year starting the program (students are responsible for any deadlines related to financial aid).

  • Submit a Graduate School Application (emich.edu/graduate/apply)
  • Pay $45 application fee
  • Submit Transcripts to Eastern Michigan University

Transcripts can be submitted by e-mail or mail:

Option 1

transcripts_admissions@emich.edu

Option 2

Office of Admissions
Eastern Michigan University
P.O Box 970
Ypsilanti, MI 4819


Note - Individuals interested in Fall 2019 admission must adhere to the criteria and process outlined above. For archived Fall 2018 program admission information see the 2017-2018 Graduate Catalog.

Online Education for Out-of-State Students


It is great that you are considering Eastern Michigan University for your online degree program. Before you apply, though, it is critical that you make sure you are eligible to enroll in a program based in Michigan. EMU is an approved State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) Participant. That means EMU can enroll students into online programs who live in any SARA member state without seeking additional authorization from that particular state. 

Check your eligibility to attend EMU: Is your state a SARA member? If yes, you are eligible to enroll in an EMU–Online program. If your state is not a SARA member, you may still be eligible to enroll at Eastern Michigan University. For more information, please click here.

School Information


Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Services

Colleen Croxall, Ph.D. | Director | 313 Marshall | 734.487.4096 | ccroxall@emich.edu

Advisor Information


Program Advising | 260 Rackham | 734.487.3713 | dieteticsms_advising@emich.edu

Program Information


Continuance

Once students have been accepted into the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP), it is assumed that they will maintain their academic status.

In preparing for a professional career in dietetics, students are expected to assume responsibility for their learning, to support the ethics and standards of practice of their profession and to value honesty in the fulfillment of scholarly and professional endeavors. The department reserves the right to retain only those students who, in the judgment of the faculty, satisfy the requirements of scholarship and practice competence and personal integrity suitable to dietetics. Specific continuance policy details are available in the Student Handbook found on the Dietetics & Human Nutrition website.

Registration in Dietetics

Upon successful completion of the coordinated program in dietetics curriculum and degree, students will be eligible to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians through the Commission on Dietetics Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Passage of the exam will provide the recognized credential of Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) action to change the degree requirement for dietitian registration eligibility from a baccalaureate degree to a graduate degree will be effective January 1, 2024. For further information, please see the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Degree Requirements: 73-76 hours


Semester Credit Hour Limit Waiver - Students in this program are granted a waiver of the University requirement that “Graduate Students may not enroll in more than 15 hours for any semester.”

Culminating Experience: 3-6 hours


Select from option I, option II, or option III:

  • Option I - Thesis: 6 hours

    The thesis option involves a research study that is planned, executed, and written in thesis format. This option includes three classes (six credit hours). Each student must have a committee of at least two people; the thesis chair must have a PhD and be an EMU faculty. More specifically, the thesis consists of a research study that requires 5 chapters detailing the study. Statistical analysis is the responsibility of the student. Chapters 1-3 are a proposal of the study, written in Thesis I. Chapter 1 is the introduction, chapter 2 is the review of literature, and chapter 3 is the methodology (how you will do the study). Thesis II involves data collection and statistical analysis of the data. Chapters 4 (Results) and 5 (Conclusions) are written. Thesis III involves dissemination of the research through a poster presentation or an article in a peer-reviewed journal.

  • 2 hrs
  • 3 hrs
  • 1 hr
  •  

    Option II - Non-Thesis Research: 6 hours

    The research option is a three class series (six credit hours) working with one professor on a project that the student and professor agree on. More specifically, you may follow the same format as the thesis without the complicated statistics. You may also choose something completely different. For example, one student has designed a module to train future students on autism. In addition, students are guided toward submitting manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals.

  • 2 hrs
  • 3 hrs
  • 1 hr
  •  

    Option III - Research Writing: 3 hours

    The research writing option is one class (three credit hours) focused on biomedical research writing. Students complete a series of assignments in research writing; complete a newsletter article, and a short manuscript that is distributed electronically to faculty and staff in the School of Health Sciences at the end of the semester.

  • 3 hrs

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