Curriculum and Graduation Requirements

The M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics program has two tracks, which differ in entrance pathway and length only:

Track One: for students who have an earned a baccalaureate degree and meet program prerequisite courses (17 months)
Track Two: for Virginia Tech HNFE B.S. DIET option students to apply for an accelerated B.S./M.S. option (20 months)

Graduation requirements:

In order to earn a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics diploma, the student must a) complete all courses with a grade of “B-” or higher; and b) receive a passing grade for all Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) rotations (HNFE 5754: Internship in HNFE). Students must also maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all courses on their graduate plan of study and demonstrate all ACEND summative competency evaluations at the “competent” level or higher. Successful completion the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics degree coursework and demonstration of all ACEND competencies results in the conferral of a Master’s degree and issuance of an ACEND verification statement resulting in eligibility to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR).

All students must complete 51 credits of graduate level courses and supervised experiential learning (SEL) in order to fulfill program requirements and graduate. Students enrolled in track 1 and 2 will each follow the same curriculum, however the order of the coursework and SEL experiences are different. Students will be enrolled in 19-credits of SEL (HNFE 5754: Internship in HNFE), with each credit hour being the equivalent of approximately 50 hours of supervised practice. Successful completion of the program is dependent upon students demonstrating all ACEND-outlined competencies at the “competent” level or higher. Some students may require additional time than what is estimated for each track to successfully demonstrate these competencies within the coursework and SEL experiences. Students are responsible for extra tuition required to extend the program beyond the allocated timeline in order to demonstrate competency.

Assessment of Prior Learning and Course Substitutions

All graduate-level courses must be taken at Virginia Tech. Students that have taken Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) at the undergraduate level at Virginia Tech (HNFE 4125, HNFE 4126) and would like to receive credit for the 5000-level course (HNFE 5125G, HNFE 5126G) must have the instructor submit a plan to achieve necessary competencies not covered in the undergraduate level course. These students will be required to enroll in a one credit independent study of MNT per semester (two credits total) to meet additional competencies not met through the undergraduate course. These students will also be required to take additional credits of graduate coursework to fulfill the four remaining credits to reach the program’s required 51 credits. Students will work with the assistant director to determine specific changes to their plan of study. Any other changes to the program plan of study are subject to final approval from the program director.

Track One Curriculum Timeline (17 months)

First Year: Fall

HNFE 5125G – Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3)
HNFE 5154 – Research Methods in Nutrition and Physical Activity (3)
Elective course (3c)
HNFE 5984 – SS: Foundations in Nutrition Counseling and Communication (2)
ALS 5024 – Building Multicultural Competency in Agriculture and Life Sciences (1)
HNFE 5304 – Principles of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice (2)
Total: 14 credits

First Year: Spring
HNFE 5126G – Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3)
HNFE 5324 – Public Health Nutrition Policies and Programs (3)
HNFE 5344 – Nutrition Counseling for Behavior Change (3)
HNFE 5314 – Business of Dietetics and Healthcare (3)
HNFE 5754 – Dietetics and Professional Management SEL (2)
Total: 14 credits

First Year: Summer
HNFE 5354 – Food for Optimal Health (3)
HNFE 5754 – Community Nutrition SEL (4)
HNFE 5754 – Foodservice Management SEL (3)
Total: 10 credits

Second Year: Fall
HNFE 5394 – Professional Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (1)
NFE 5334 – Clinical Nutrition Care Applications (2)
HNFE 5754 – Clinical Nutrition SEL (10)
Total: 13 credits

Total program: 51 credits

HNFE 5754 = Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) Rotations
One credit equates to approximately 50 hours supervised experiential learning.

Track Two Curriculum Timeline (20 months)

First Year: Fall*
HNFE 5125G - Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3)
HNFE 5984 – SS: Foundations in Nutrition Counseling and Communication (2)
ALS 5024 – Building Multicultural Competency in Agriculture and Life Sciences (1)
Total: 6 credits

First Year: Spring*
HNFE 5126G - Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3)
HNFE 5324 - Public Health Nutrition Policies and Programs (3)
Total: 6 credits

*Courses from first year fall and first year spring are in addition to any undergraduate courses needed to finish DPD program. HNFE 5125G and HNFE 5126G are dual counted towards both B.S.. and M.S. degrees. After the first year, spring students will graduate with UG DPD and officially become graduate students.

First Year: Summer
HNFE 5354 - Food for Optimal Health (3)
HNFE 5344 - Nutrition Counseling for Behavior Change (3)
HNFE 5314 - Business of Dietetics and Healthcare (3)
HNFE 5754 - Dietetics and Professional Management SEL (2)
Total: 11 credits

Second Year: Fall
HNFE 5304 – Principles of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice (2)
HNFE 5154 – Research Methods in Nutrition and Physical Activity (3)
Elective course (3c)
HNFE 5754 – Community Nutrition SEL (4)
HNFE 5754 – Foodservice Management SEL (3)
Total: 15 credits  

Second Year: Spring
HNFE 5394 - Professional Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (1)
HNFE 5334 - Clinical Nutrition Care Applications (2)
HNFE 5754 – Clinical Nutrition SEL (10)
Total: 13 credits

Total program: 51 credits

HNFE 5754 = Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) Rotations
One credit equates to approximately 50 hours supervised experiential learning.

The program will follow the university’s academic calendar and will comply with their deadlines. Any changes to dates or deadlines related to the program will be communicated directly with the students (more information about Virginia Tech dates and deadlines).