Master of Science and Dietetic Internship (MS/DI)

Curriculum

The UTMB Combined Master of Science Degree with Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) provides students with a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice experience in clinical, community, extended care, research, and food service management settings. Students enroll in hybrid didactic as well as dietetic internship supervised practice courses all four semesters of the program. The didactic courses meet in-person on Mondays with supplemental online instruction/learning while supervised practice is undertaken Tuesday through Friday.

The degree plan for the program is displayed below. All 5000 level courses are dietetic internship supervised practice rotations and are assessed pass/fail. These are repeatable, variable credit courses and a total of twenty 5000 level credits are required to meet the requirements for program completion. All 6000 level courses are hybrid (in-person + online) and are assessed with letter grades, i.e., A, B, C, and F. Students must successfully complete (grade C or better) all twenty-four 6000 level credits for program completion. Please see our most recent student handbook for additional details.

Degree Plan

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SemesterCourseTitleCredits
Fall INUTR 6109Professional Development1
Fall INUTR 6207Quality and Informatics I2
Fall INUTR 6209Evidence-Based Practice2
Fall INUTR 6210Nutrition Care Process2
Fall INUTR 500XSupervised Practice Course1-6
Total: 8-13
SpringNUTR 6109Professional Development1
SpringNUTR 6208Quality and Informatics II2
SpringNUTR 6211Clinical Nutrition I2
SpringNUTR 6213Regulation of Human Metabolism2
SpringNUTR 500XSupervised Practice Course1-6
Total: 8-13
SummerNUTR 6109Professional Development1
SummerNUTR 6212Clinical Nutrition II2
SummerNUTR 6214Behavior Counseling and Theories2
SummerNUTR 6215Epidemiology of Obesity2
SummerNUTR 500XSupervised Practice Course1-6
Total: 8-13
Fall IINUTR 6109Professional Development1
Fall IINUTR 6216Nutrition and Physical Activity2
Fall IINUTR 500XSupervised Practice Course1-6
Total: 4-10
Supervised Practice Courses (all required courses)
NUTR 5001Supervised Practice: Clinical
NUTR 5002Supervised Practice: Foodservice
NUTR 5003Supervised Practice: Community
NUTR 5004Supervised Practice: Selective/Specialty
NUTR 5005Supervised Practice: Staff Relief

Supervised Practice Courses will be taken simultaneously with core courses, per the direction of the Program Director. Credits hour per course varies from 1-6 Credits hours. Students must complete a total of 20 Credits hours.

Total Credits From Supervised Practice: 20 Credits

Total Degree Plan Credits: 44 Credits

Supervised Practice Rotations

Our collaborating healthcare facilities, school districts, research labs, business entities, and other affiliated agencies offering supervised practice experiences in clinical nutrition, food service operations management, community nutrition, research, and unique specialties are located primarily in the Galveston/Houston metropolitan area.

Our UTMB Galveston campus is the site for program orientation, MS degree coursework (6000 level courses), final evaluations, commencement/graduation, and multiple supervised practice rotations (5000 level courses). Supervised practice sites are determined exclusively by the program director and are based on criteria outlined in the student handbook. The availability of all supervised practice site locations is subject to change, often due to factors beyond the control of the UTMB MS/DI program. A reliable vehicle and the ability to travel to and from supervised practice sites per preceptor/site requirements is mandatory to successfully complete the internship.

The UTMB School of Health Professions maintains affiliation agreements with over 200 rotation sites, and the MS/DI program most frequently assigns students to the sites below.

Graduation Requirements

To successfully complete the UTMB combined MS/DI Program, the following must be achieved:

  1. Attendance and active participation during orientation and final evaluation week of the internship.
  2. Completion of all coursework and rotations within 24 months of matriculation.
    • Earn a passing grade in all didactic (6000 level) graduate courses.
    • Participate in internship presentations and other culminating experiences.
    • Complete a minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours
      • Acceptable preceptor evaluation rating and project performance to earn a passing grade for all 5000 level courses.
      • Completion and submission of evaluation forms, assignments, and case studies as required for each rotation.

An official Verification of Completion enabling the graduate to establish eligibility to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians will be provided by the program director after all requirements for program completion have been verified.

View information on dietetic registration, certification, and state licensure.


Site managed by the School of Health Professions • Last Updated: 14-SEP-2023