The Healthcare System is Changing Rapidly
Health professions have increased educational standards beyond the bachelor’s degree; in fact, the Commission on Dietetic Registration has increased the requirements to be eligible to take the Registration Exam for Dietitians to the completion of a master’s degree beginning in 2024. To remain competitive in the field and obtain the advanced competencies and skills needed in the job market, completion of a master’s degree is becoming essential.
Curriculum Overview
The M.S. in Clinical Nutrition is focused on core nutrition, clinical nutrition, professional skills, and electives. This is advanced learning at its best, and is ideal for people with a strong background in clinical nutrition, confidence working at the graduate level, and a commitment to become leaders in clinical nutrition and dietetics. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to translate research; recognize and formulate responses to evolving developments in clinical nutrition practice, policy, and research; and lead and manage professional teams to design nutrition-related services.
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website. Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online. |
| Fall Deadline | February 15 |
| Spring Deadline | November 1 |
| Summer Deadline | March 1 |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency). |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
General Admission Requirements
All applicants must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or its equivalent and a minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
- Have completed the following prerequisite courses:
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Biological sciences
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Statistics
- Human nutrition
- Clinical Nutrition
Application Process
To ensure full consideration for admission into the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition, it is strongly recommended that applications be completed by:
- Fall semester: February 15
- Spring semester: November 1
- Summer semester: March 1
Applications received after their respective deadlines will be considered as space permits. Review of applications for admissions are reviewed immediately after respective deadlines, applicants can usually expect to be notified a month after deadlines.
Steps to apply are listed below:
1. Complete a UW–Madison Graduate School Electronic Application.
The electronic application includes:
a. Reasons for Graduate Study. Please include a brief statement about your professional goals, and reasons for applying.
b. Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required. All letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the admission application.
c. TOEFL scores, if necessary.
d. Unofficial transcript, submitted electronically.
2. Be sure to closely follow the Steps to Apply for Graduate School and watch your application status page through MyUW for missing checklist items or additional information.
For any questions or if you need additional information please go over the Graduate Admissions FAQ, or send an email to the graduate program coordinator: Katie Butzen, kbutzen@wisc.edu.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Students enrolled in these programs are not permitted to accept teaching assistantships, project assistantships, research assistantships or other appointments that would result in a tuition waiver. Our program does offer scholarship opportunities.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
MODE OF INSTRUCTION
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | Yes | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students are able to complete a program with minimal disruptions to careers and other commitments. Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments. Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus. Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information. Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format. |
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | Half of degree coursework (15 credits out of 30 total credits) must be completed graduate-level coursework; courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university's Course Guide (https://registrar.wisc.edu/course-guide/). |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Students must earn a B or above in all core curriculum coursework. |
| Assessments and Examinations | No formal examination is required. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR SCI 650 | Advanced Clinical Nutrition: Critical Care and Nutrition Support | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 651 | Advanced Clinical Nutrition - Pediatrics | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 652 | Advanced Nutrition Counseling and Education | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 653 | Clinical Nutrition Research | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 710 | Human Energy Metabolism | 2 |
| NUTR SCI 711 | Personalized Nutrition: Genetics, Genomics, and Metagenomics | 1 |
| NUTR SCI 715 | Micronutrients: Human Physiology and Disease | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 720 | Advanced Nutrition Assessment | 1 |
| NUTR SCI 721 | Nutrition Informatics | 1 |
| NUTR SCI 725 | Advanced Community Nutrition | 1 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
In addition, students are required to complete 4 credits of “Professional Skills” from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Connected Learning Essentials | ||
| Writing for Professionals | ||
| Professional Presentations | ||
| Managing Digital Information | ||
| Ethics for Professionals | ||
| Marketing for Non-Marketing Professionals | ||
| Leading Teams | ||
| Project Management Essentials | ||
| Total Credits | 4 | |
Students are also required to complete 5 credits from the following (Note: A maximum of 3 credits from E P D courses may be used to fulfill this requirement):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select a total of 5 credits: | 5 | |
| Evidence-Based Decision-Making | ||
| Health Systems, Management, and Policy | ||
| Principles of Environmental Health: A Systems Thinking Approach | ||
| Public Health Policy and Politics | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Organizational Communication and Problem Solving 1 | ||
| Change Management 1 | ||
| Creating Breakthrough Innovations 1 | ||
| Key Legal Concepts for Professionals 1 | ||
| Financial and Business Acumen 1 | ||
| Effective Negotiation Strategies 1 | ||
| Interdisciplinary Care of Children with Special Health Care Needs | ||
| Nutrition and Dietetics Practicum I 2 | ||
| Nutrition and Dietetics Practicum II 2 | ||
| 1 | Any E P D course (E P D 700, E P D 701, E P D 702, E P D/L I S 703, E P D/GEN BUS/M H R 783, E P D/GEN BUS/OTM 784) not used in “4 credits of Professional Skills” requirement above; courses may not count twice. |
| 2 | Only available to UWHC Dietetic Interns. |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 5 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
No credits from a UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to count toward the degree.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval and payment of the difference in tuition (between Special and graduate tuition), students are allowed to count no more than 14 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
ProbatioN
The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
-
Good standing (progressing according to standards; any funding guarantee remains in place).
-
Probation (not progressing according to standards but permitted to enroll; loss of funding guarantee; specific plan with dates and deadlines in place in regard to removal of probationary status).
-
Unsatisfactory progress (not progressing according to standards; not permitted to enroll, dismissal, leave of absence or change of advisor or program).
Students must be in good academic standing with the Graduate School, their program, and their advisor. The program director and the Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who received grades of BC, C, D, F, or I in courses numbered 300 or above, or grades of U in research and thesis. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment, and the student may be suspended from graduate studies.
The program director and the Graduate School may also put students on probation for incompletes not cleared within one term. All incomplete grades must be resolved before a degree is granted.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
All students are required to conduct a yearly progress report meeting with their advisor, scheduled by December 17 and completed by April 30.
Failure to do so will result in a hold being placed on the student’s registration. The meeting may be held via telephone, skype, or in person.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
15 credits
Time Constraints
Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence.
Students may count the coursework completed before their absence for meeting graduate degree credit requirements; the Graduate School will not count that work toward the Graduate School’s minimum residence credit minimum.
grievances and appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Grievance Policy
In the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), any student who feels unfairly treated by a member of the CALS faculty or staff has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing. Some complaints may arise from misunderstandings or communication breakdowns and be easily resolved; others may require formal action. Complaints may concern any matter of perceived unfairness.
To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect the rights of both the person complaining and the person at whom the complaint is directed, the following procedures are used in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these procedures, except employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies.
- The student should first talk with the person at whom the complaint is directed. Most issues can be settled at this level. Others may be resolved by established departmental procedures.
- If the student is unsatisfied, and the complaint involves any unit outside CALS, the student should seek the advice of the dean or director of that unit to determine how to proceed.
- If the complaint involves an academic department in CALS the student should proceed in accordance with item 3 below.
- If the grievance involves a unit in CALS that is not an academic department, the student should proceed in accordance with item 4 below.
- The student should contact the department’s grievance advisor within 120 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment. The departmental administrator can provide this person’s name. The grievance advisor will attempt to resolve the problem informally within 10 working days of receiving the complaint, in discussions with the student and the person at whom the complaint is directed.
- If informal mediation fails, the student can submit the grievance in writing to the grievance advisor within 10 working days of the date the student is informed of the failure of the mediation attempt by the grievance advisor. The grievance advisor will provide a copy to the person at whom the grievance is directed.
- The grievance advisor will refer the complaint to a department committee that will obtain a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, providing a copy to the student. Either party may request a hearing before the committee. The grievance advisor will provide both parties a written decision within 20 working days from the date of receipt of the written complaint.
- If the grievance involves the department chairperson, the grievance advisor or a member of the grievance committee, these persons may not participate in the review.
- If not satisfied with departmental action, either party has 10 working days from the date of notification of the departmental committee action to file a written appeal to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. A subcommittee of this committee will make a preliminary judgement as to whether the case merits further investigation and review. If the subcommittee unanimously determines that the case does not merit further investigation and review, its decision is final. If one or more members of the subcommittee determine that the case does merit further investigation and review, the subcommittee will investigate and seek to resolve the dispute through mediation. If this mediation attempt fails, the subcommittee will bring the case to the full committee. The committee may seek additional information from the parties or hold a hearing. The committee will present a written recommendation to the dean who will provide a final decision within 20 working days of receipt of the committee recommendation.
- If the alleged unfair treatment occurs in a CALS unit that is not an academic department, the student should, within 120 calendar days of the alleged incident, take his/her grievance directly to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The dean will attempt to resolve the problem informally within 10 working days of receiving the complaint. If this mediation attempt does not succeed the student may file a written complaint with the dean who will refer it to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. The committee will seek a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, subsequently following other steps delineated in item 3d above.
Other
Students enrolled in these programs are not permitted to accept teaching assistantships, project assistantships, research assistantships or other appointments that would result in a tuition waiver. Students in these programs cannot enroll in other graduate programs nor take courses outside the prescribed curriculum.
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
- Articulating and integrating specialized knowledge in the field of advanced clinical nutrition – including energy metabolism, micronutrient requirements, and nutrigenomics needed to meet the challenges of future careers and opportunities.
- Articulating and demonstrating advanced skills in nutritional assessment and nutritional care of patients with complicated disorders/diseases in a clinical or community setting.
- Demonstrating advanced skills in nutrition counseling and education needed to precipitate behavior and cognitive change.
- Formulating systems to gather, analyze and interpret data from a practice setting to develop appropriate protocols and care plans using the nutritional care process.
- Formulate problem statements and writing research proposals using appropriate study design.
- Demonstrating an ability to understand, interpret, evaluate, and design clinical nutrition research.
- Demonstrating high level problem-solving, critical thinking, and use of informatics required in advanced clinical nutrition practice.
- Demonstrating advanced professional skills in communication, information and project management, leadership, and ethics.
Faculty
Dave Eide (Department Chair), PhD 1987
Program Manager
Makayla Schuchardt, MS, RDN, CNSC mlschuchardt@wisc.edu
Graduate Coordinator
Katie Butzen, MS, kbutzen@wisc.edu
Faculty Associate
Michelle Johnson, MS, RD
Nathan Johnson, PhD
Tara LaRowe, PhD, RDN
Amber Haroldson, PhD, RDN
Taiya BAch, MPH, RDN