Accelerated BS/MS in Nutrition (DPD)

This pathway is for third year NFS majors who are interested in completing their degree and then continuing at Hunter to obtain a master’s degree and verification statement (students will be provisionally accepted into the program in their junior year but must maintain grade requirements to matriculate into the MS-DPD program).

This accelerated pathway provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to remain at Hunter for their graduate coursework providing students the opportunity for academic acceleration to a graduate degree.

Since the MS-Nutrition curriculum meets the didactic program in dietetics (DPD) requirements established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the credentialing arm of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), it will qualify students from this BS/MS accelerated track to apply for Dietetic Internships and continue their professional preparation for the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential.

To become an RD, students must have:

Completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college

Completed the DPD coursework (didactic program in dietetics) approved by the the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND),
Completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program such as a dietetic internship (DI). The Hunter DI is described in the graduate catalog and online at www.hunter.cuny.edu/schoolhp/nfs. For further information on the Hunter DI, contact Prof. Ann Gaba at agaba@hunter.cuny.edu.
Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Career Opportunities for students graduating with this accelerated BS/MS:

Dietetics is an allied health profession which focuses on the food and nutrition intake of individuals and its relationship to health. Registered dietitians are trained in the sciences and are able to translate scientific findings and help people live healthy lives. Major areas of practice include clinical, community, management, and consultant dietetics. More than half of all dietitians and nutritionists are found to work in hospitals, nursing homes, and physician’s offices and clinics. More information about career opportunities may be found on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’s website at http://www.eatright.org

Academic Requirements for Entry into the BS-MS

Students must be able to complete the NFS major and graduation requirements in about 96-102 credits, must have an overall GPA of 3.5 and prerequisite GPA of 3.2 or better to be considered.

Prerequisite courses

Students take graduate courses after completing 96 credits

Students must have completed the NFS major and academic requirements for their undergraduate degree in about 96 credits, must have an overall GPA of 3.5 and pre-requisite GPA of 3.2 or better to be considered. However, a 3.5 GPA in and of itself does not guarantee admission.

Undergraduates admitted to the program take graduate courses during their senior year and will be able to complete the MS-DPD degree one year after they complete the requirements for the BS (NFS) degree. These students will be admitted directly into the MS-DPD program without having to take the GRE exam. Upon completion of the requirements for the MS degree, both the BS and MS degrees will be awarded. These students will pay undergraduate tuition rates up to the number of credits required to earn a baccalaureate degree (120 cr) and credits taken after that number toward the combined dual degree will be paid at the graduate level. Students interested in this accelerated program should speak to the adviser in the Nutrition track during their sophomore year to review the curriculum path for the five-year program.

Students who have been provisionally accepted into the BS-MS program but who do not maintain the required GPA will not be allowed to continue but will be eligible to receive a BS (NFS) degree from Hunter provided that they fulfill all other academic requirements for their undergraduate degree.

Curriculum Requirements

The accelerated BS/MS is a 137-credit program

For a list of the graduate courses, consult http://catalog.hunter.cuny.edu/index.php?catoid=22