Community Health and Nutrition

1. Undergraduate degree in one of the following: nutrition, dietetics, public health, kinesiology, health sciences, nursing, psychology, human development and family studies, family and consumer sciences, and biobehavioral health. Other undergraduate degrees not specifically listed here will be reviewed based on transcript content.
2. Prerequisite undergraduate coursework: must include an introductory nutrition course (equivalent to Tennessee Tech’s HEC 2020 Nutrition for Health Sciences); one advanced nutrition course (higher level than introductory nutrition) must have a “B” or better in these two nutrition courses; and 8 credits of chemistry or biology at the 3000/4000 level with a grade of “C” or better.
3. Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Contact information for two references — at least one reference should be a former professor/instructor.  An email will be sent to these references to complete an online recommendation form. Your application is not complete until the recommendation forms are submitted by your references.
5. Resume: upload your resume (no more than 2 pages).
6. Personal Statement: upload a separate document which includes the following: state why you have the abilities, experiences, skills and knowledge to succeed in our degree program. Your statement should demonstrate why you are interested in this graduate degree program and how it will help you meet career goals. Please limit your statement to 1,200 words or less and use 12-point font, single-spaced format
   Specifically address the following questions in your personal statement:
   1. What are your professional goals; elaborate on future career plans and the motivation for pursuing an MS in Community Health and Nutrition?
   2. In what ways will the MS in Community Health and Nutrition build upon your current skill set?
   3. Why are you a good fit for this degree program?
   4. Elaborate on your unique story which motivates you to seek this graduate degree.
7. Select your degree option:
   1. Only the MS Degree in Community Health and Nutrition or
   2. Both the Degree and the optional Experiential Learning Track

Direct Admission to the degree only pathway: Any Registered Dietician/Nutritionist will be admitted with the following the verification of current registration status with the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

To apply to Experiential Learning Track, one must register for and complete the DICAS (Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service) 

In addition to the requirements for admission to the MS in Community Health and Nutrition Degree as stated above, applicants who want to also be admitted to the Experiential Learning Track must provide: 

1. Evidence of Work/Volunteer Experience: Documentation of 300 hours of work or volunteer experience completed within four years of application is preferred. Of the 300 hours, at least 200 hours must be in a nutrition- or dietetics-related field. You will be required to complete the Experiential Track Supplemental Form to document your experiences. This form will be uploaded with your Graduate application and is available on the College of Graduate Studies Online Forms webpage.
2. Prerequisite coursework: For applicants who do not have a Verification Statement from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) the following prerequisite coursework must have been completed within five years from an accredited institution:
   1. Introductory Nutrition course equivalent to Tennessee Tech's HEC 2020 Nutrition for Health Sciences
   2. Advanced Nutrition course (higher level than Introductory Nutrition)
   3. Organic Chemistry
   4. Microbiology or Biochemistry
   5. Experimental Foods, Food Preparation, Quantity Food Production, or Foodservice Management 
   6. Additionally, students must have a grade of "B" or better in each of the nutrition courses and a grade of "C" or better in the sciences courses. 
3. DPD Verification Statement: For students with a bachelor’s degree from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), you will be required to upload your DPD Verification statement or an Intent to Complete form or letter from DPD Director stating courses to be completed with your Graduate application.
4. Personal Statement: In addition to the questions listed above for the Personal Statement, applicants for the Experiential Learning Track should include why they are pursuing the Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) credential.
5. Interview: Candidates for admission to the Experiential Learning Track will be required to participate in a virtual (face to face) interview via a video conferencing platform.

For questions regarding the DICAS application, contact the help center or call (617) 612-2855. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website also has guidance for using DICAS.

The fee to submit a DICAS application is $50 for first submission, $25 for each additional submission. DICAS will open August 5, and applicants may apply at any time once the platform is open but no later than October 1 in the Fall and February 1 in the Spring.

Those interested in the supervised experiential learning necessary to become a registered dietitian/nutritionist must apply by October 1 deadline for a Fall start date the following year. If the cohort of 10 does not fill, applications can be submitted until February 1. All students who submit applications by October 1 will be notified by November 1 regarding their application status. All students who submit applications by February 1 will be notified by March 1 regarding their application status. Students must inform the program of their acceptance of an admission offer by November 15 or March 15, respectively.

Degree only students will not utilize DICAS but will instead apply through the College of Graduate Studies.