Nutrition and Food Systems - Master's
Achieving More in Your Nutrition Career
The Master of Science degree is a fully online program in Nutrition and Food Systems that offers advanced study in application of nutrition and dietetics practice. Coursework is focused on higher level knowledge and skills in nutrition therapy, food systems management, education theory and practice, global and community nutrition and practice-based research. Faculty are dedicated to high-quality online learning and help students develop competence in all areas of nutrition and dietetics practice.
Dietetic Internship
The Master’s Required Dietetic Internship at The University of Southern Mississippi integrates graduate-level education and research with supervised practice activities to prepare entry-level registered dietitians that work to improve the health of individuals, families and communities. The Dietetics Practice emphasis is specifically designed to coordinate graduate coursework with the rotations in this accredited Dietetic Internship, and the research projects in this emphasis focus on activities and projects that are completed during the internship.Dietetic Internship Requirements, Goals and Outcomes
Skills
- The degree program is designed to provide a variety of coursework in food systems and nutrition to complement the knowledge of those that are working in a nutrition-related field.
- Graduate coursework encompasses all facets of nutrition and dietetics practice, including clinical, management, and community.
- The program focuses on upcoming areas of dietetics practice, including improved communication, leadership, counseling, and global health.
- Student assignments have a strong integration of research into practice and teach students how to implement evidence-based practice in their careers.
The Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems, Applied Nutrition and Food Systems emphasis, is fully online and offers graduates opportunities to pursue careers in dietetics, school food service, child nutrition program management, food and nutrition services management, and community nutrition. The curriculum provides students with an understanding of research design and advanced knowledge in applied nutrition and/or food systems management.
Students enrolled in the Dietetic Practice coursework must also be enrolled in one of the affiliated dietetic internship programs. Students in this program are engaged in an innovative curriculum that provides strong foundation knowledge prior to entering the internship and aligns program coursework with internship requirements.
The curriculum is designed to integrate practice-based research projects into courses. Students take one of the projects completed during their regular coursework and expand upon the topic in a capstone research project. Typically, research projects are included in the courses in clinical dietetics, food systems management, and community nutrition education. Prior to enrolling in these courses, students are encouraged to complete the required statistics and research methods classes for a strong foundation. Additionally, program faculty work directly with students to assure that high quality projects are submitted for presentation at national conferences or to journals for publication.
Five scholarships are available to support graduate students enrolled in the degree program. Scholarships are awarded to students with strong academic and research skills. The Driskell/Peters Graduate Research Fellowship is awarded each year to a full-time graduate student who is also awarded a graduate assistantship, for which assigned work time is devoted to a nutrition research project under faculty supervision.
Engaged Faculty with Content Expertise
Program faculty have a wide variety of experiences, which they infuse in all class activities, making the work applicable in many professional settings. Faculty members are strong researchers, who help students learn to answer difficult questions through data collection and analysis. Faculty are also dedicated to assuring that students are connected and have a sense of community in all of their online classes through regular interaction, strong mentorship, and personal relationships with their online classmates.
Availability
| Degree Plan | Availability |
|---|---|
| Nutrition and Food Systems MS | Online 100% |
- Clinical Dietitian/Medical Nutrition Therapist
- Food and Nutrition Services Manager
- Food and Nutrition Researcher
- Corporate Wellness Dietitian
- Public Health Nutritionist
- Nutrition Consultant and Private Practice
- Jana Mason, 2013,
Performance Dietitian Manager, EXOS, Phoenix, AZ - Brittany Logue, 2014,
Director of Child Nutrition, Bay St. Louis - Waveland School District, Bay St. Louis, MS
- Rebecca Turner, 2008,
Author, Radio Host, Media Spokesperson, and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Jackson, MS - Marie Hughey, 2017,
Nutrition Consultant, Jefferson County Department of Health, Birmingham, AL
- Katie Newton, 2013,
Katie Newton Consulting, Dothan, AL. - Rebecca Butz, 2014,
Renal Dietitian, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS