Master of Science in Nutrition & Integrative Health

The degree is designed for individuals who are entering the profession as a first or second career, with or without experience working in the healthcare industry. Students graduate as creative practitioners and educators who are capable of working collaboratively to support individuals and groups with personalized evidence-based interventions and educational programs.

The Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health is unique in integrating biochemical assessments, basic science, and applied nutrition coursework and employing case studies and client interviews to teach intervention strategies for a wide range of health challenges. The curriculum addresses the cognitive and physiological factors influencing the complex role of food and nutrition in human health.

Experiences unique to the MUIH Master’s degree include the cooking labs and hands-on practice in nutritional assessment and counseling or in the planning, development and delivery of nutrition education programs. Through a series of whole foods cooking labs, students apply nutrition theory, acquire cooking skills and learn the restorative nature of whole foods. Depending on the Area of Concentration, the degree culminates in a two-trimester experience in which students interview and assess real and mock clients, develop a nutrition education program for a particular population or complete an applied research project on a nutrition problem.

Students who complete the Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health will be able to:

• Apply biochemical, clinical (laboratory testing, anthropometric measurements, and physical exams), and nutritional knowledge to guide nutrition interventions and monitoring.
• Analyze the macro- and micronutrient content, nutrient density, and additional food components of a client’s diet.
• Design culturally sensitive food plans that support changing nutritional needs during the various lifecycle stages and promote disease prevention and management.
• Formulate comprehensive clinical intervention plans that incorporate whole foods, supplements, lifestyle changes, and other integrative health approaches.
• Apply the nutrition care process to assess status, develop nutrition diagnoses and interventions, evaluate, and monitor the client’s progress using a functional nutrition approach.
• Develop personal mindful eating practices and guide groups or clients in mindfulness practices.

In addition to the educational outcomes for all master’s program graduates, each area of concentration aims to achieve the following specific objectives:

Community Nutrition Education

• Prepare graduates to take leadership roles in the field of nutrition education and behavior change in a variety of settings including individual, community, and policy.
• Prepare graduates to assess population needs, assets, and capacity for nutrition education.
• Provide experiential training in a community setting.

Herbal Medicine

• Prepare graduates to take leadership roles as nutrition professionals with knowledge of the role of both foods and herbs in promoting human health.
• Prepare students to work as nutritionists with an herbal background through comprehensive study of herbal pharmacology, herbal pharmacy (herbal preparation), and principles of herbal therapeutics.
• Provide supervised clinical or research experience in clinical nutrition and herbalism.

Human Clinical Nutrition

• Prepare graduates to take leadership roles in the field of clinical nutrition.
• Provide experiential training in a clinical setting.
• Enable students to effectively position their services and offerings to clients, clinics, and other practitioners in order to earn a livelihood as a nutrition professional.

Students complete the Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health by completing core program credits and choosing one of three areas of concentration: Human Clinical Nutrition (50 credits total), Community Nutrition Education (50 credit total), or Herbal Medicine (58 credits total).

Core Credits

All areas of concentration of the Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health include 29 credits of required core courses:

• IHED637 Principles and Practices of Health Behavior and Self-Care (1.5 cr)
• ISCI522 Foundations in Organic Chemistry (3 cr)
• ISCI547A Physiology I: Healthy Function (3 cr)
• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• ISCI631 Intro to Complementary and Integrative Health (1.5 cr)
• ISCI647B Physiology II: Movement Away from Health (3 cr)
• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR612 Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)
• NUTR641 Life Cycle Nutrition (3 cr)
• NUTR6EX1 Nutrition MSNIH Comprehensive Exam (0 cr)
• RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Required Cooking Labs:

• NUTR681 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab I (0.5 cr)
• NUTR682 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab II (0.5 cr)

Choose 2 additional cooking labs from the following for a total of 1.0 credit:

• NUTR683 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab III (0.5 cr)
• NUTR684 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab IV (0.5 cr)
• NUTR686 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab VI (0.5 cr)
• NUTR687 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab VII (0.5 cr)
• NUTR688 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab VIII

Community Nutrition Education Area of Concentration

The community nutrition education area of concentration includes 20 required credits and 1 elective credit.

Required Courses

• IHED610 Fundamentals of Health Education and Health Behavior (3 cr)
• IHED623 Health Education Program Evaluation (2 cr)
• IHED625 Research Methods in Health Education: Quantitative and Qualitative (3 cr)
• IHED626 Health Education Needs Assessment and Program Planning (3 cr)
• NUTR643 Public Health Nutrition (2 cr)
• NUTR664 Food Systems and Policy (2 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)

Required Course Sets

Choose one of the following course sets for a total of 3 credits:

• NUTR691C Practicum (1.5 cr) AND NUTR691D Practicum (1.5 cr)
• NUTR692C Capstone Project (1.5 cr) AND NUTR692D Capstone Project (1.5 cr)

Elective Courses

Choose a total of at least one credit from the following elective courses. Elective offerings vary by trimester; check the Schedule of Courses for availability.

• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• IHED615 Health Promotion Administration, Management and Resource Development* (3 cr)
• IHED621 Communication Strategies in Health Education* (3 cr)
• IHED639 Community Health Education Program Implementation* (3 cr)
• NUTR622 Advanced Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Assessment ** (3 cr)
• NUTR634 Diabetes Education: An Integrative Approach (1 cr)
• NUTR635 Applied Clinical Nutrition I Nutritional Assessment† (2 cr)
• NUTR636 Applied Clinical Nutrition II† (2 cr)
• NUTR651A Clinical Skills I (2 cr)
• NUTR651B Clinical Skills II (2 cr)
• NUTR671 Food and Culture (1 cr)

*These courses are a requirement for CHES certification (IHED 639 is only required if Capstone Project is completed).
**This course is a requirement for BCNS certification.
†These courses are recommended for BCNS certification.

Herbal Medicine Area of Concentration

The herbal medicine area of concentration includes 29 required credits.

Required Courses

• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• HRB622 Herbal Pharmacy (3 cr)
• HRB624 Applied Herbalism in Clinical Practice (3 cr)
• HRB641 Safety of Botanical Medicine (3 cr)
• NUTR622 Advanced Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Assessment (3 cr)
• NUTR635 Applied Clinical Nutrition I Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR636 Applied Clinical Nutrition II Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR651A Clinical Skills I (2 cr)
• NUTR651B Clinical Skills II (2 cr)

Required Course Sets

Choose one of the following course sets for a total of 3 credits:

• NUTR655C Nutrition/Herbal Therapeutics Clinic (1.5 cr) AND NUTR655D Nutrition/Herbal Therapeutics Clinic (1.5 cr)
• NUTR656C Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr) AND NUTR656D Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)

Human Clinical Nutrition Area of Concentration

The human clinical nutrition area of concentration includes 16 required credits and 5 elective credits.

Required Courses

• NUTR622 Advanced Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Assessment (3 cr)
• NUTR635 Applied Clinical Nutrition I Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR636 Applied Clinical Nutrition II Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR651A Clinical Skills I (2 cr)
• NUTR651B Clinical Skills II (2 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)

Required Course Sets

Choose one of the following course sets for a total of 3 credits:

• NUTR654C Clinic (1.5 cr) AND NUTR654D Clinic (1.5 cr)
• NUTR656C Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr) AND NUTR656D Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)

Elective Courses

Choose a total of at least five credits from the following elective courses. Elective offerings vary by trimester; check the Schedule of Courses for availability.

• APP606 Becoming a Healing Presence (3 cr)
• APP607 Introduction to Healing Presence (1 cr)
• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• HRB622 Herbal Pharmacy (3 cr)
• HRB633 Medicinal Plants and Cultures: A Bioregional Exploration (2 cr)
• IHED610 Fundamentals of Health Education and Health Behavior (3 cr)
• IHED615 Health Promotion Administration, Management and Resource Development (3 cr)
• IHED621 Communication Strategies in Health Education (3 cr)
• IHM620 Marketing for Health & Wellness Professionals (1 cr)
• IHM665 Practice Management for Nutrition Professionals (1 cr)
• ISCI615 Mind Body Science (3 cr)
• ISCI630A Survey of Complementary Health Approaches (3 cr)
• NUTR625 Introduction to Nutritional Genomic Counseling (1 cr)
• NUTR634 Diabetes Education: An Integrative Approach (1 cr)
• NUTR637 Nutrition and Digestive Health (1 cr)
• NUTR643 Public Health Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR663 Sports Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR664 Food Systems and Policy (2 cr)
• NUTR665 The Dynamics of Food and Healing (1 cr)
• NUTR668 Culinary Herbs in the Kitchen and Beyond (1 cr)
• NUTR671 Food and Culture (1 cr)
• NUTR675 Chinese Nutrition Therapy (2 cr)
• NUTR722 Advanced Laboratory Assessment (2 cr)

Additional Program Requirements

• Complete MUIH 550: Academic Research and Scholarship, a non-credit online training course on information literacy by the end of the first trimester.
• Complete the Serv-SafeTM Food Safety Manager Course from the National Restaurant Association. Certification must be obtained prior to graduation or before enrolling in NUTR686 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab VI or NUTR691c Practicum. Students are encouraged to obtain the certification sooner because the knowledge is helpful in all cooking labs. The course is offered by MUIH as NUTR 001 for $200.
• In order to gain a perspective as a client in the client-practitioner relationship, on campus and online students are required to become a client of an integrative nutritionist in their area or through the on campus clinic, the Natural Care Center, for at least three nutrition consultations.
• Earn a passing grade on a comprehensive exam (NUTR 6EXI) at the end of the academic program.

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

MUIH’s M.S. Nutrition and Integrative Health program is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE), a programmatic accrediting agency for master’s degree programs in clinical nutrition. For more information, contact: ACNPE, 20 West 20th Street, Suite 204, New York, NY 10011; phone: 646-455-1149.

MUIH is one of only two master’s degree programs in clinical nutrition in the U.S. to hold such accreditation.

The Accreditation Council on Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE) accredits master’s degree clinical programs in nutrition. It enhances the quality of learning by setting standards for knowledge and skills needed to practice advanced nutrition care safely and effectively. ACNPE’s accreditation standards ensure that graduates have met the high level of competency expected of a nutrition professional. ACNPE-accredited programs prepare graduates for a variety of career paths and professional opportunities. Graduates help to further public and professional understanding of the foundational role of nutrition – as an essential component of a collaborative healthcare system that aims to optimize health as well as to prevent and treat illness. Advanced nutrition professionals play a vital role in slowing the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease, positively impacting the high cost of healthcare. The vision of ACNPE is to further public understanding of the foundational role of nutrition in health, and to support the field of professional nutrition care as an essential component of a collaborative healthcare system. The mission of ACNPE is quality assurance; serving the public by accrediting master’s degree clinical programs in advanced nutrition offered by regionally accredited higher education institutions in the U.S. that demonstrate satisfactory compliance with ACNPE’s standards.

This degree prepares students for careers as professionals, practitioners, consultants, researchers, entrepreneurs, writers and educators in the field of clinical nutrition. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates: “Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 11% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The role of food in preventing and treating diseases, such as diabetes, is now well known. More dietitians and nutritionists will be needed to provide care for patients with various medical conditions and to advise people who want to improve their overall health.” View more about career opportunities.

Program Format

This program is offered in the online, hybrid, and on-campus formats, depending on the area of concentration:

• Community Nutrition Education: online or hybrid
• Herbal Medicine: online or hybrid
• Human Clinical Nutrition: on campus, online, or hybrid

Click here to view MUIH’s definition of online, hybrid, and on-campus course and program formats.

On Campus Format

All coursework is completed on campus in this format. Only students completing the Human Clinical Nutrition area of concentration may complete the entire program on campus. On-campus students are also welcome to take online courses, subject to availability. The on-campus schedule consists of 15 to 19 weekends per year. Weekend class times are 5 – 9 p.m. on Fridays, and 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Format may vary during clinic and practicum phase. The time needed to complete the elective credits and clinic/practicum/thesis is not included in this academic calendar. Additionally, students on a modified schedule may have class outside of the weekends below.

Online Format

All coursework is completed online in this format. Although no residency is required, online students are welcome to take on-campus courses, subject to availability.

Hybrid Format

Coursework is completed through a combination of online and on campus courses in this format. Students may choose the format of each course on a case-by-case basis, subject to availability.

Program Schedule

For trimester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.

Spring 2020 Intake Program Dates

On-campus weekend dates for the Human Clinical Nutrition two-year plan of study: Weekend class times are Fridays, 5:00pm-9:00pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 8:30am-5:30pm. The time needed to complete the elective credits and clinic/practicum/capstone project is not included in the academic calendar. Additionally, students in the Herbal Medicine AOC, Community Nutrition Education AOC, and students on a modified schedule may have classes scheduled outside of the weekends below.

First Year Schedule

• Trimester 1, Spring 2020: Jan 24-26, Feb 7-9, Feb 21-23, Mar 6-8, Mar 20-22, Apr 3-5
• Trimester 2, Summer 2020: May 1-3, May 15-17, June 5-7, June 19-21, July 10-12, July 24-26
• Trimester 3, Fall 2020: Sept 11-13, Sept 25-27, Oct 2-4, Oct 16-18, Oct 30 – Nov 1, Nov 13-15, Dec 4-6

Second Year Schedule

• Trimester 4, Spring 2021: Jan 22-24, Feb 5-7, Feb 19-21, Mar 5-7, Mar 19-21, Apr 16-18
• Trimester 5, Summer 2021: May 14-16, June 4-6, June 18-20, July 16-18
• Trimester 6, Fall 2021: Sept 24-26, Oct 8-10, Oct 22-24, Nov 5-7, Nov 19-21

Human Community Nutrition Area of Concentration Schedule

The 6-trimester schedule is shown below. A 9-trimester schedule is also available.

Trimester 1

• IHED610 Fundamentals of Health Education and Health Behavior (3 cr)
• ISCI547A Physiology I: Healthy Function (3 cr)
• ISCI631 Introduction to Complementary and Integrative Health (1.5 cr)
• NUTR681 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab I (0.5 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Research & Scholarship (0 cr)

Trimester 2

• IHED637Principles and Practices of Health Behavior and Self-Care (1.5 cr)
• ISCI522Foundations in Organic Chemistry (3 cr)
• ISCI647B Physiology II: Movement Away from Health (3 cr)
• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR682 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab II (0.5 cr)

Trimester 3

• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 4

• IHED626 Health Education Needs Assessment and Program Planning (3 cr)
• NUTR612Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• NUTR641 Life Cycle Nutrition (3 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 5

• IHED623 Health Education Program Evaluation (2 cr)
• IHED625 Research Methods in Health Education: Quantitative and Qualitative (3 cr)
• NUTR643 Public Health Nutrition (2 cr)
• NUTR691C Practicum (1.5 cr) OR NUTR692C Capstone Project (1.5 cr)

Trimester 6

• NUTR664 Food Systems and Policy (2 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)
• NUTR691D Practicum (1.5 cr) OR NUTR692D Capstone Project (1.5 cr)
• NUTR6EXI Nutrition MSNIH Comprehensive Exam (0 cr)

Herbal Medicine Area of Concentration Schedule

The 8-trimester schedule is shown below. An 11-trimester schedule is also available.

Trimester 1

• IHED637 Principles and Practices of Health Behavior and Self-Care (1.5 cr)
• ISCI547A Physiology I: Healthy Function (3 cr)
• ISCI631 Introduction to Complementary and Integrative Health (1.5 cr)
• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR681 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab I (0.5 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Research & Scholarship (0 cr)

Trimester 2

• ISCI522Foundations in Organic Chemistry (3 cr)
• ISCI647B Physiology II: Movement Away from Health (3 cr)
• NUTR682 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab II (0.5 cr)

Trimester 3

• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 4

• HRB605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• NUTR612 Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)

Trimester 5

• HRB624 Applied Herbalism in Clinical Practice (3 cr)
• NUTR635 Applied Clinical Nutrition I Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR651A Clinical Skills I (2 cr)

Trimester 6

• HRB641 Safety of Botanical Medicine (3 cr)
• NUTR636 Applied Clinical Nutrition II Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR651B Clinical Skills II (2 cr)

Trimester 7

• HRB622 Herbal Pharmacy (3 cr)
• NUTR641 Life Cycle Nutrition (3 cr)
• NUTR655C Nutrition/Herbal Therapeutics Clinic (1.5 cr) OR NUTR656C Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 8

• NUTR622 Advanced Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Assessment (3 cr)
• NUTR655D Nutrition/Herbal Therapeutics Clinic (1.5 cr) OR NUTR656D Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)
• NUTR6EXI Nutrition MSNIH Comprehensive Exam (0 cr)

Human Clinical Nutrition Area of Concentration Schedule

The 6-trimester schedule is shown below. A 9-trimester schedule is also available.

Trimester 1

• ISCI522 Foundations in Organic Chemistry (3 cr)
• ISCI547A Physiology I: Healthy Function (3 cr)
• ISCI631 Introduction to Complementary and Integrative Health (1.5 cr)
• NUTR681 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab I (0.5 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Research & Scholarship (0 cr)

Trimester 2

• IHED637Principles and Practices of Health Behavior and Self-Care (1.5 cr)
• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)
• NUTR682 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab II (0.5 cr)

Trimester 3

• ISCI647B Physiology II: Movement Away from Health (3 cr)
• RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
• NUTR612 Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 4

• NUTR635 Applied Clinical Nutrition I Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR641 Life Cycle Nutrition (3 cr)
• NUTR651A Clinical Skills I (2 cr)
• Additional Cooking Lab (0.5 cr)

Trimester 5

• NUTR636 Applied Clinical Nutrition II Nutritional Assessment (2 cr)
• NUTR651B Clinical Skills II (2 cr)
• NUTR654C Clinic (1.5 cr) OR NUTR656C Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)
• Electives (3 cr)

Trimester 6

• NUTR622 Advanced Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Assessment (3 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)
• NUTR654D Clinic (1.5 cr) AND NUTR656D Clinical Strategies in Nutrition Care (1.5 cr)
• NUTR6EXI Nutrition MSNIH Comprehensive Exam (0 cr)
• Electives (2 cr)

Licensure

Licensing requirements for nutritionists vary by state. To learn the most up-to-date laws and regulations, please refer to each state’s board of dietetic practice, or go to nutritionadvocacy.org

Certification

The Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program is tailored to meet the eligibility requirements of several national board certifications. At the present time, MUIH is in compliance with the requirements of each of the professional organizations listed below. However, boards do change their eligibility requirements. Please review licensing laws by state for the most up-to-date information and contact the appropriate board with questions. Board certification for nutrition often requires a supervised practice experience; to facilitate this MUIH offers an optional six-month supervised internship program for our graduates. See more information about the Nutrition Post-Graduate Practice Experience.

Kathleen Warner, Ph.D.
Department Chair

Liz Lipski, Ph.D.
Director, Academic Development

Eleonora Gafton, M.S.
Program Director, Cooking Labs

Elizabeth Owens, M.S.
Director, Experiential Programs

Jennifer Swetz, M.S.
Nutrition Clinic Coordinator

Alexandra Wick
Department Manager

Nissa Lazenby-Wilson, M.S.
Cooking Lab Assistant Manager

Casey Simms, M.A.
Academic Advisor

Laura Steck
Academic Advisor