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 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

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.

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.

Program Format

All three areas of concentration of the program are offered in the online and hybrid formats. Click here to view MUIH’s definition of online, hybrid, and on-campus course and program formats.

• 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. On campus courses are offered on weekends and class times are generally 5 – 9 p.m. on Fridays, and 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; these times may vary during the clinic and practicum phase.

Program Schedule

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

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.

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.

87% of recent graduates of MUIH’s M.S. Nutrition and Integrative Health program were employed or self-employed within one year of graduation. 12% of recent graduates of the program were preparing to fulfill the requirements of the Certified Nutrition Specialist credential offered by the Certification Board of Nutrition Specialists. Graduates of MUIH’s nutrition programs are employed in a variety of settings including private practice; integrative group practices; nutrition clinics; health care systems; hospitals; community, non-profit, and outreach organizations; state and local health departments; school systems; culinary organizations; athletic and recreational organizations; and colleges and universities. Many graduates chose to have a portfolio career in which they have multiple positions and employers within one or more profession, rather than one full-time job. A portfolio career provides such individuals with variety in their work life and the opportunity to develop a wide and varied professional network.

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.

View more about career opportunities.

Take a look at what our Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program offers and how MUIH is the choice for you!

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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 Online Clinic Coordinator

Rachel Lucke, M.S.
Nutrition On campus Clinic Coordinator

Alexandra Wick
Department Manager

Christina Vollbrecht
Cooking Lab Assistant Manager

Casey Simms, M.A.
Academic Advisor

Laura Steck
Academic Advisor