Dietetics Administration - MDA

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College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences

The Utah State University Master of Dietetics Administration (MDA) prepares students to lead and manage people and projects, setting them apart as they enter the workforce or in their current career field. The skills emphasized in the MDA program enhance management career options for graduates in clinical, community, food service, and entrepreneurial practice. Nationwide, there is a great need for professionally educated managers and leaders at the local, district, state, and federal levels. Students within the program will build skills in leadership, problem-solving, decision-making, financial management, human resource management, business, and more. The hands-on curriculum delivered by faculty gives students the education they need to land the career they want. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of B- or lower;

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of B- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Matriculation Start Semester

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

Coursework Validity

Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

The MDA program offers two tracks.

Track 1: Pre-RD MDA

The Pre-RD track is for students who have completed undergraduate dietetics education but do not yet hold the Registered Dietitian credential. The pre-RD track provides a combination of coursework and supervised experiential learning to qualify to take the Registration Examination for dietitians (RD Exam). A total of 37 credits is required. For complete program information, refer to www.mda.usu.edu.

NDFS 6050 - Community Nutrition Experience 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6051 - Advanced Community Nutrition 2 credit(s)
NDFS 6250 - Clinical Nutrition Experience 7 credit(s)
NDFS 6251 - Advanced Clinical Nutrition 2 credit(s)
NDFS 6350 - Food Service Management Experience 5 credit(s)
NDFS 6351 - Advanced Food Service Management 2 credit(s)
NDFS 6450 - Dietetics Career Essentials 1 credit(s)
NDFS 6570 - Communication Techniques in Dietetics 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6580 - Application of Research Principles in Dietetics 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6770 - Dietetics Leadership and Management I 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6780 - Dietetics Leadership and Management II 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6980 - MDA Master’s Project 3 credit(s)

Track 2: Post-RD MDA

The Post-RD MDA track is for students who already hold the Registered Dietitian credential and are interested in pursuing a graduate degree. The Post-RD MDA is designed for dietitians that are working full- or part-time.

Option 1

For students that have graduated from the USU Dietetic Internship, these 25 graduate credits earned in the USU Dietetic Internship are applied to the MDA: NDFS 6050 - Community Nutrition Experience (5 credits), NDFS 6250 - Clinical Nutrition Experience (9 credits), NDFS 6350 - Food Service Management Experience (11 credits). The MDA must be completed prior to these credits expiring in 8 years. In addition, 18 credits are required (12 MDA core credits and 6 elective credits) after admission to the MDA, for a total requirement of 43 credits.

NDFS 6770 - Dietetics Leadership and Management I 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6780 - Dietetics Leadership and Management II 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6790 - Current Issues in Dietetics 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6980 - MDA Master’s Project 3 credit(s)
6 elective credits from the following departments: NDFS, ITLS, ASTE, MGT, MSLE. Courses from NDFS, ITLS and ASTE must be at the 6000 or above. Up to 3 credits of business courses (MGT or MSLE) at the 3000-5000 level can be used.

Option 2

The MDA is also available to credentialed dietitians that did not complete the USU Dietetic Internship or for those whose USU Dietetic Internship credits have expired. For students not using credits from the USU Dietetic Internship, 33 credits are required. These include 12 MDA core credits and 21 elective credits.

NDFS 6770 - Dietetics Leadership and Management I 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6780 - Dietetics Leadership and Management II 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6790 - Current Issues in Dietetics 3 credit(s)
NDFS 6980 - MDA Master’s Project 3 credit(s)
21 elective credits from the following departments: NDFS, ITLS, ASTE, MGT, MSLE. Courses from NDFS, ITLS and ASTE must be at the 6000 level or above. Up to 6 credits of business courses (MGT or MSLE) at the 3000-5000 level can be used.