Graduate Certificate/Degree Programs

The American Dietetics Association's continuing education requirements for Registered Dietitians requires a five-year plan for professional development that includes a minimum of 75 hours of continuing education. To help meet these requirements, three new graduate certificate programs and dietetics and nutrition specialization tracks for the Master of Family and Consumer Sciences degree have been designed.  Courses are designed for working professionals.  Most courses are delivered over the World Wide Web or via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN).

Solution 1:

Select one of the three certificate programs of 12 graduate credits each:

• Dietetics Communication and Counseling
• Dietetics Management
• Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy
  (One graded semester credit is equivalent to 15 CPEU's)

Solution 2:

Earn a Master of Family and Consumer Sciences degree with a specialization in dietetics

• Acquire both theoretical and applied knowledge in any of the options
• You may start with a graduate certificate and then apply those courses to the Master of Family and Consumer Sciences, Dietetics Specialization.
• If you want to start quickly or try a course before committing to a program, just select a course and register. You may apply up to nine semester hours of graduate credit toward a graduate degree if your department determines the course work taken in nondegree status fits in your graduate program.

To qualify for admission you must:

• Have a B.S. in dietetics or closely related discipline
• Be a registered dietitian or be registration eligible with the Commission of Dietetic Registration of  The American Dietetic Association
• Have a TOEFL score of at least 550 on paper or 213 on computer test at time of admission (required for international applicants)
• Have GRE general test scores taken within the last five years

Apply for admission by completing the ISU Graduate College Application.
On the application, be sure to:

• List your major as FSHN or HRI
• Write "Certificate" or "Master's" under "Graduate degree(s) desired (M.S.,Ph.D., etc.)".

For more information contact:

Mary Jane Oakland, PhD, RD
Food Science and Human Nutrition
515-294-2536 or moakland@iastate.edu
or
Jeannie Sneed, PhD, RD
Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management
515-294-8474 or jsneed@iastate.edu
or
call 877-891-5349 (toll free) and ask to be transferred to Mary Jane or Jeannie.