Morrison Healthcare Dietetic Internship and
University of Arizona Professional Science Master’s Degree in Applied Nutrition—Nutrition and Wellness Partnership Program
This joint partnership between Morrison Healthcare (Morrison) Dietetic Internship program (MHDI) and the Online Professional Science Master’s in Applied Nutrition—Nutrition and Wellness program (PSMNW) at the University of Arizona (UArizona) offers students the opportunity to earn their master’s degree while completing their dietetic internship.
Students start the PSMNW in January or June and their MHDI in August. (See schedules below for more details.) Students who successfully complete the MHDI and the PSMNW graduate program are awarded the verification statement from MHDI and are eligible to sit for the registration examination for dietitians (RDN credential).
Eligibility and Admissions Requirements
Eligibility: Students who have a didactic program in dietetics (DPD) verification statement, have completed the spring DICAS application for fall MHDI placement (see Application Steps below), are enrolled in the fully online PSMNW program, and have completed at least 9 units of PSMNW coursework with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
PSMNW Admissions Requirements: Refer to the PSMNW website for full details. Admissions requirements include:
- Bachelor's degree in nutrition or similar field from an accredited institution
- Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Prerequisite coursework (typically obtained through bachelor’s degree)
- Application, required documents, and application fee submitted through the UArizona application portal by/before the posted deadline (March 15 for June start, June 15 for August start, October 15 for January start)
Application Steps:
- DICAS APPLICATION: Complete the DICAS application for MHDI. Contact Sunitha Zechariah, MHDI Program Director (sunithazechariah@iammorrison.com) for questions about the DICAS application.
- PSMNW APPLICATION: Complete the PSMNW application (instructions included on website). Contact the PSMNW program coordinator (NSW-PSM-NW@arizona.edu) for questions about the PSMNW application and admissions process.
Tuition and Fees
MHDI tuition: $2,500 deposit paid to MHDI program upon acceptance into PSMNW program; balance of $8,000 paid prior to start of fall MHDI rotations (after completion of at least nine (9) PSMNW course units with minimum 3.0 GPA). Contact Sunitha Zechariah (sunithazechariah@iammorrison.com) for questions about these payments.
PSMNW tuition: $650 per unit, plus fees (refer to the Tuition Estimator Tool). Note: To qualify for financial aid for this degree, students must be enrolled for at least 5 units per term/semester.
MHDI Acceptance, Placement, and Verification Statement
Morrison guarantees acceptance into the MHDI program as long as the student is enrolled in the PSMNW program and has completed at least six (6) units with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Internships commence in the fall.
Morrison places students at a designated MHDI location for their supervised practice rotations and makes every effort to place students at locations that are convenient for the students. However, some students may need to relocate to complete their internship due to lack of MHDI sites in their vicinity.
Morrison provides the completion verification statement to students who successfully complete the MHDI and graduate from the PSMNW. This statement acknowledges that the student is eligible to sit for the RDN exam.
PSMNW Coursework Requirements
Unit Requirements:
- TOTAL: 30 minimum units (some students may have more units due to unit variations among elective courses)
- SPECIFIED CORE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 12 units (4 courses)
- SPECIFIED CAPSTONE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 7 units (3 courses) ELECTIVES: 11 units (typically 4 courses)
After acceptance into the PSMNW, students have two enrollment options—see schedules next page:
- SUMMER (JUNE) START (15 MONTHS): Summer/Fall/Spring/Summer schedule (graduate August) o PSMNW application deadline: March 15
- SPRING (JANUARY) START (17 MONTHS): Spring/Summer/Fall/Spring schedule (graduate May) o PSMNW application deadline: October 15
Orientation
All newly admitted PSMNW students must attend the PSMNW orientation prior to the start of their first term in the program. Dates/details are shared with new students soon after they have accepted their admissions offer from the UArizona Graduate College.
Program Schedules
Following are the two schedule options for students enrolled in the PSMNW-MHDI experience. Students must complete 30 units of PSMNW coursework as listed. Admissions cycles: June admission application deadline is March 15; January admission application deadline is October 15. Refer to program website for details.
Course titles and descriptions appear on the next page.
Option 1 (15 months): Summer Start (June), PSMNW Application Deadline – March 15
Semester or Term
|
Summer 1
(June-August)
|
Fall 1
(August-December)
|
Spring 1 (January-May)
|
Summer 2
(June-August)
|
Units*
|
9 units (9 of 30)
|
10 units (19 of 30)
|
6 units (25 of 30)
|
5 units (30 of 30)
|
PSMNW
Courses
|
NSC 509** (3 units): Jun-Jul
NSC 519** (3 units): Jul-Aug
NSC 562** (3 units): Jun-Aug Note: These 3 courses are only offered summer session
|
NSC 535** (3 units): Aug-Dec
NSC 597 ** (1 unit): Aug-Dec
Electives‚(3-6 units): Varies Note: Students are advised to enroll in 6 elective units if their schedules permit
|
NSC 698A** (3 units): Jan-Mar
NSC 698B** (3 units): Mar-May
|
Electives‚(5 units):
Varies
Graduate: August
|
MHCDI
|
|
Begin MHCDI: August
|
Complete MHCDI: May
|
Graduate PSMW: Aug Receive MHCDI verification statement
|
* Financial Aid: Students must be enrolled in at least 5 units per term/semester to qualify for federal financial aid. ** Required core and capstone courses (12 units CORE, 7 units CAPSTONE)
‚ Elective options are many and varied; most courses are 3 units, but units may range from 1 to 4. Summer may offer fewer elective options than fall and spring semesters. See next page for brief list of nutrition-related elective-course options (11 units ELECTIVES)
|
Option 2 (17 months): Spring Start (January), PSMNW Application Deadline – October 15
Semester or Term
|
Spring 1 (January-May)
|
Summer 1
(June-August)
|
Fall 1
(August-December)
|
Spring 2 (January-May)
|
Units*
|
9 units (9 of 30)
|
9 units (18 of 30)
|
6 units (24 of 30)
|
6 units (30 of 30)
|
PSMNW
Courses
|
NSC 535** (3 units): Jan-May
Electives‚ (6 units): Varies Note: Students are advised to enroll in 6 elective units if their schedules permit
|
NSC 509** (3 units): Jun-Jul
NSC 519** (3 units): Jul-Aug
NSC 562** (3 units): Jun-Aug Note: These 3 courses are only offered summer session
|
NSC 597 ** (1 unit): Aug-Oct Electives (5 units): Varies
|
NSC 698A** (3 units):
Jan-Mar
NSC 698B** (3 units):
Mar-May
Graduate: May
|
MHCDI
|
|
|
Begin MHCDI: August
|
Complete MHCDI: May
Graduate PSMNW: May Receive MHCDI verification statement
|
* Financial Aid: Students must be enrolled in at least 5 units per term/semester to qualify for federal financial aid. ** Required core and capstone courses (12 units CORE, 7 units CAPSTONE)
‚ Elective options are many and varied; most courses are 3 units, but units may range from 1 to 4. Summer may offer fewer elective options than fall and spring semesters. See next page for brief list of nutrition-related elective-course options (11 units ELECTIVES)
|
PSMNW Required Courses
Following are course descriptions for the required CORE (12 units) and CAPSTONE (7 units) courses. Students must also complete 11 units of elective courses (details below).
CORE Courses (12 units)
NSC 509 Advanced Nutrition Metabolism and Disease (3 units)
Offered: Summer only, 5-week-1 (June-July)
This class will review the multi-facets of macronutrient metabolism and application to the prevention and development of common chronic diseases. The clinical applications of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities will also be reviewed. Metabolic alterations associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other diseases will be discussed. The application of evidence-based guidelines and research for nutritional interventions will be discussed through weekly readings and assignments.
NSC 519 Advanced Applied Nutritional Sciences (3 units)
Offered: Summer only, 5-week-2 (July-August)
This course will advance understanding of research design, methods, and implementation, interpretation of
research findings, and advances in nutrition science research for selected chronic diseases. Course Prerequisites: NSC 509
NSC 562 Professional Ethics and Best Practices in Nutrition Education and Counseling (3 units)
Offered: Summer only, 10 weeks (June-August)
Students will learn and implement inclusive best practices in nutrition education and counseling to serve diverse audiences in preparation for supervised experiential learning in food, nutrition, and healthcare settings. This course will touch on various theories and best practices in culturally responsive education, counseling, leadership, and communication to help students demonstrate the professional competency required for dietetics professionals by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Students will complete the course with a deeper understanding of the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics and practice applications that align with the core values of customer focus, integrity, innovation, social responsibility, and diversity, including the influence of personal identities and biases on practitioner interactions. Students will complete written and oral deliverables, including selfassessments, reflections, case studies, and targeted education materials. Students will also begin the process of developing their professional digital portfolios. Course Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the PSMNW program.
NSC 535 Advanced Clinical Nutrition (3 units)
Offered: Fall, Spring (August-December or January-May)
This course will review the nutrition care process and the application of nutrition science principles in the selection of the appropriate medical nutrition therapies related to gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, diabetes mellitus, neurological impairment, renal disease, wound healing, and critical illness. The role that integrative medicine may play will also be reviewed. A case-based approach will be utilized to foster analytical and critical thinking skills related to designing nutrition prescriptions and interventions as well as redesigning nutrition care plans related to monitoring and evaluation. This course will cover disease prevention and management utilizing lifestyle and nutrition therapies including oral diet and nutrition support. Recommended Course Prerequisites: NSC 509, NSC 519.
CAPSTONE Courses (7 units)
NSC 597 Capstone Prep Workshop (1 unit)
Offered: Fall, Spring, 7-week-1 (August-October or January-March)
The Capstone Workshop course is designed to help students: identify potential sites for their capstone courses, develop talking points when discussing the capstone with potential sites, obtain the required affiliation requirements with their site, build knowledge of research requirements through completion of CITI trainings and further develop presentation and writing skills.
NSC 698A: Capstone/Final Project I (3 units)
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer, 7-week-1 (August-October, January-March, May-June)
Capstone/Final Project I consists of 135 hours of practical professional training with a sponsoring agency/facility. Students will conduct a needs assessment and propose a topic for final project to be completed in NSC 698B. Students will write a progress report which will be presented to the class. Alternative grades S/P/F. Course Prerequisite: NSC 597
NSC 698B: Capstone/Final Project II (3 units)
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer, 7-week-2 (October-December, March-May, July-August)
Capstone/Final Project II consists of 135 hours of practical professional training with a sponsoring agency/facility that culminates the Professional Science Master's program and produces a final project. Students will develop a final report on the project objectives, methods, and outcomes. The project will be presented to the class in a presentation form, and a poster will also be produced. Alternative grades S/P/F. Course Prerequisite: NSC 698A
Electives (11 units)
Students must complete 11 units of electives. Following is a brief list of possible nutrition-related elective courses. Students may enroll in online non-nutrition elective courses that align with their professional goals. The program provides enrolled students with a comprehensive list of possibilities.
NSC 512 The Body Positive Concept & You (3 units)
NSC 522 Weight Inclusive Approach to Counseling (3 units)
NSC 532 Exploring Eating Disorders & Body Image (3 units)
NSC 540 Nutrition Interventions (3 units)
NSC 545 Assessment and Regulation of Human Body Composition (3 units)
NSC 558 Advanced Foodservice Management (3 units)
NSC 570 Agriculture and Food Literacy for Nutrition and Health Professionals (3 units)
NSC 575 Nutrigenomics for the Study of Disease Prevention and Intervention (3 units)
Other Arizona Online courses can be used for elective courses with program director’s approval.