Community Health and Nutrition

1. Undergraduate degree in one of the following: nutrition, dietetics, public health, kinesiology, health sciences, nursing, psychology, human development and family studies, family and consumer sciences, and biobehavioral health. Other undergraduate degrees not specifically listed here will be reviewed based on transcript content;
2. Prerequisite undergraduate coursework: must include an introductory nutrition course (equivalent to Tennessee Tech’s HEC 2020 Nutrition for Health Sciences); one advanced nutrition course (higher level than introductory nutrition) must have a “B” or better in these two nutrition courses; and 8 credits of chemistry or biology at the 3000/4000 level with a grade of “C” or better;
3. Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
4. Contact information for two references — at least one reference should be a former professor/instructor.  An email will be sent to these references to complete an online recommendation form. Your application is not complete until the recommendation forms are submitted by your references; 
5. Select your degree option:
   1. only the MS Degree in Community Health and Nutrition or
   2. both the Degree and the optional Experiential Learning Track

To participate in the supervised experiential learning necessary to become a registered dietitian/nutritionist, you must apply by December 15 to be considered for a fall start date. If the cohort does not fill, applications for a fall start date will be accepted until April 15.

In addition to the above requirements for admission to the Master of Science in Community Health and Nutrition degree program, applicants to the Experiential Learning Track must provide:

1. 1. Evidence of Work/Volunteer Experience: documentation of 300 hours of work or volunteer experience completed within four years of application is preferred. Of the 300 hours, at least 200 hours must be in a nutrition- or dietetics-related field. You will be required to complete the Experiential Track Supplemental Form to document your experiences. This form will be uploaded with your Graduate application and is available here.
   2. Prerequisite coursework: for applicants who do not have a Verification Statement from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) the following prerequisite coursework must have been completed within five years from an accredited institution:
      1. Introductory Nutrition course equivalent to Tennessee Tech’s HEC 2020 Nutrition for Health Sciences
      2. Advanced Nutrition course (higher level than Introductory Nutrition)
      3. Organic Chemistry
      4. Microbiology or Biochemistry
      5. Experimental Foods, Food Preparation, Quantity Food Production, or Foodservice Management
      6. Additionally, students must have a grade of B or better in each of the nutrition courses and a grade of C or better in the sciences courses.
   3. DPD Verification Statement: for students with a bachelor’s degree from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), you will be required to upload your DPD Verification statement or an Intent to Complete form or letter from DPD Director stating courses to be completed with your Graduate application.
   4. Personal Statement: in addition to the questions listed above for the Personal Statement, applicants for the Experiential Learning Track should include why they are pursuing the Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) credential.
   5. Interview: Candidates for admission to the Experiential Learning Track will be required to participate in a virtual (face to face) interview via a video conferencing platform.