Nutrition

https://nutrition.utk.edu

Jay Whelan, Head
Guoxun Chen, Director of Graduate Studies

Professors
Burney, J., PhD – Tennessee
Karlstad, M., PhD – Loyola
Raynor, H., PhD – State University of New York (Buffalo)
Whelan, J., PhD – Penn State

Associate Professors
Chen, G., PhD – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
Colby, S., PhD – North Carolina (Greensboro)
Hansen-Petrik, M., PhD – Tennessee
Kavanagh, K., PhD – California (Davis)
Spence, M., PhD – Tennessee
Zhao, L., PhD – California (Berkeley)

Assistant Professors
Anderson Steeves, E., PhD – Johns Hopkins
Bettaieb, A., PhD – University of Quebec (Montreal)
Donohoe, D., PhD – Louisiana State Health Sciences Center (Shreveport)

Senior Lecturer
Wetherall, K., MS – Boston

Lecturer
Murphy, L., MS-MPH – Tennessee

Emeriti Faculty
Haughton, B., EdD – Columbia
Sachan, D., PhD – Illinois
Skinner, J., PhD – Oregon State
 

Nutrition and dietetics education leading to credentialing as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Department of Nutrition within the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences is the administrative base for the university’s preparation of credentialed Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). The University of Tennessee currently is home to two nutrition and dietetics education programs leading to RDN credentialing, both of which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, (312)899-0040 ext. 5400, https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend. The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is completed through successful completion of the nutrition major with a dietetics concentration and culminates in a bachelor’s degree. Graduates from this program are eligible to apply for ACEND-accredited supervised practice programs to gain the structured practice experience required to take the national credentialing examination (Registration Examination for Dietitians) and become RDNs. The Dietetic Internship (DI) is open to incoming and current nutrition graduate students who have successfully completed a DPD and who are selected through a competitive application process. In 2018, the Department was selected by ACEND to develop a Future Education Model Graduate Program, which will begin to be phased in effective Fall 2020 following ACEND review of a phase 2 report in Spring 2020. This program represents a reorganization of the current Dietetic Internship and will integrate traditional coursework with practice-based courses that enable students to complete a bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Science in Nutrition-Dietetics) and master’s degree (Master of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics) in five years and be eligible to take the RDN credentialing examination upon graduation. Students admitted to this master’s program concentration do not enroll in graduate coursework during the four years of the bachelor’s degree program, but graduate study commences with the summer term immediately following graduation.
 

Admission to MS in Nutrition with concentrations in cellular and molecular nutrition or public health nutrition, MS-MPH, and PhD degree programs.
A complete file for review includes the Graduate Application for Admission, completed departmental application form, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the general section, and three Graduate Rating Forms completed by individuals who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate education. A link to the Graduate School’s electronic application process, along with application due dates, can be found on the department website. Admission into the graduate program in the department is dependent on completion of undergraduate courses that give the necessary background for success in the graduate program, and include: general and organic chemistry, physiological chemistry/biochemistry, physiology, statistics and introductory* nutrition. Details regarding the minimum semester credit hours expected for each prerequisite are available in the Graduate Student Handbook on the department’s website. Applicants to all programs with related research interests and experience will be given preference.

*For those lacking only the introductory nutrition prerequisite, the student will be required to complete this or a similar class upon admission to our program.
 

Admission to MS in Nutrition with a concentration in clinical nutrition and dietetics.
A student intending to enter the Master of Science program in Nutrition with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics is required to complete coursework in the Nutrition-Dietetics concentration for the first three years of undergraduate study. At this point, students must apply for the Master of Science program and be accepted into the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics concentration in order to enroll in specific prerequisite upper-division courses that will establish the knowledge and skill set necessary for the transition to graduate study and for meeting of ACEND-required competencies. Students who do not enroll in the Master of Science program may still complete the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition-Dietetics and the Didactic Program in Dietetics. Admission requirements for the Master of Science program with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics include at minimum:

1. Academic achievement

• Cumulative GPA: 3.30 (encompasses all college coursework).
• Nutrition coursework: completion of NUTR 100, 302, 311, 313, 314, 315, 316, 320 with grades of B- or better in all NUTR-prefix courses.
• Science coursework: completion of CHEM 120, 130, 260; BCMB 230; MICR 210 with a 3.0 or higher overall GPA in the sciences.
• Other non-departmental coursework: CLAS 273; CMST 240; ENGL 295 or 360; approved FDSC course, KNS 350; PSYC 110; PUBH 201; STAT 201; university general education requirements.

2. Standardized test performance - GRE with recommended scores of 150 (verbal), 150 (quantitative), and 4.0 (analytical) or higher in order to be competitive.
3. Submission of an online application for admission to the Graduate School by August 1 prior to the senior year of undergraduate study in the Nutrition-Dietetics Concentration. The completed application must include current transcripts, a personal statement detailing experience as well as long- and short-term goals, and a resume. No recommendation forms are required.
4. In-person interview with the program director and representatives of the program faculty in August shortly following the application deadline.

Admission decisions will be based upon meeting of listed admission criteria as well as completeness of application, clarity of written and oral expression, and expressed interest in pursuing a career as a RDN. Admission is competitive and students accepted to the Master of Science program in Nutrition with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics are required to follow the Nutrition-Dietetics concentration curriculum during the fourth year of the undergraduate program with the addition of HRT 445 and NUTR 426 Clinical Nutrition II Practicum and complete the Bachelor of Science degree. To maintain good academic standing for entry into the Master of Science program, students must complete all required coursework and maintain GPA and grade minimums specified in the admission criteria.