Requirements and Curriculum
Nutrition students and (bottom right) Nicole Klem, program director, outside of their new raised-bed herb and vegetable garden on UB's South Campus.
To enter the graduate program in clinical nutrition, you must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college or university or its international equivalent, with a 3.0 GPA or better.
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Prerequisite courses
Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) verification statement or completion of all prerequisite courses:
- General Chemistry (two semesters)
- General Chemistry Lab (two semesters)
- Organic Chemistry*
- Biochemistry*
- Human Anatomy and Physiology*
- Microbiology
- Statistics
- Human Nutrition (300 or 400 level)
- Lifecycle Nutrition
- Food Science
- Food Service Management
- Community Nutrition (US-based)
- Culinary skills/equivalent college-level course or Rouxbe Professional Training or Demonstrated Professional Culinary
- Experience
- ServSafe manager certification due by June 1 prior to program start
*Lab recommended but not required for admission.
You may complete your prerequisites at most regionally accredited two- or four-year institutions.
You must receive a grade of C or higher for all prerequisite courses or their equivalents. You must have taken your basic science prerequisites within the past 10 years; your nutrition courses, within the past five years.
If you have not completed all prerequisite courses before submitting your application, you will still be considered for the program if no more than two prerequisite courses are outstanding before the application deadline, and you can demonstrate proof of enrollment in the remaining prerequisite courses in your application prior to the start of the program. A screenshot demonstrating course enrollment is sufficient.
To discuss course equivalency, please contact Program Director Nicole Klem, MS, RDN, at nlklem@buffalo.edu.
Completing the program
Students must complete all required courses and applied experiences outlined in the course plan to receive a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition and a Verification Statement to sit for the Examination for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Students complete the coursework in a cohort model. There is no part-time track.
You have a maximum of three years to complete the program, which will include
- Successful achievement and documentation of all scheduled supervised experiential learning hours
- A minimum “acceptable mastery” rating on all evaluations from all preceptors in all rotations and all competencies must be met at acceptable mastery.
- All assignments must be submitted and deemed acceptable.
- Completion of a culminating event: comprehensive exam, research project or thesis
- Students must complete the clinical nutrition core courses and the supervised experience learning courses (listed below)
Students who make insufficient progress on degree audit may delay degree completion, conferral and verification statement.
Curriculum
Complete the professional curriculum in a sequence. There is no provision for part-time or evening-only enrollment. The curriculum includes all knowledge and practical skills required for your professional credentialing as a Registered Dietician Nutritionist. Successful completion of the program requires didactic coursework, supervised experiential learning experiences, and the graduate comprehensive exam, thesis or project.
The program includes supervised experiential learning in acute care, long-term care, outpatient settings, wellness facilities, and community and industry agencies.
Experiential Learning Courses
NTR 540 A–I (Click for descriptions)
Note: Supervised experiential learning may occur outside of traditional business hours, encompassing early mornings, evenings, and/or weekends to provide comprehensive and flexible hands-on training opportunities.
Core Courses
NTR 500, NTR 501, CHB 550, NTR 523, NTR 524, NTR 603, NTR 600, NTR 675, STA 527, NTR 609
Thesis/Project – optional
- NTR 680 (6 credits; no elective)
First Year: Fall
- NTR 500 Macronutrients
- NTR 523 Medical Nutrition Therapy
- STA 527 Introduction to Medical Statistics
- NTR 540 A Nutrition Care for Chronic Conditions
- NTR 540 B Counseling Skills
- NTR 540 C Food systems management
Total: 14 credits
First Year: Winter
- NTR 675 Research
Total: 1 credit
First Year: Spring
- NTR 501 Micronutrients
- NTR 600 Pathophysiology of Nutrition-Related Diseases
- NTR 609 Community and Global Nutrition Seminar
- NTR 540 D Nutrition Care for Acute Conditions
- NTR 540 E Nutrition Communication, Education and Technology
- NTR 540 F Leadership, Business, Management and Organization
Total: 13 credits
First Year: Summer
- NTR 603 Nutrition Interventions
- NTR 540 G Meal Production and Critical Thinking, Research and Evidence-informed Practice
Total: 6 credits
Second Year: Fall
- CHB 550 Public Health Population Well-Being
- NTR 540 H Community and Population Health
- NTR 680 (thesis/project) or 3-credit elective
Total: 12 credits
Second Year: Spring
- NTR 524 Advanced Nutrition Tools
- NTR 540 I Client and Patient Medical Nutrition Therapy
Total: 9 credits
Total program minimum: 55 credits
Herb garden outside Cary Hall on UB's South Campus.
Prior learning assessment and recognition
The PLAR application is designed to grant credit towards supervised experiential learning hours and/or projects based on the qualified applicant’s knowledge and learning, as demonstrated through prior coursework, paid work or volunteer experiences.
To receive credit towards supervised experiential learning hours and/or projects, you may submit a portfolio documenting how your prior work/ volunteer experience helped you meet the competencies required for an entry-level dietetics practitioner as outlined by ACEND.
The portfolio must contain:
- A completed PLAR application form.
- Samples of projects, reports, presentations, and professional practice that demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in the area of dietetics for which PLAR credit is requested.
- Evidence that shows/demonstrates advanced knowledge and skill, not just work history.
Request the PLAR application and portfolio instructions upon admission. Submit the portfolio and PLAR application to the program director by August 1 before beginning the program as outlined above.
Eligibility for registration exam
Upon successful completion of the program, the program director will work with you to complete the eligibility paperwork for the registration exam for dietitian nutritionists (RDN exam).
Verification statements will not be signed until the MS degree is conferred by UB. Degrees are not conferred by UB until the end of the term in which you complete your degree requirements (typically June 1).