Community Health Nutrition (M.S.), Program Information

Program Faculty

Department Chair

Kesha Baptiste-Roberts, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor

Tel:  (443) 885-4013; Fax:  (443) 885-8024

E-Mail:  Kesha.baptiste-roberts@morgan.edu

Program Director

Joycelyn Peterson, DrPH, MPH, RDN, LDN

Associate Professor 

Tel:  (443) 885-4145

E-Mail:  Joycelyn.Peterson@morgan.edu

Program Faculty

Bahram Faraji, PhD, RDN, LDN

Associate Professor

Maryam Ganjavi, PhD, MSc

Associate Professor

Program Description

The Master of Community Health Nutrition (MSCHN) is designed to train future leaders to administer programs and communicate nutritional health to the general population with specific emphasis on underserved population groups across economic strata. The program trains professionals to manage programs and shape policies that improve the population’s nutritional health and food security with a focus on community engagement, health equity, health advocacy, sustainability, and health disparities. The MSCHN program emphasizes the social and environmental determinants of nutrition problems and how to solve them through community-centered health promotion programs and food and nutrition practices. 

The MSCHN program includes a community health track and dietetic internship track that cover the fundamental, theoretical, and applied research necessary to address the current and future needs of the population to sustain nutritional health in communities.

This is a full-time 12-month online degree program that enrolls admitted students in the fall semester.

Program Objectives

The program is designed to equip highly motivated students with the knowledge and management skills necessary to pursue careers in nutrition, dietetics, and community health-related positions. The program will provide a comprehensive understanding of the measures necessary to evaluate and implement the latest fundamental applications to promote health and wellness, while emphasizing the importance of social and environmental sustainability in marginalized groups. 

General Requirements

Candidates for the Master of Science in Community Health Nutrition (MSCHN) must complete a minimum of thirty (30) academic credit hours, including 24 credit core course hours and 6 experiential credit hours for the completion of the community health or dietetic internship track. The program takes 12 months to complete, with continuously enrolled cohorts starting in the fall semester.

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the MSCHN program, an applicant must:
 

• Have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applicants seeking admission into the dietetic internship track must complete a bachelor of science in nutritional science or a nutrition-related field from an Accreditation Council in Education for Nutrition and Dietetics program (ACEND).
   

• Possess a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on previous baccalaureate degree coursework and any master’s level courses completed.
   

• Apply for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies before the program review and admission decision.
   

• Provide official transcripts of all post-secondary studies and documentation of previous academic achievement.
   

• Submit a professional curriculum vitae or resume.
   

• Prepare and submit a statement of interest essay explaining why the applicant wishes to enroll in the program and how he/she plans to make use of his/her degree. The statement of interest should be between 300-500 words.  AI generated statements are discouraged.
   

• Provide evidence of academic or professional competencies/skills (e.g., capstone projects, research papers, practicums, publications, sample work products, reports, etc.).
   

• Arrange three letters of recommendation. These letters must be from practicing health professionals or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study or from employment supervisors where applicable.
   

Complete an interview with the Program Admissions Committee. 

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant. The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application for the availability of seats in the program. The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review. 

Candidacy

Students achieve candidacy by completing all required and experiential credit hours for the community health or dietetic internship track.

Applying Previously Earned Credits

Six credit hours can be accepted toward the minimum degree credit requirement. These credits must be graduate-level credits and cannot have been used towards a previous degree nor have a grade of B- or lower. This evaluation takes place after admission into the Program and must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies. The core courses must be taken at Morgan except where permission of the Program Director has been granted.

Program Practicum

Six credit hours of required supervised practicum experience are required for students in the community health or dietetic internship track.  The practicum experience for the community health track provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply core program competencies from public health and nutrition-related science projects. 

The dietetic internship track requires the completion of supervised practice experience monitored by a registered dietitian/preceptor, including clinical nutrition and community and food service experiences. The completed supervised practice experience allows students to take the National Credentialing Registration Examination to become a registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. 

Program Course Requirements

Total Credits: 30 credits

Curriculum Sequence

Community Health Nutrition (M.S.), Curriculum Sequence