Coordinated Program option

The MSND:CP is a primarily a face-to-face , residential program, with clinical placements at one of our 8 approved clinical partners, or the available option of student -identified clinical placement.  If you are interested in completing your clinical placement at a site other than one of our regional partners, please consult Dietetics Program Coordinator Dr. Casey Strawser for more information.  It is important to consult Dr. Strawser as early as possible, as there may be several layers of approval necessary if EIU does not already have an institutional affiliation with your desired clinical site.

Pathways to Admission:

There are three pathways for admission to the MS Nutrition & Dietetics:Coordinated Program

• Traditional Admission Pathway: students complete a bachelor’s degree, and then apply for admission to the master’s degree. 

• Accelerated Program Pathway: Students apply after they have completed 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, and may take up to 12 credits of graduate coursework while they are undergraduates.  

• 3+2 Pathway to MSND: Coordinated Program: Students apply in the Fall semester of their junior year for admission to the 3+2 cohort starting the following Fall. Students complete 18 credits of graduate coursework while they are undergraduates. 

Students enrolled in the BS Nutrition program at EIU are eligible for admission to the MSND through any of the three pathways.  EIU students from undergraduate programs other than the BS Nutrition are eligible for admission to the Accelerated Program Pathway or the Traditional Pathway; they are excluded from the 3+2 Pathway to MSND: Coordinated Program. 

Degree Requirements:

NTR 5150 - Medical Nutrition Therapy. Credits: 3

NTR 5151 - Nutrition and Dietetics in Public Health Credits: 3

NTR 5154 – Medical Nutrition Therapy Credits: 3

NTR 5155 - Principles of Nutrition Education and Behavior Credits: 3

NTR 5156 – Leadership Development in Nutrition and Dietetics Credits: 3

NTR 5600 - Research Methodologies in Nutrition and Dietetics Credits: 3

NTR 5610 – Systematic Reviews in Nutrition and Dietetics Credits: 3

NTR 5981 - Dietetic Internship Credits: 3

NTR 5982 - Dietetic Internship Credits: 3

NTR 5983 - Dietetic Internship Credits: 3

NTR 5984 - Dietetic Internship Credits: 3

Electives:   3 credits

 

Supervised Practice:

The Eastern Illinois University Dietetics Program routinely places students in the following sites for their clinical rotations:

• • Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System in Charleston
  • Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana
  • HSHS St. John's in Springfield
  • OSF Health of Mary Medical Center in Urbana
  • OSF Sacred Heart in Danville
  • VA Medical Center in Danville

If a student elects to secure their own clinical site and EIU does not have a current affiliation agreement with that site, an affiliation agreement must be executed before placement can be confirmed.  The external site as well EIU's VP Academic Affairs, VP Business Affairs, Department of Public Health & Nutrition chair, and Coordinated Program Director must all approve and sign each agreement.  This process can take several months due to the number of parties involved.  Therefore, students who elect to secure their own supervised practice sites must notify the Coordinated Program Director of their intentions upon admission to the CP.  Potential sites will be provided with supervised practice learning objectives and rotation expectations, to include roles and responsibilities of preceptors, students and the CP Director, as part of the decision -making process to secure the site.  Student-identified sites must receive formal approval with signed affiliation agreements no later than February 1st to begin supervised practice rotations in summer or fall.

 

Credit for Prior Learning:

Earn up to 12 credits by Credit for Prior Learning.  If you have learning experience and training that may align with any of our courses, have a chat with your advisor, because we may be able to grant you course credit for that learning/training.  CPL is NOT available for NTR 5981-5984:  Dietetic Internship

CPL appears on your transcript just like any course; you earn a grade of "CR" (credit).

For more information about how CPL works, check out the CPL website.

Mission Statement:

The primary mission of the CP program is to provide a streamlined, direct admit program that will provide substantial cost and time savings to our native students, and allow us to recruit our best and brightest undergraduate students to remain at EIU to complete their master’s degree.

Goal 1. Program graduates will be competent, graduate-level, entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists with the knowledge and skills needed to provide professional services targeted at improving the overall health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities through theory-based nutrition education.

Objectives:

1. 1. At least 80% of students are expected to complete the CP within 150% of the program length.
   2. Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
   3. At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
   4. The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
   5. At least 80% of program graduate survey respondents will agree or strongly agree that the Coordinated Program coursework and supervised practice experiences were beneficial for successful careers in dietetics.
   6. At least 80% of employers surveyed will indicate satisfaction with EIU Coordinated Program graduates as competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists.

Goal 2. Program graduates will engage in diverse leadership and professional service opportunities as part of their commitment to lifelong learning.

Objectives:

1. 1. One-year post graduation, 50% of graduates who respond to the alumni survey will indicate they are serving as a preceptor.
   2. One-year post graduation, 50% of graduates who respond to the alumni survey will indicate active involvement in at least one professional organization.

 

Program outcome data is available upon request.

 

Accreditation information:

The undergraduate program is currently transitioning away from Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) accreditation. The DPD program will be retired effective May 31, 2026, and currently enrolled students must complete all requirements for their degree before May 31, 2026, if they wish to receive a DPD verification statement. the BS Nutrition & Dietetics remains accredited as a DPD program by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) through May 31, 2026.

The MS Nutrition & Dietetics: Coordinated Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)

120 Riverside Place, Suite 2190

Chicago, IL   60606-6995

(800) 877-1600, ext. 5400

www.eatrightpro.org/acend