Notes for Sample Plans

⁴ This path could be started by a student who is unsure on a Pre-Health career path between Pre-Dietetics and one that requires CHEM:1110 and BIOL:1411 such as Pre-Med or Pre-Dent.
⁵ CHEM:1120 is not an admission requirement. It is a step toward the required CHEM:2210 Organic Chemistry I option for the MCN prerequisite.

Guidelines

Applicants to the MCN must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Additionally, the minimum cumulative science GPA must be 3.20 on a 4.00 on most recently completed Biological and Chemical Science coursework. This means students who retake or take for the first time the Biological and Chemical Science coursework later in their academic career will be evaluated by the most recent work rather than work from many semesters ago.

Applicants must have, by the time of matriculation, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States and completed prerequisite courses for admission. No specific major is required to complete the prerequisites. One can be History, Art, etc, and complete the prerequisites. However, Health Promotion in the Department of Health and Human Physiology lends itself well to competition of the prerequisites.

There is a list of currently approved prerequisites on the last page.

Recency of Education Requirements
Recency is an area of note for applicants who wish to use courses taken five or more years prior to the current application deadline. For such applicants, additional courses in nutrition and the sciences are required to update their degree.

• Five to 10 years since you completed your degree
  • Three semester hours of medical nutrition therapy or clinical nutrition
• More than 10 years since you completed your degree:
  • Three semester hours of medical nutrition therapy or clinical nutrition
  • Three semester hours of physiology
  • Three semester hours of biochemistry

Profile information for Fall 2022 class
Class Size: 10 students admitted.
Mean Cumulative GPA – 3.61, Mean Science GPA – 3.45
Mean GRE Scores – Verbal 150; Quantitative 149; Written (Analytical) 4.02
Mean Employment Hours – 2,890
Mean Volunteer/Academic Enrichment Hours – 168

Non-Academic Guidelines
Applicants to the Master of Clinical Nutrition must have health care or food service work experience. The health care experience may be paid or volunteer. It may be in a hospital, long-term care facility, rehabilitation center, or many other settings. The food service is broadly defined to allow many experiences: fast-food, sit-down dining, residence hall dining, etc.

The goal of either or both experiences is exposure to serving others. For food service, experiences that allow applicants to gain some understanding of nutritional demands and needs of those served are beneficial.

Application Process

Application process begins with the Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service (DICAS) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. DICAS will allow applicants to apply to graduate dietetics programs which agree to use the service. After the DICAS application has been reviewed by the Program Director of the UI Master of Clinical Nutrition, the applicant will be interviewed by the MCN selection committee and potentially be invited to continue the process by submitting the UI Graduate College Application and additional application materials.

The application is a rolling admission process that begins at the end of July and an application must be completed by June 1 of the next year. Completion means the required materials (transcripts, Graduate Records Examination scores, letters of recommendation) must be received by June 1.

Entrance Tests
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required for admission to the Master of Clinical Nutrition. The GRE is a computer-delivered test with three areas: Analytic Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The exam is offered year-round at ETS test sites.

It is recommended that applicants spend time preparing for the exam. There are many study guides available for purchase as well private prep courses. We have no recommendation on what method an applicant to prepare but a conversation with your Academic Advisor is a good place to start.

GRE scores must be a test taken within the last 10 years. Minimum test scores must be at the 25^th percentile or higher on each section for an applicant to be considered.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants for whom English is not their native language. Official scores from ETS for the TOEFL must be received for your application to be reviewed. Only the IBT (internet Based Test) form of the TOEFL will be accepted. A total score of 93 and a speaking score of 26 is required for entry into our program.

Letters of Recommendation
The UI Master of Clinical Nutrition requires three letters: 1 from a collegiate academic reference; 1 from a health care or food service experience supervisor; and 1 from anyone in the academic or work setting.

Food service experience can range very broadly from residence hall dining to fast food.  It is important that students consider the nutritional and dietary aspects of the food service experience even if such knowledge is required of the position.

Strong applicants to the MCN will be students who have built solid relationships with instructors and supervisors. Such relationship can take time and certainly effort. Building relationship is not a task that can be left to the semester before an applicant applies.

Interview
The MCN selection committee interviews invited candidates. UI students may contact the Pomerantz Career Center to learn about resources for interview preparation.

Criminal Background Check
The DICAS application requires students to provide information regarding their record of felonies and/or misdemeanors which is then conveyed to the UI MCN program.