Public Health - Nutrition, Master of Public Health

The MPH Nutrition Program at NAU is a 24-month residential program that includes graduate courses in public health and dietetics along with supervised experiential learning.

This Future Education Model Graduate-level program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Examination. Contact information for ACEND: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. 800/877-1600, ext. 5400. 312/899-0040. Fax: 312/899-4817. acend@eatright.org. www.eatrightpro.org/acend

While the state of Arizona does not currently have licensure for registered dietitian nutritionists, we understand that you may end up moving out of state following completion of our program. For more information on licensure in other states for the Health Sciences MPH in Nutrition, view NAU’s Professional Licensure by State table.

Our instructors and preceptors are dedicated to preparing students to serve the public health and nutrition needs of Northern Arizona communities and beyond. Students progress through a series of graduate-level courses in public health and nutrition that include learner-centered teaching approaches. Courses include innovative uses of simulation and service learning activities so that students don’t just learn about public health and nutrition, they learn how to apply these concepts into real world settings.

To maximize the learning experience, students are required to attend classes in-person. However, the following courses in the summer and during supervised experiential learning rotations are provided as asynchronous online courses: HS 511, HS 572, HS 698, NTS 657. Students compete these four courses within a password-controlled Learning Management System (LMS) that requires multi-factor authentication.

Information on how to access NAU's LMS, including technology requirements and use policies can be found here: nau.edu/lms. In the event that online exams are used in any course, exams will be housed within the university's LMS. Students are expected to comply with the University's academic integrity policy.

Mission

The mission of the NAU Master of Public Health Nutrition program is to prepare graduates, through learner-centered educational strategies, research, and public service, to practice as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who support the advancement of population health and the prevention of disease for diverse, underserved communities.

To train a highly qualified public health workforce through teaching, community service and scholarship to improve public health through practices, policy changes, leadership and management work, and creative interventions in Arizona with a focus on rural, tribal, and border communities.

Vision

To improve health, well-being and quality of life in Arizona with a focus on rural, tribal, and border communities.

1) Teaching Goal: Provide students with hands-on learning experiences, mentoring, and opportunities for leadership development to promote health equity, the needs of marginalized communities, tribal communities and/or rural communities.

2) Community Service Goal: Work with community partners to identify and address public health needs and provide students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in community-based projects; Support partnerships that engage students, staff and faculty in community service and provide expertise to support community organizations in meeting the needs of regional populations.

3) Research Goal: Engage faculty, staff and students in scholarship partnerships with public health agencies and community partners to address regional public health needs; Conduct research and provide students with opportunities to work on research related to health equity.

4) Student-focused Goal: Train students to become culturally immersed, aware, knowledgeable, and skillful public health practitioners.

*Objectives unique to the Northern Arizona University MPH Nutrition Program ** Objectives required by ACEND Program outcome data is available upon request.

The field of nutrition and dietetics is continually growing. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the projected growth from 2016-2026 is 15%. In 2017 the median pay for dietitians was $59,410 per year.

Dietitians are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They work in a variety of settings including hospitals, health clinics, public health departments, and foodservice operations.

Beginning in 2024, a master’s degree will be required in order to gain candidacy to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Examination.

The dietitian training program at NAU is a Future Education Model. A Future Education Model places training for registered dietitian nutritionists at the graduate level. In this new model, students can earn a bachelor’s degree in any field while completing pre-requisite courses that are required for most graduate-level Future Education Model nutrition programs.

Upon successful completion of a graduate level Future Education Model program (such as the MPH Nutrition program at NAU) students are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Examination.

Traditional dietetics education pathways to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist are still available and these include:

1. Completing an ACEND-accredited undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics, followed by a graduate-level ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program;
2. Completing an ACEND-accredited coordinated program with didactic coursework and the dietetic internship combined into one program at the undergraduate level;
3. Completing an ACEND-accredited coordinated program with the didactic coursework and dietetic internship combined into one program at the graduate level.*

*This is similar to a Future Education Model, but follows slightly different accreditation standards.

This graphic provides an overview of the current pathways in dietetics education.

Baccalaureate Degree

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a four-year college or university, or its international equivalent with a 3.0 GPA or better in any subject. Students who earned a degree in nutrition/dietetics and have received a verification statement are eligible to apply, as are students who earned a degree in any other subject, as long as they have completed the required pre-requisite courses prior to admission. 

Required Pre-requisite Courses

Prior to applying please complete the following pre-requisite courses:

• 1 semester of an introductory or basic statistics course
• 1 semester of general chemistry
• 1 semester of organic chemistry (Note: Labs for the two chemistry courses are not required unless necessary to advance from general to organic chemistry at the institution where you are taking the pre-requisite courses.)
• 1 semester of anatomy and physiology
• 1 semester of microbiology
• 1 semester of an introductory nutrition course (minimum 3 units)
• 1 semester course in food safety and sanitation or proof of a current ServSafe® certification.*

Students who have not completed all pre-requisite courses prior to submitting their application will still be considered for the program as long as no more than 2 pre-requisite courses are outstanding prior to the application deadline, and the student can demonstrate proof of enrollment in the remaining pre-requisite courses in their application (a screenshot demonstrating course enrollment is sufficient).

Students with outstanding pre-requisite courses must demonstrate that they completed those courses with a C or better prior to the start of the program. Students will be dropped from the program if pre-requisite courses are not complete, or if a C or better was not earned prior to the start of the program.

Pre-requisite courses completed more than 10 years prior to the application deadline may need to be retaken.

*The ServSafe® course and certification can be taken and submitted with your application in place of completing a college-level food safety and sanitation course. Visit https://www.servsafe.com/access/SS/Catalog/ProductDetail/SSECT6 to find online ServSafe® trainings.

The MPH Nutrition program is completed in a cohort model, meaning that coursework must be completed exactly as outlined in the course plan. Find the course plan here.

• Applicants must submit application materials in the following two places prior to the January 15^th deadline:

1. NAU Graduate College Admission website
2. Dietetic Internship Central Application Services (DICAS)

• Application Fee. Applicants must pay the following application fees for both application systems:
  • NAU Graduate College application: $65
  • DICAS application: $50 to apply to one program + $25 for each additional program you apply to on DICAS

• Resume or Vita. Include your resume or vita in both your DICAS and NAU Graduate College applications:
• Personal Statement. Please write a one to two page letter of personal introduction and professional intent. Include the following information in your personal statement and submit your personal statement in both your DICAS and NAU Graduate College applications:
  • The concentration to which you are applying
  • Your academic focus or interest areas in health and wellness
  • Your professional goals and how the MPH Nutrition program at NAU aligns with these goals
  • Identification as someone from a diverse or historically underrepresented group* (if applicable)
  • Experience working with others from a diverse or historically underrepresented group* (if applicable)
• Supplemental Question. In addition to the personal statement above, please answer the following supplemental question in ONLY your DICAS application:

Please describe your current understanding of public health. Why is it important for dietitians to also have knowledge and skills in public health? In other words, in what ways would earning a degree in public health enhance your abilities as a dietitian? (Please provide a response that is between 150 and 200 words in length.)

• Transcripts. Submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended that contributed to the baccalaureate degree as well as transcripts documenting completion of the pre-requisite courses (see Admission Requirements above). Please submit transcripts in your NAU Graduate College application and to DICAS.
• Supplemental Application Materials (only if applicable). If applicable, please include the following documentation in your DICAS application and with your NAU Graduate College application:
  • If you are enrolled in a pre-requisite course the same semester you apply, please include evidence of enrollment in final pre-requisite courses.
  • If you opted to complete the ServSafe® exam in place of a college-level food safety and sanitation course, please upload your ServSafe® certification.

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The Graduate Record Examination is NOT required and is NOT used to evaluate applicants.

• Letters of Recommendation. Applicants need three professional references who will submit recommendation forms on the NAU Graduate College application portal and DICAS on their behalf. At least one reference should be a faculty member. At least one reference should be a supervisor or manager. The third reference can be either a supervisor/manager or a faculty member. (Applicants are encouraged to request letters of recommendation from faculty and supervisors at least 3-4 weeks prior to the application deadline.)
• International applicants: Applications submitted after January 15 will not be evaluated for admission, please apply to the next available admission term.

If English is not your native language, you must provide proof of English proficiency from one of the following testing agencies on your NAU Graduate Admissions Application:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)Scores are sent directly to NAU from ETS NAU’s Institutional Code is 4006.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)Scores are sent directly to NAU from IELTS. The address to send IELTS scores is:

Center for International Education- NAU Attention: Meaghan Gruber 523 S Knoles Drive PO Box 5598 Flagstaff, AZ 86011 The minimum English proficiency scores for most programs are: 80 (TOEFL iBT) or 6.5 (IELTS). Scores must be sent directly to the Center for International Education from the Testing Institution. The TOEFL/IELTS may be waived:

• If you are a native speaker of English. Native speakers are considered applicants who are from and have completed a high school or university education at an institution in an English-speaking country. List of English speaking countries can be found at https://nau.edu/cie/education-abroad/programs/english-speaking-countries/
• If you have earned a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from a U.S. university or college.

*Definitions of “diverse or historically underrepresented groups” can be found here, as noted in the NAU Diversity Strategic Plan.

• Diversity refers to the complexity of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences and intersections of culture and circumstance. Such differences and intersections include race, sex, ethnicity, age, religion, language, ability/disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic, veteran or other status, or geographic region.
• Historically underrepresented groups (HUG) refers to those diverse groups, identities, and communities that historically are underrepresented, underserved, or marginalized at institutions of higher education.

Program Cost

Tuition

Up-to-date tuition, fees, and estimated living expenses for all NAU graduate programs can be found here: https://nau.edu/admissions/tuition-and-cost/tuition-expenses/.

Financial Aid

 The NAU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid can help students apply for Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Visit https://nau.edu/office-of-scholarships-and-financial-aid/ for more information.

Scholarships, fellowships and awards may also be available. Visit the Graduate College website and hover over Resources in the navigation bar for more information.

Graduate assistantships are sometimes available within the department, depending on available research funding. The MPH Director will send a survey to applicants to gage interest in department assistantships following the program application deadline. Students who complete the survey will be contacted if awarded a Health Sciences Department Graduate Assistantship.

College level assistantships are also available. Visit https://nau.edu/graduate-college/graduate-assistantships-tuition-waivers/ for more information about current assistantship openings.

If you live in Western states you may qualify for the WRGP program which allows you to pay in-state tuition. Visit the WRGP website for qualifying state residence: https://nau.edu/health-sciences/wrgp-program.

Supervised experiential learning is incorporated throughout the program through the use of classroom-based simulation and collaborative projects with local nutrition and public health agencies. In the final six months of the program, students will be placed at supervised experiential learning rotations in clinical nutrition, foodservice management, and public health. Supervised experiential learning sites may be up to one hour’s drive outside of Flagstaff.

Possible supervised experiential learning placements include:

Clinical Nutrition

• Flagstaff Medical Center
• Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona
• Verde Valley Medical Center
• Tuba City Regional Health Care
• Whiteriver Indian Hospital
• Kingman Regional Medical Center

Foodservice Management

• Flagstaff Medical Center
• NAU Campus Dining (Sodexho)
• Peaks Senior Living
• Rehab Hospital of Northern Arizona
• Verde Valley Hospital
• Flagstaff Unified School District
• Flagstaff Family Food Center
• The Guidance Center
• Kingman Regional Medical Center

Public Health Nutrition

• NAU Health Promotion
• Coconino County Public Health, Women Infant and Children
• Flagstaff Family Food Center
• Pinnacle Prevention
• Northern Arizona Healthcare Employee Wellness
• Northern Arizona Public Employees Benefit Trust (NAPEBT) Wellness Program
• Inspire
• Tuba City Regional Healthcare
• Native Americans for Community Action
• Evolve Nutrition
• North Country Health Care

Each student completes a graduate project, the Integrated Learning Experience, that aligns with their chosen public health concentration. As part of the first year MPH coursework, students learn how to write a project proposal and learn methods to support their ability to plan a project. Students identify a public health agency and the Integrated Learning Experience is planned out to benefit or support an agency. Graduate projects can include a choice of one of the following: development of interventions, toolkits, trainings, a research project, literature reviews, systematic reviews, policy briefs, or grant proposals. MPH students should coordinate with a public health agency and develop a project that benefits the agency. Students will also have a faculty member mentor from the Department of Health Sciences. Students can develop their own Integrated Learning Experience project and propose the project to an agency and faculty member with similar interests. The final project is submitted in the Spring semester Graduate Seminar class in the form of a submitted written product and an MPH Conference presentation.

During the semester that the student completes the 3-unit applied practice experience, students complete pre-planned tasks and deliverable products to demonstrate attainment of their selected CEPH competencies.

Q: Is this program offered online?

A: No. The majority of courses are taken on the Flagstaff Mountain campus and courses are typically Monday-Thursday in the afternoon and/or evening. Supervised experiential learning rotations – completed in the final Spring and Summer semesters – are also located in Flagstaff and surrounding communities. The only online courses are the courses taken during the first summer.

Q: Will I be eligible to sit for the RD exam when I am finished with this program?

A: Yes. Once the program is completed and all competencies have been passed, you will be eligible to sit for RD exam through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Verification statements and test eligibility will be issued after the degree is conferred by NAU.

Q: What does it mean that you are a Future Education Model Program?

A: The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) started Future Education Model Programs as a first step towards changing the educational pathways within the field of nutrition and dietetics. We volunteered to “go first” and try out this new educational pathway. That is why it is called a Future Education Model. The wave of the future in nutrition and dietetics education is to include all training at the graduate level for eligibility to sit for the RD exam. Therefore, our program includes the didactic coursework in dietetics, the supervised experiential learning (similar to the dietetic internship) and the graduate degree requirements all squeezed into a 2-year graduate degree.

Q: Do I need to have an undergraduate degree in nutrition or dietetics to be accepted into this program?

A: No. Applicants are only required to have a bachelor’s degree; it does not have to be in nutrition, dietetics, or any related field. The only requirement is that you complete the list of pre-requisite courses (basic/intro nutrition, basic/intro statistics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy/physiology, microbiology, and food safety/sanitation).

Q: How do I determine if a course I took will “count” as a pre-requisite course?

A: If the course was a college-level course taken at an accredited university and the title of the course is similar to the titles of our pre-requisite course requirements, then chances are good that the course will “count” as a pre-requisite. If you have any concerns or questions about a specific course, contact the program director at Dawn.Clifford@nau.edu and include the course number, institution, and course description in your email.

Q: I’m having a hard time finding the food safety and sanitation pre-requisite course at my local community college. Any suggestions?

A: You may take a ServSafe course online and sit and pass the ServSafe exam in lieu of taking a college level food safety and sanitation course. Please upload the ServSafe certification in your application.

Q: How many students do you accept into your program each year?

A: We accept 12 students into our MPH Nutrition program each year.

Q: Do you accept students into your program in the fall to start in the spring?

A: No. We only accept applications to start in the fall.

Q: If I miss the priority deadline of April 1, will you still have openings?

A: Not likely. We typically fill our spots with those who applied prior to the April 1 deadline. You are welcome to submit an application up until April 15^th, but it is very unlikely that your application will be reviewed.

Q: How many hours of public health experience is required to apply?

A: None. While gaining experience in public health prior to applying will certainly help you determine your fit within the profession, public health experience is not a requirement to apply. We do consider your readiness to serve underserved communities when reviewing your application, so we encourage you to describe experiences or attributes that make you equipped for this work in your personal statement.

Q: How do you evaluate applicants? What do you look for in applicants?

A: Applicants are evaluated based on their GPA; writing ability (as demonstrated in the personal statement); general fit for the program based on career goals and interests; previous experience managing multiple commitments; interest, experience and readiness to serve underserved communities; and letters of recommendation.

Q: Do you consider applicants with GPAs lower than 3.0?

A: Yes, we will still be able to review your application. We have a holistic approach to reviewing applicants, meaning that we consider life and work experiences, writing abilities, and overall fit for the program, and not just overall GPA. We also look at GPA of the last 60 units and general grade trajectory. Students with inconsistent grades in their last few semesters of their undergraduate program will likely not receive interviews.

Q: Do you interview applicants? If so, how many do you interview?

A: Yes, we hold 15-minute video conference interviews with our top 20 applicants.

Q: If my undergraduate degree is in nutrition and dietetics, will I be able to skip out on taking some of the courses you have in the course plan which are similar to courses I’ve already taken?

A: No. The NAU program uses different accreditation standards than your undergraduate program and therefore you must take all courses on the course plan as listed regardless of previous coursework. The only exception is if you completed NTS 415 and NTS 445 here at NAU as an undergraduate student. You will not need to retake those two courses, which are part of the graduate program.

Q: Are there assistantship opportunities or other opportunities for funding?

A: There are a few graduate assistantships offered at NAU and prospective students are encouraged to check the Graduate College website assistantship list frequently during the semester they are applying. Check current "at large" assistantship openings at the bottom of the Graduate Assistantships page. There are very few graduate assistantships currently offered within the Health Sciences Department. However, students can apply for TA and RA positions that provide hourly pay (no tuition waiver).

Q: Do I need to have taken biochemistry before starting your program?

A: Biochemistry is not one of our official pre-requisite courses. However, if you are accepted into our program and you have not taken biochemistry prior to the start of our program, you will need to take it your first semester of our program. Adding biochemistry on to the first semester of the program is very challenging. Therefore, we HIGHLY recommend that you take a biochemistry course prior to starting our program. This course can be taken through Maricopa Community College or online through the “verified track” at Harvard University.

To learn more about our MPH faculty and staff, click here.

Student Spotlight

Abigail Pye, MPH Nutrition Class of 2023

aep287@nau.edu Abigail received her undergraduate degree at NAU in Exercise Science with a minor in nutrition. In addition to being a student, Abigail worked part time as a manager within NAU Campus Recreation, and upon graduation worked at a physical therapy clinic in Tucson, AZ. She has also worked as a teaching assistant for various undergraduate nutrition classes and taught dance at a local Flagstaff dance studio. Abigail served as a UCAN Health Coach for two semesters as a graduate student. All these experiences were pivotal in Abigail’s passion for raising awareness about weight-based stigmas and discrimination, helping others love their body, and adopting non-diet approaches to health. Abigail was raised as a classically trained ballerina, whose love for dance now extends to a love for learning. She has witnessed firsthand the effects that the world of athletics can have on young athletes. This experience drove her to pursue becoming a Registered Dietitian and aspired her to work improve the younger generation relationship with food.  Her research at NAU focuses on reducing anti-fat attitudes and improving attitudes towards the weight-health relationship amongst college-aged individuals. In her free time, Abigail enjoys dancing with Canyon Movement Company (a modern dance company in Flagstaff), baking, paint-by-number sets, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends.

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Josie Carter, MPH Nutrition Class of 2023

jp3226@nau.edu Josie is passionate about sharing her knowledge about nutrition to improve community health in the Southwest. Josie’s journey towards community nutrition started in 2011 when she served with AmeriCorps within a rural, low-income community health center in Washington state. Working with patients to help them improve their health through food ignited a fire within her and set her on the path she is on now. Josie graduated magna cum laude from Fort Lewis College in 2017, with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health as well as a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Her favorite projects in her undergraduate career included conducting a needs assessment for a rural county of Colorado as well as completing a national GIS analysis of the social determinants of diabetes. After graduation, she moved to Denver where she started her family and made the choice to chase her dream to become a Registered Dietitian. Steadily, she chipped away at the prerequisites she would need for the program while volunteering with Cooking Matters, a program aimed at teaching low-income families about nutrition and how to cook healthfully on a budget. Her primary interest is in maternal and child nutrition, as she feels strongly about the power of healthy eating habits from a young age and the kind of trajectory this can set someone’s life on. She is also interested in Motivational Interviewing as well as how place impacts health. Since starting at NAU, she has worked as a Teaching Assistant and Supplemental Instructor for several undergraduate courses and volunteered as a UCAN Health Coach for two semesters. Teaching and coaching fill her cup. Ever since she set foot in Durango, she fell in love with the Southwest and considered it her home and the place she will raise her two young daughters. In her free time, she loves cooking with her kids, listening to audiobooks, and dabbling with ultramarathons. She aims to give back to her community by helping her neighbors achieve wellbeing through their relationship with food.

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Melissa Goode, MPH Nutrition Class of 2023

melissagoodenutrition@gmail.com Melissa was born and raised in San Diego, CA, but completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in Northern California at California State University, Sacramento. Before moving to Flagstaff, Melissa acquired a variety of work experiences that made her excited to be a part of the public health and nutrition field. She has held a wide range of jobs including working as a student researcher with the California Department of Public Health and being a lead employee with her undergraduate’s CalFresh (SNAP) Outreach program. These roles made her appreciate the depths of the public health sphere and how important it is to be an advocate for others. Prior to moving to Flagstaff, Melissa worked for an eating disorder treatment center. Through working with the dietitians there, she developed a genuine passion for helping people improve their relationships with food. In all her experiences, she has appreciated the connections she has made with diverse groups of people and has enjoyed attending to people’s needs. Melissa is working towards being a well-rounded Registered Dietitian that is an ally in the public health space. She believes everyone has the right to have their nutritional needs met. Her current interests include eating disorders, disordered eating, and women’s health. She is also open to learning and growing from new opportunities in diverse settings. Melissa is excited to grow in this field and continue to give to those around her. Melissa established her own health coaching / nutrition counseling private practice in 2023 and is excited to grow this practice in the future. You can find her at: https://www.goode-nutrition.com/ Melissa describes herself as an empathetic, compassionate, kind, and driven human that is striving to serve others each day. Her personal hobbies include running, exploring local coffee shops, and enjoying the mountain air.