Master of Science in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity

What Will I Study in My Classes?

The MSNHL program at USC Leonard Davis has strong relationships with community health professionals and programs serving individuals across the lifespan, and acknowledges that Registered Dietitian Nutritionists will be playing an increasing role in the health care arena. Thus, the goals focus on assuring that the program produces competent, well-trained professionals, who are attuned to the research evidence that has the potential to impact the delivery of nutrition services, appreciates the impact research evidence has on health issues in society and recognizes the need for evidence-based practice in the profession. The goals of this CP are tightly woven with expectations of its students to become actively engaged in healthspan and longevity research (basic, clinical, and translational) throughout both supervised practice and graduate studies.

You’ll explore these subjects through your required and elective courses:

• Nutrition, Genes, Longevity and Disease
• Communicating Nutrition and Health
• Medical Nutrition Therapy
• Fundamentals of Nutrition (Micro and Macronutrients)

What are the program requirements?

Successful completion of 44 units is required for graduation (28 units of didactic course work, 10 units of supervised practice and 6 units of research). In addition to required didactic coursework, the program provides students with 1000 hours of supervised practice experience needed to meet competencies established by ACEND. The program’s concentration area is nutrition, healthspan and longevity (NHL), preparing graduates for entry-level dietetics. In selecting applicants for admission, the School of Gerontology considers both academic potential (as reflected in undergraduate study) and professional potential (as reflected in experience, references and career goals) along with in-person interviews (Skype can be used for distance).

Prerequisites

Prerequisite courses must be completed before starting the program.

• For the list of prerequisite courses, please view the Master of Science in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity program description.
• All prerequisite courses cannot be more than 10 years old at the time of application (the exception is general psychology, math, and speech/communications).
• All prerequisite courses must meet our minimum unit requirement on the semester system.  Courses taken on any other system, including the quarter system, must be converted to semester units.
• Not required to complete all prerequisites at USC.
• Complete the prerequisites table and upload it with your online application.
• Program outcomes data are available upon request.

Admission Requirements

• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Complete supplemental application included as part of university application
• In your university application, you must upload your resume and statement of interest
• 2 letters of recommendation, either uploaded in your university application or mailed separately by your recommenders
• Official transcripts should be mailed directly to our office, or submitted electronically. Students must declare all schools on the application and submit transcripts from all institutions attended (even if it was for just one semester) after high school:

USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Office of Admission and Student Services
3715 McClintock Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191

On your university application, include your scholarship application—merit-based scholarships are available to qualified applicants. The GRE may be waived by having strong academics. If the GRE is required, you will be notified during the review process.

40 hours of experience with an RD

• Summarize your experience, identify your mentor and contact information, obtain a signature for at least 40 hours, and upload it with your online application

Statement of Interest

Your statement of interest plays an important role in helping our faculty consider your application for graduate study. The following prompt is designed to help you but is not an exhaustive list of information you should include in your statement. We recommend that your statement is within three to five pages double-spaced pages. The statement should be uploaded as part of the university application.

• Tell us why you chose to apply to the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
• Tell us about your experiences in gerontology
• Describe your educational and career goals
• Please describe your strengths and weaknesses

Accreditation

The degree program and supervised practice are accredited (9/8/2014) by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and the registration exam requirements are set by the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR).  Graduates receive a verification statement that enables registration for the exam and upon successful completion receive the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential.

ACEND can be contacted at:

• Mail: 120 South Riverside Plaza
  Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995
• Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
• Visit website

Program Resources

• Information Session Recording (includes requirements and process to become an RDN)
• Information Session Recording PDF
• Program Description
• MSNHL Supervised Practice