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MSNHL Supervised Practice

Students are required to complete 1,000 hours of Supervised Practice (SP) experience to meet competencies established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) in addition to coursework. Completion of SP hours and the award of a Master of Science degree prepares graduates for entry-level dietetics and provides students with “eligibility” to write the national registration examination of the Commission of Dietetics Registration (CDR), that grants the use of the nationally recognized credential, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

All students are required to attend a mandatory 2-day supervised practice orientation before they begin any internship. This is held during January of the first year on the Thursday and Friday before the start of the Spring semester.

MSNHL Program Information

Announcements

Priority Application Deadline for MSNHL Fall Start Date

January 15

On-Campus vs Online Learning

  • Students must enroll in one track only
  • Distance students must be 100 miles from USC
  • On-campus supervised practice is scheduled by the Internship Coordinators
  • Distance students will need to identify all supervised practice rotations and provide confirmation of supervised practice sites for the first year of the program, as a condition of program acceptance.

nearly 400

preceptors
across the country

300+

affiliation agreements
with sites across the country including Texas, New York, Hawaii and Florida

95%

of graduates
passed the CDR credentialing exam for dietitians within one year following first attempt

MSNHL Supervised Practice Sites

MSNHL students have been placed in the following facilities in previous semesters. Available sites may vary from year to year.

  • USC Hospitals-Keck, Norris Cancer Center, Verdugo Hills​ and Arcadia Hospital
  • Long Term Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities​
  • USC Hospitality, USC Sports Nutrition, USC WorkWell Center, and USC Research Labs​
  • USC Head Start, public and private schools, community colleges and non-profit organizations
  • Private practice, consulting RDNs, and disordered eating, substance abuse programs​, and other specialized clinics

Rotation Schedule

RotationPossible Sites/ActivitiesMin/Max Hours PossibleTotal Hours/Days (1000 Total Hours)
ProfessionalizationProfessionalization Workshops, Online Self Study Modules, HIPAA and CITI IRB Modules, Policy, Leadership Development, Activities, Volunteer Work and Field Trips60 hoursMinimum 60 hours
Retail Food ServiceCore Site120 hours120 hours/15 days
In-Patient Food ServiceCore Site120 hours120 hours/15 days
Community NutritionCore Site, Care Harbor or Health Fairs, Grocery Store Tours, Research (Community Population)112 hours112 hours/14 days
Nutrition EducationCore Site40 hours40 hours
OutpatientCore Site96 hours96 hours/12 days
MNT ICore Site160 hours160 hours/20 days
MNT IICore Site, GROW Conference160 hours + 40 hours of virtual MNT simulation or 200 hours (without 40 hours of MNT simulation)160 hours /20 days + 40 hours of simulation or 200 hours/25 days
Specialty Concentration (Elective)Selected with SP Coordinator, (Renal, Burns, Bariatric, Transplant, Research, Private Practice, Sports Nutrition, etc.)96 hours96 hours/12 days

Past Capstone Projects

The MSNHL Capstone Project serves as the program summative experience and is the culminating experience for all MSNHL Coordinated Program students. The purpose of this project is to enable students to demonstrate mastery of a nutrition topic area. Student research may be presented in a variety of forums, such as a presentation at a nutrition or related conference, or published in a peer-reviewed journal or newsletter. Before graduation, students present their research to their professors, preceptors, classmates, and families. 

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Preceptor Information

All RD preceptors who participate in training our dietetic interns are eligible to receive up to 3 CPEUs per calendar year. A confirmation statement will be provided by the internship coordinator with the number of CPEUs to be awarded based on student contact hours. Learn how to signup to become a preceptor below.

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MSNHL Honors and Awards

Person holding a framed diploma

Rochelle Lai, MS, RDN, MSNHL ‘19
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, AND 2019

Headshot of Castillo

Ranier Castillo, MS, RDN, MSNHL ‘20
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, AND 2020

Headshot of woman in lab coat

Ahmicqui Bribiescas-Page, MS, RDN, MSNHL ’22
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, AND 2022

Portrait of Lauren Sutherlin in USC Leonard Davis lab coat

Lauren Sutherlin, MSNHL ’23
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, AND 2023

Portrait of Kristine Wong MSNHL

Kristine Wong, MSNHL ‘24
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, AND 2024

Meet the Administrative Team

Headshot of Jeannie Wakamatsu

Jeannie Wakamatsu, MPH, RDN

Program Manager and Internship Coordinator

Portrait of Laura Laura Kauffman

Laura Kauffman, MS, RD, CNSC

Clinical Preceptor and Internship Coordinator

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