How to Apply

Admission to the Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition Sciences - Clinical Nutrition concentration is open to students in the UC Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist program or who have a baccalaureate degree and a verification statement for completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements of a nutrition and dietetics education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®). Students in the final semester of the UC Nutrition & Dietetics baccalaureate degree program or the UC DPD Certificate program may also apply. 

By applying to the MS in Nutrition Sciences – Clinical Nutrition concentration you are applying to the master’s program + a Supervised Practice in Dietetics (SPD) internship experience. The SPD is no longer a stand-alone program.  To save you time, this program has been integrated into our MS in Nutrition Sciences - Clinical Nutrition concentration. 

For students with a BS degree/DPD verification applying to the MS in Nutrition Sciences – Clinical Nutrition concentration the deadline is January 25 for priority decisions.  Applications will be accepted through May 1 on a rolling basis or until all spots are filled.

Note, if you are a student currently enrolled in the undergraduate Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist Program the deadline for your application is November 1.

• Apply to the UC Graduate School to the Master of Science in Nutrition Sciences – Clinical Nutrition concentration.
  • From a drop menu select a pathway - either MS-CN Supervised Practice if you are a student applying with a BS degree and DPD verification or UC ADN program if you are one of our current students in the ADN undergraduate program. 
• Application fees may be paid by credit card (Visa, Discover, Master Card) or electronic check. This method is preferred and will speed processing of your application. Applications will not be processed until payment is received.
• Upload your resume which should include relevant academic and professional data. Resume should include: 
  • name, address, phone, birth date, citizenship
  • colleges attended with degrees and dates
  • extracurricular activities 
  • professional experience (paid or volunteer) 
  • honors/awards
  • names of references that will be sending letters
• Upload a personal statement that includes your responses to the following six questions.  Please number your responses and list them separately rather in in a full narrative form.
  1. What would you like the MS-Nutritional Sciences – Clinical Nutrition Admissions Committee to know about you? Discuss your personality and interests, as well as each of the following points: a) Self-direction b) Interpersonal skills c) Leadership ability d) Overall preparation for supervised practice e) How you work under pressure and your coping mechanisms.
  2. What are the strengths that you will bring to the MS-NS -CN SPD? In what areas do you hope to improve upon?
  3. The supervised practice portions of the program will require a large commitment of time (up to 32 hours per week), energy (graduate coursework in addition to a 32-hour workweek), and financial resources. How will you address the time, energy, and financial responsibilities? What prior commitments do you have, transportation issues, or other issues that might affect your ability to fully commit to the supervised practice? Before responding to this question, please carefully review the materials CPD Essential Program-Related Functions and Core Knowledge and Competencies for the RD.
  4. Imagine that you are the team leader for an important project. Two individuals on your team have come up with an idea for the project that you don't think will work. How do you go about moving forward with the project?
  5. Why did you choose nutrition and dietetics as a career and describe your reasons for applying for the MS-NS-CN with Supervised Practice program?
  6. What are your professional goals after completing the requirements to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?
• Upload your unofficial transcript. An official transcript will only need to be submitted after you have been accepted and confirmed as a student.
• Provide three current letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic and professional ability (submitted electronically by recommenders, preferable on letterhead). One letter should be from a nutrition faculty; one should be from an employer or other person who can comment regarding on-the-job (professional) performance; and the third from an academic source.