help me decide something...

I need to hear someone's opinion besides my own.
I JUST (as in YESTERDAY) finished the coursework for my MS degree! :aargh4:
I will spend this semester doing my thesis work.

Here is my dilemma.....
My degree is a Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
12 credits have the prefix NTR (nutrition) and 21 credits have the prefix ALH (allied health) Allied health courses were my thesis, stats, research methods, clinical behavior change, and a couple others that are requirements for all of us doing any of the health occupation degrees. I know in almost every masters, a person completes courses in research/stats/etc.

You know what I'm about to ask, should I complete 2 more NTR courses after my thesis to hedge any issues that might arise in teaching later for not having 18 in nutrition?

I'm 99% sure that I understand the MS/18 credit rules. I believe it is a master's in the subject being taught *or* a masters in another subject + 18. That said, I attended an interview last month where the interviewer asked if I would have 18 NTR inside of my degree. Now, I understand that they can require anything they want- but what I suspect is that this person was confused about the accreditation rules. I decided to keep my wondering to myself. :tapedshut: Now, I've decided it might be ME that is confused.

Thoughts???

FWIW, it would cost me $4500 dollars to do this, but I do not believe it would delay my graduation. (I have to confirm that)

EDIT: I wanted to add that I would never teach nutrition through a biology/science department, only through applied technologies/culinary/career.

 

I see your dilemma. I think I would go ahead and take the extra two courses while you're in the groove, so to speak. You are completing the degree to teach at the college level, right?

 

They ARE misunderstanding the accreditation rules. There is no rule that says 18 credits have to have a specific prefix. I've also understood it as a master's degree in the field or 18 graduate credits in the field if the master's is unrelated.

This school seems to get it.

http://www.aug.edu/institutional_effectiveness/credentialing_procedures.pdf

 

Sure, go ahead with the extra courses to make the 18 hrs.

 

While it is true that there is no rule that 18 hours have to have a specific prefixes, quite often those who enforce the 18 hours can be sticklers about the
"right" prefix.

 

Yes, that's my vocation now. The past program I taught in for 18 years awarded an AAS, so there were no specific rules. In that program, one of my sections was teaching nutrition. Since moving, I've got to "hit the pavement" and land a new job. My two primary prospects are a CC awarding an AS and a university that requires a masters no matter what, but nutrition is considered academic (not culinary) thus the MS in nutrition requirement. I did this homework before we moved, so a good piece of my motivation was to be qualified to teach at either of these programs. There are OTHER colleges I could teach at here, but they are lower on my list. The college I interviewed with is a private career college that was pretty low on my list; they were the ones who mentioned accreditation rules to me.

Thanks for the confirmation.

So far, all things are pointing to yes (except for the fact that I'm about $4500 short of $4500).

 

Is the private career college NA or RA? ACICS, at least, is extremely flexible with faculty credentials. That's how I'm able to teach criminal justice without a criminal justice degree or 18 graduate hours in CJ.

 

It sounds like you are okay teaching nutrition or "allied health" and perhaps even "health" but if you are worried take two more nutrition courses at the doctoral level and get a sneak preview into a doctoral program.

 

RA, but the interviewer was not HR, she was the newish dept chair for the nursing program; I'm going to speculate that she misunderstood.
"accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, and masters degrees and diploma programs."

 

Now that's just crazy talking there...:nono:

 

No it's not! I've read your posts for years and know deep down you want a doctoral degree! Besides the DETC accredited Huntington College, are there any doctoral degrees in nutrition available through distance learning? I noticed the US Sports Academy offers an Ed.D with an emphasis in sports medicine.

 

There are health science programs offered through distance learning such as A.T. Still and Nova Southeastern. There might be some public health programs, but I haven't really looked into those. Saybrook University offers a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine, but I don't know how useful that would be. Rosalind Franklin University offers an online PhD in Interprofessional Studies that's meant for various healthcare practitioners including nutritionists. Virginia Commonwealth University offers a PhD in Health Related Sciences.

 

Rutgers: D.C.N.

Prospective students must be Registered Dietitians (RDs).
“DCN students are required to travel to the Newark campus at least three times during the program. The first in-person requirement includes completion of a core course, Nutrition Focused Physical Examination, which has a three day in person component on the Newark campus. During the first phase of the research coursework DCN students are required to attend a three day in-person research workshop on the Newark campus. The third visit is to defend the final practice based research in-person on the Newark campus.”
Rutgers SHRP - Department of Nutritional Sciences

 

As they say in Charlotte, all ya-all are crazy!
Besides, Rutgers is a no, I don't have an RD...and AT Still (while maybe my favorite of allllll the doctoral programs) puts me into the area of health exclusive of what my *actual interest in nutrition is, which is more foodie-based. However, if I were to ever go back for a higher degree, it would be AFTER I was a full time faculty member somewhere. I'd want the job security that comes with already being employed and getting a raise vs knocking on the door and asking for $. Part two, I'd use employee benefits to offset the cost...not that I've given it any thought. And part three, it would probably have to be in the area of education/higher education/vocational education/ etc. Oh, and part 4: NO!

 

If you are interviewing for a school accredited by SACS you will need the right prefix. They are probably one of the less forgiving of the regional accreditors.

 

Just for info here is what is required to teach Nutritional Science/Dietetics in a California CC:

Master’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, or dietetics and food administration OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above AND master’s degree in chemistry, public health, or family and consumer studies/home economics OR the equivalent.
(Note: A bachelor’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, or dietetics and food administration, and certification as a registered dietician, is an alternative qualification for this discipline.)


Source: http://extranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/AA/MinQuals/MinimumQualificationsHandbook2012_2014.pdf

 

The school I quoted above is accredited by SACS. I contacted SACS twice on this issue, and they said it is up to the school to determine whether an instructor's coursework is related. Their guidelines are only guidelines and don't say anything about prefixes.

Here is one response I received.

 

That's not really helpful, sorry Ian. Nutrition is the one class that you'll see offered from a biology department (college transfer) and then through a number of culinary and nursing departments (applied tech) so it usually depends on that issue. I would be in a culinary department, or possibly an allied health department, so the degree awarded dictates their policy, and then they can supplement it above and beyond if they want.
I spent too much time last night trying to look for the specifics on the SACS site, which led me down the rabbit hole. I couldn't find it, I'm going to keep looking.

Steve- it's hubby's turn. He's starting a MEd program within a month. He'd flat-out have a heart attack if I told him I was going back to school lol. Besides, I have to write a thesis before I can assess my ability to write a dissertation!