Concentrations

CONCENTRATIONS

The CMP program offers two areas of concentrations so students can customize their degree program to suit their professional interests and future plans. We offer concentrations in:

Nutrition Education & Research
Sports Nutrition

Nutrition Education & Research Concentration

The Nutrition Education and Research Concentration integrates scientific principles of nutrition with critical thinking and communication skills. The concentration prepares students to conduct and interpret research and to communicate evidence-based nutrition advice and counseling.

Students in this concentration obtain additional training in community nutrition and nutrition instruction.

Students selected for this concentration are placed in settings related to nutrition education and research for the community rotation during the first summer of supervised practice and for all of the supervised practice that takes place the second year of the program (capstone experience). Practice sites include a choice of specialty clinics (diabetes, eating disorders, maternal and child clinics, metabolic disorders, pediatric, senior care, dialysis, wellness).

CAREERS

After completing the CMP, students are prepared for a wide variety of dietetics careers. Students who complete the CMP with the Nutrition Education and Research Concentration have found employment in a variety of settings including:

Hospitals
Diabetes Treatment Centers
Dialysis Clinics
Long-term Care Facilities
County and State Public Health Programs (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Health Promotion)
Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
Research (Industry and academia)
Community Colleges or Universities
Worksite Wellness
Private Practice
Wellness Coaching
Grocery Stores

SELECTION

There are approximately eleven (11) openings per year in the Nutrition Education and Research Concentration. Students are selected from the overall CMP application pool during the admission process.

THESIS & NON-THESIS OPTIONS

Students participating in the CMP with the Nutrition Education and Research Concentration on may choose the thesis or focused area of study (FAS) option.

SPORTS NUTRITION CONCENTRATION

The University of Utah’s Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology is proud to be one of the few graduate programs in the country and the only PAC-12 University that offers a Sports Nutrition Concentration. The Sports Nutrition Concentration is designed to integrate scientific principles of nutrition as they relate to exercise and sports and prepare students to eventually become Board Certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).

Selected on a competitive basis, students pursuing the Sports Nutrition Concentration will obtain supervised training in various aspects of sport and exercise nutrition as part of the practice hours required in the CMP. Students in the Sports Nutrition Concentration will also complete sports nutrition practicum hours as part of their specialty training.

CAREERS

After completing the CMP with the Sports Nutrition Concentration, students are prepared to become board certified specialists in Sports Dietetics following two years of practice as a registered dietitian in the field of sports nutrition. Students receive the same training as those completing the Nutrition Education and Research Concentration with the addition of a specialty area – sports nutrition.

Graduate students with the Sports Nutrition Concentration have found employment in a variety of settings including:

Sports Medicine Clinics
Collegiate Athletics
Professional Teams
Olympic Teams
Corporate Wellness
Research
University and Community Colleges
Health and Fitness Clinics

SELECTION

There are approximately four (4) openings per year in the Sports Nutrition Concentration option which are selected from the CMP application pool during the admissions process. If an applicant is interested in pursuing the Nutrition, Education, and Research Concentration if the Sports Concentration is unavailable, he/she should indicate this on his/her application.

Students selected for the Sports Nutrition Concentration will be placed in settings related to sports, exercise, or wellness depending on the interests of the student, preceptor needs, and director approval.

The Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology offers four main sports nutrition practicum sites. However, opportunities also exist for students to complete practicum hours in various aspects of health and sports such as clinical eating disorders, community health, and corporate wellness.

THESIS & NON-THESIS OPTIONS

The CMP and NSMP with the Sports Nutrition Concentration is generally considered a Focused Area of Study (non-thesis) track; however, a thesis option may be possible with the Sports Nutrition Coordinator's approval.