This program is designed for healthcare and wellness professionals who are not licensed nutritionists/dietitians but can legally provide nutrition care. This includes providers living in a state where: their healthcare license includes nutrition; their healthcare license is exempt from nutrition law; their profession is exempt from nutrition licensure requirements; nutrition care is not criminalized for those without a license; or there is no licensure law for nutrition. 

A variety of healthcare and wellness professionals may find this program useful and relevant to their work including physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, advance practice registered nurses, acupuncturists, herbalists, health and wellness coaches, athletic trainers and fitness coaches, massage therapists, mental health professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dentists, pharmacists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. 

The certificate provides healthcare and wellness professionals with skills and knowledge in nutrition to address patient and client health concerns and educate patients and clients on the role of whole foods and nutrition supplementation in the maintenance of health and wellness. Before enrolling in the program, applicants should check state laws to understand the parameters for nutrition practice within their state.

A secondary audience for the program is healthcare and wellness professionals who wish to apply to the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program, but lack the prerequisite graduate-level nutrition credits.

Note: While anyone who meets the formal admission requirements is eligible to enroll in the Post-Master’s Certificate, those who do not currently work with patients/clients, and those who wish to become certified or licensed nutritionists, are encouraged instead to enroll in NDMU SOIH's Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program.  The Post-Master’s Certificate alone does not provide foundational skills in patient/client-practitioner interactions or meet eligibility requirements for nutrition certification (see Licensure, Certification, & Credentialing section below for more details).

This program explores contemporary nutrition science and traditional dietary practices and critically evaluates current paradigms of nutrition, food, and health. Students integrate a biochemical perspective of nutrition into a broader context of whole-food healing and whole-person health and wellness care. 

The program provides students the opportunity to study in a cohort of like-minded healthcare and wellness professionals in a scholarly community centered entirely on wellness. Students focus on practical patient/client applications such as creating nutrition care plans using whole foods and nutritional supplementation; helping patients/clients distinguish between food fads, trends, and sound nutrition information; and learning to apply and teach whole foods cooking.

Of the 15 credits required for this program, students take 12 core credits and 3 elective credits. Elective courses provide the opportunity to focus on applied areas of interest, including life cycle nutrition, dietary supplements, mindful eating, whole food preparation, or laboratory assessment.

This program consists of 12 credits of required courses and 3 credits of elective courses.

Required Courses

• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)
• NUTR612 Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• NUTR633 Integrative Client Care: Nutrition Assessment, Applied Biochemistry, and Treatment Planning (4 cr)

Elective Courses

The program consists of 3 credits of elective courses. Choose a total of 3 credits from the following elective course options. Elective offerings vary by trimester – check the Schedule of Courses for availability.

• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr) 
• NUTR630 Dietary Supplements and Nutrition Practice (3 cr) 
• NUTR641 Life Cycle Nutrition (3 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)
• NUTR681 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab I (0.5 cr)
• NUTR682 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab II (0.5 cr)
• NUTR723 Advanced Biochemistry and Labs Assessment (3 cr) (Note: This elective requires extending the program to a 4th trimester)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

• Integrate core nutrition competencies into current clinical practice and/or professional work.
• Incorporate knowledge of human nutrition and treatment strategies into clinical practice and tailor research projects to develop the evidence base for integrative nutrition.
• Demonstrate an integrated knowledge of nutrition that incorporates biochemical, physiological, environmental, and traditional perspectives.
• Assess the relationship between nutrients and biochemical/physiological processes and the various synergistic, antagonistic effects of nutrients.

Program Format

This program is offered in the online format. 

Program Schedule

For trimester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.

The schedule of courses for this program is shown below.

Trimester 1

• ISCI626 Nutritional Biochemistry (3 cr)
• NUTR614 Human Nutrition I: Macronutrients (2 cr)

Trimester 2

• NUTR612 Human Nutrition II: Micronutrients (3 cr)
• Elective courses (optional – 3 credits must be completed by end of program) )

Trimester 3

• NUTR633 Integrative Client Care: Nutrition Assessment, Applied Biochemistry, and Treatment Planning (4 cr) Elective courses (optional – 3 credits must be completed by end of program)

Tuition

*Prices subject to change. Tuition costs are for illustrative purposes only.

Additional Fees

• Doctor of Clinical Nutrition
• Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health
• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Culinary Health and Healing

The PMC in Nutrition and Integrative Health is designed for healthcare and wellness professionals who are not licensed nutritionists/dietitians but can legally provide nutrition care. The program is a 15-credit supplementary education and is not designed to meet entry-level requirements for licensure or certification.

Those seeking initial licensure or certification in the field of nutrition should enroll in the Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program.

The role of food in preventing and treating a variety of illnesses is now well known and recognized, and more health care professionals will be needed to provide care for patients with various medical conditions and to advise people who want to improve their overall health. Health care professionals with advanced nutrition skills and knowledge will support the continued projected growth of healthcare occupations in the U.S.

Graduates of NDMU SOIH's nutrition programs are employed in a variety of settings including private practice; integrative group practices; nutrition clinics; health care systems; hospitals; community, non-profit, and outreach organizations; state and local health departments; school systems; culinary organizations; athletic and recreational organizations; and colleges and universities. Many graduates chose to have a portfolio career in which they have multiple positions and employers within one or more profession, rather than one full-time job. A portfolio career provides such individuals with variety in their work life and the opportunity to develop a wide and varied professional network.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects healthcare occupations to grow 13% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. The growth rate for nutritionists and dieticians is projected to be 7% during this same time period.

View more about career opportunities.

Contact the Department: muih-nutrition@muih.ndm.edu

James Snow D.C.N
Department Chair

Eleonora Gafton, D.C.N.
Program Director, Cooking Labs

Rachel Voss, M.P.A
Department Manager

Nissa Lazenby-Wilson, M.S.
Cooking Lab Assistant Manager

Casey Opperman, M.A.
Academic Advisor

Crystal Hoyte, M.S.
Associate Director of Academic Advising

Click here to view the faculty.