Nutrition Master’s Program promotes Diversity and Inclusion Through Recruitment

Photo courtesy to Illinois State Food, Nutrition & Dietetics Facebook page

NORMAL, Ill.- The Board of Trustees of Illinois State University approved a new master’s degree program in nutrition. 

The program is based on the long-standing dietetic internship sequence in the M.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences program and is intended to replace that sequence.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Associate Professor Julie Shumacher says a wide range of experiences influences the field of nutrition. 

“We know that all people eat and feed families, and looking at that focus, knowing that our department is family consumer science we want to make sure that we are recruiting and educating students who have an understanding of diversity and inclusion,” said Shumacher. 

Shumacher says that the major will allow students to focus specifically on nutrition and to elevate the degree they end up with.  There is a dietetic internship program that is nationally recognized and included in the new Master’s program. 

“Nutrition and dietetics is a very competitive field nationally. It does a computer matching program with all students across the nation to earn their spot in the dietetic internship,” said Schumacher. 

The new M.S. in Nutrition degree program will include two sequences, a nutrition sequence and a dietetic internship sequence. Students who don’t want to be a dietician are encouraged to still go through the Master’s program.