About the Master of Science in Dietetics Program

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences jointly sponsors the program with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

The mission of the program is to meet the needs of entry-level, registered dietitian nutritionists in Arkansas and in VA health care systems serving the nation’s veterans.

The Master of Science in Dietetics Program develops future registered dietitians who are professional, competent and committed to improving the health and well-being of the State of Arkansas.

The Master of Science in Dietetics Program achieves its mission by doing the following:

• offering students a rigorous, innovative and contemporary education and training;
• contributing to patient-centered medical nutrition therapy;
• contributing new knowledge to the profession through research and scholarship; and
• advocating for and serving our communities, patients and profession.

Graduates of this program acquire the necessary skills to practice as entry-level dietitians in a wide variety of settings including hospitals; outpatient clinics; community and public health facilities; research; corporate wellness; school food service; and the food industry. The program is designed to utilize the unique variety of health care facilities in the central Arkansas area.

The Master of Science in Dietetics Program is a 15-month, full-time program that consists of four sequential semesters (summer, fall, spring and summer).

The program stands apart from other nutrition and dietetics supervised practice programs in a few important ways.

First, program courses are blended in that they provide live instruction along with complementary online components. The program is a hybrid of online and in-person instruction and training. On-campus components take place on the main UAMS campus in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Secondly, members of the program faculty coordinate supervised practice rotations for students. Students are not asked to find preceptors or arrange supervised practice rotations for themselves.  

Third, a variety of experiences are offered in clinical, administrative and community supervised practice experiences. Students are provided with multiple options for their elective rotations so that they can choose an area of interest.

Other features of the program include the following:

• Clinical Skills Center that uses standardized patients (patient actors) for video-taped role plays;
• Service-learning;
• Interprofessional education;
• Faculty and guest lecturers with diverse dietetics expertise.  

The Master of Science in Dietetics Program is accredited to provide supervised practice rotations anywhere in the state of Arkansas. The program partners with many clinical affiliate sites to provide students with diverse clinical experiences.

The clinical affiliates in Little Rock, Arkansas, include the following:

ARCare, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Foodbank, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Arkansas School for the Deaf, Baptist Health, Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Cooking in Bloom, LISA Academy, St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and UAMS Medical Center.  

The clinical affiliates in Central Arkansas surrounding Little Rock, include the following:

Baptist Health Medical Center- Conway, Cabot Public Schools, Conway Public Schools, Conway Regional Health System, Greenbrier Public Schools, Hot Springs National Park Hospital, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, North Little Rock School District, Saline Health System and White River Health Systems.

The clinical affiliates in Northwest Arkansas, include the following:

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest, Highlands Oncology Group, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, Washington Regional Medical Center and The University of Arkansas Department of Athletics.

While in the program, a minimum of 40 hours per week is spent in practicum and didactic coursework. Additional time is required to complete assignments and projects.

The Master of Science in Dietetics Program enrolls one cohort of 14 students beginning each summer semester.

Upon completion of the degree program, students will receive their verification statement and a Master of Science in dietetics.

Successful completion of the Master of Science in Dietetics Program requirements qualifies graduates to apply for the national registration examination through The Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Upon successful completion of the national registration examination, the graduates become registered dietitians and eligible for state licensure.

Successful completion of the program does not itself ensure registration or licensure. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the applicable registration and licensure requirements.