New Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition Program Announced by Fairfield University’s Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

New Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition Program Announced by Fairfield University’s Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

The program will prepare graduates to become registered dietitian nutritionists with advanced level skills necessary to assess, manage, and promote health and well-being in the community, as well as design and implement nutrition programs through a cross-population perspective. 

Media Contact: Susan Cipollaro, scipollaro@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2726

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (September 20, 2019)—Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is launching a new Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition program—one of the first in the nation. 

“The education of nutrition professionals fits seamlessly with the Egan School’s current health offerings, and we are honored to offer the first doctoral nutrition program in the state,” said dean and professor of nursing Meredith Wallace Kazer, PhD, APRN, FAAN. “Ensuring leaders across social and healthcare environments improve health outcomes for all, inclusive of underserved or vulnerable populations, is our goal. The DCN offers an interprofessional, competency-based health education program that will truly impact those we serve.”

The program will prepare graduates to become registered dietitian nutritionists with advanced level skills necessary to assess, manage, and promote health and well-being in the community, as well as design and implement nutrition programs through a cross-population perspective. Registered dietitian nutritionists provide services in a variety of settings including health care, business and industry, community/public health, education, research, government agencies, and private practice.

Upon successful program completion, graduates will be granted the required verification statement and will be eligible to sit for the national creden­tialing exam set by the Commission on Dietetics Registration and state certification licensure, if applicable. 

The DCN is a three-year, full-time or four-year, part-time program. Admission to the program is open to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, with required prerequisites.  

The DCN is in initial phases of accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, and the process will be completed by Summer 2020. Qualified students will be admitted upon program accreditation.

Learn more about the program at fairfield.edu/nutrition. 

Posted On: September 20, 2019

Volume: 52 Number: 24

Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.