Department of Nutrition

Studying Nutrition at Simmons University

Our curriculum prepares students for many professional paths, including clinical and educational settings, private practice, industry, and government. Nutrition faculty are nationally recognized scholars and practitioners. The department offers students abundant opportunities for research and clinical experience.

As part of the College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, we collaborate with students and faculty in many fields and enable students in all disciplines to integrate nutrition into their education. In all our work, we strive to serve diverse communities, to increase diversity in our profession, and to embrace the University’s traditions of social justice, science, and practice for the social good.

Programs in this department

• Nutrition and Dietetics (BS)
• Nutrition and Wellness (BS)
• Certificate in the Didactic Program in Dietetics
• Nutrition (MS)
• Online Nutrition (MS)
• Nutrition (BS)/Nutrition (MS): 4 + 1 Program
• Certificate in Sports Nutrition
• Dietetic Internship Program; stand-alone or combined with MS
• Exercise Science (BS)/Nutrition (MS): 4 + 1 Program
• Public Health (BS)/Nutrition (MS): 4 + 1 Program

Highlights of Nutrition at Simmons

• We offer four degrees, including online options, and three certificate programs.
• Our applied training requirements exceed most peer programs.
• Simmons was among the first programs in the U.S. to integrate health promotion and wellness.
• Our direct-track BS/MS degrees position students well for new Registered Dietitian requirements (MS), taking effect in 2024.
• Concentrations like the eating disorders and entrepreneurship keep students on pace with our growing field and support their professional ambitions.
• Simmons’ internship placement and dietetic exam pass rates exceed national averages.

Our innovative approach to training, research, and practice keeps all of us—students, faculty, and graduates—at the cutting edge of dietetics practice.

- Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras, Professor of Nutrition and Department Chair

Nutrition at Simmons is patient-centered, evidence-based, and clinically rigorous 

• Small, interactive classes facilitate strong student/faculty and peer-to-peer connections.
• Students learn through simulation and bench-lab training.
• Simmons is making major investments in our campus to provide students with optimized spaces for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and collaborative learning in the sciences.
• Institutions that have recently hosted Simmons undergraduate and graduate trainees include ABCD/Head Start, Greater Boston Food Bank, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
• Faculty research engages undergraduate and graduate students, and our students have been co-authors and co-presenters with faculty in academic journals and conferences. Their work reflects the highest levels of innovative inquiry and intellectual rigor, to advance the field.

Careers

Graduates of Simmons nutrition programs are in high demand, with successful careers in health care, education, government, private industry, and other sectors. Our students have been accepted in prestigious doctoral programs, including Cornell University and Harvard University.

Faculty highlights

• Seven full-time faculty members, dedicated to teaching, mentorship, clinical training, and leading research.
• Current faculty research includes: underlying causes of child obesity; maternal-child nutrition issues among low-income women and their children; the role of diet in development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity; risk factors for excessive gestational weight gain; and supplementation for muscle recovery and healthy aging.

Accreditation 

Simmons is accredited by the Commission for Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 

The Simmons Nutrition Department's Didactic Program in Dietetics is currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL, 60606, tel: (800) 877-1600 ext 5400.

The Simmons Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL, 60606, tel: (800) 877-1600 ext 5400.

Licensure

Registered Dietitian (RD) Exam 3 year rolling Pass Rates (a licensure requirement)

Simmons MS/DI Partnerships

Simmons has partnered with select dietetic internship programs to offer an expedited pathway to applying for our Master of Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion program.

Applicants to the dietetic internship programs at Be Well Solutions, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Wellness Workdays can apply for the Simmons Master of Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion program through the DICAS application process. Benefits of the partnership include:

• Earning your MS from Simmons through either the campus-based program or our fully online format. Both will allow students to fulfill the new eligibility requirement. Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum degree requirement for eligibility to take the registration examination for dietitians will change from a bachelor’s degree to a graduate degree.
• Our MS degree is customizable with research and entrepreneurship tracks. The curriculum also offers a clinically-focused course, Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy.
• Some coursework can potentially be used as part of your dietetic internship competencies. If you have any questions about this, please speak to the affiliated DI program of interest.
• We will waive your application fee, use your DICAS application (no separate application for Simmons needed), and if you are admitted we will reduce your enrollment deposit to $200 (a $550 reduction!) which will be credited towards the first semester of tuition.
• All applications will be reviewed for a scholarship, ranging from $6,000 - $16,000. Tuition for the Master of Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion can be found on our financial aid website.

Preselect Options with Partnering Dietetic Internship Programs

Current students in the Simmons Master of Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion program can benefit from our partnerships with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Hebrew Rehabilitation, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Simmons MS students are eligible to apply as a pre-select student for the dietetic internship programs with these partners before the DICAS match process. This is a great opportunity to be admitted early and complete  your dietetics training at some of the top medical centers in the country!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Director of Admission, Danielle Navarro, at [email protected].