Syllabus

Master of Science in Applied Nutrition

APN 755 – Applied Nutrition Capstone (Fall 2021)

Credits - 3

Description

The latest theories, research, policy, and practices relating to a variety of nutrition concepts, controversies and practice will be applied to a relevant area of the students choice and approved by the instructor. This capstone course will culminate in a paper or project such as: a proposal of an explanation for new research, a research investigation of an educational or clinical question or practice, a proposal to modify current policy or practice, or a proposal to research, develop and/or implement new approaches to the management and treatment of a nutrition or wellness concern.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

1. Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives
2. Apply core research principles to measure the nutrition status and environment of individuals and communities
3. Develop communications and collaboration strategies with representatives from government, non-profit, community, and business entities regarding nutrition initiatives
4. Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
5. Research, develop and disseminate evidence-based and theory-driven educational materials and work-products at an audience appropriate level for topics related to nutrition and health promotion.

Course Outcomes

• Students will complete 12 hours of professional job-shadowing and/or practice and related reflections of the experiences
• Students will develop a professional ePortfolio
• Students will author and present a paper and/or project on a specific area of nutrition theory, research, education, policy or practice as approved by the Faculty

Course Framing Questions

• How do you foster and engage in professional debate in the field of nutrition?
• What is the most impactful way to present your work in the field of nutrition?
• What professional works best represent your capabilities in your area of focus within the field of nutrition?
• What are the best-practices in creating and maintaining professional networks?

Assignments

Capstone Project

The final capstone project may take several forms and must be approved by the Faculty during the first week of the Capstone. The guidelines below outline the anticipated deliverables and deadlines for a majority of MSAN Capstone projects, but these may be altered in weeks 1-2 of the capstone, in consultation with the Faculty, as projects necessitate. Most projects will be completed as a manuscript (original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, nutrition education interventions, and research proposals) but with permission, other formats are acceptable. All Capstone projects must include a formal presentation (15-20 mins), submitted to the class for both peer and Faculty review, during the last 2 weeks of the term, outlining the nature of the work, the findings and conclusions, and the implications for future exploration of the topical area.

During the first week of the Capstone course, students will submit their approved capstone topic and prospectus to the Capstone Faculty. Students are responsible for scheduling a call with the Faculty to discuss any needed modifications to their proposal, anticipated deliverables, and a timeline to achieve completion of the Capstone project.

The majority of Capstone projects will take the form of a manuscript. Students will choose which style guide they will follow during the initial discussion with the Faculty. For those that choose this process to present their Capstone work, the timeline for deliverables will be:

Week 1: Submit prospectus

Weeks 1-2: Initial Faculty call (mid-week, Week 2)

Week 2: Timeline agreement

Week 3: Project check-in call with Faculty (by Saturday of Week 3); IRB approval IF required (will be due Wednesday, first day of class, Week 3)

Week 5: Part 1 of Capstone project (Cover Letter/Title Page, Abstract, Literature Review (due Friday of Week 5)

Week 6: Project check-in call with Faculty (due by Saturday of Week 6)

Week 8: Part 2 of Capstone project (edits suggested from Part 1 submission of: Cover Letter/Title Page, Abstract, and Literature Review, methods and materials; Data MAY be submitted at this time based on project timeline agreed to in Module 1 (due Tuesday of Week 8)

Week 9: Project check-in call with Faculty (due by Saturday of week 9)

Week 11: Part 3 of Capstone project (edits suggested from part 2 submission of methods and materials and data, if submitted data analysis (as needed), results, discussion including limitations of work if needed; and conclusions, including implications for future work should be submitted. If needed, Data MAY be submitted at this time based on project timeline agreed to in Module 1 (due Tuesday of Week 11)

Week 13: Final project check-in call with Faculty (due by Saturday of Week 13); Part 4 of Capstone project (Final manuscript with edits; if needed, data analysis, result, and conclusion MAY be submitted at this time based on project timeline agreed to in Module 1 (due Tuesday of Week 13)

Week 15: Presentation of Capstone project (15-20 mins)

Discussions and Debates

In this course, the majority of the discussions will be presented as a debate.

In a debate, be sure to use evidence to support your argument, and maintain a professional tone when debating with your colleagues; there are many areas of disputation between Nutrition Practitioners, when defending your views, it is important to maintain a professional tone and manner, and to validate your side of the debate with current research. Each debate will span about 2 weeks, by the end of which you will vote for the ‘side’ won the debate based on your readings of your peers’ defense of their chosen side.

Besides your initial response, you should follow up with at least two other students. Posts should be thoughtful, contain complimentary as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone. Be sure to read through responses to both sides of the debate to inform your vote at the end of the week!

Job Shadow Assignment

You will find three different sites to job-shadow professionals in the field and observe what their daily duties are like. At each site, you will be asked to spend 4 hours (this can be done all at once, or over a couple of visits) observing professionals in the field and perhaps even helping with some of their duties. You will be asked to reflect on each of these experiences individually and the entire job-shadow experience as a whole.

If you cannot easily find three sites, you may, with Faculty permission, job shadow at one site as long as three different professionals/types of work are observed. One of the sites can be your primary place of employment, as long as the job-shadow is with a professional that works on different duties than you perform in your regular day.

Sites may be chosen from a variety of clinical, community, or education settings – a list of examples is offered below. Please be aware when you are networking with professionals in the field that patient and client privacy means that certain aspects of a job may be off-limits unless appropriate waivers are obtained. If you are at a site that provides waivers for students that are observing professional staff, the appropriate HIPAA paperwork will be filed along with the job-shadow site template.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown