Syllabus
APN 520: Foundations of Nutrition Care and Medical Nutrition Therapy
Credits - 3
Description
Foundations in Nutrition and Medical Nutrition Therapy provides a comprehensive survey of nutrition science. This course will review key concepts including macronutrient and micronutrient biochemistry, digestion and metabolism, nutrition across the lifecycle, and the gut microbiome. Students will apply nutrition science to the prevention and management of disease through Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and the Nutrition Care Process (NCP), including ADIME documentation and PES statement construction using eNCPT terminology. The course integrates community nutrition, food service management, ethics, food labeling, sustainability, sports nutrition, and worksite wellness to reflect the full scope of modern nutrition practice. Medical terminology is embedded throughout the first five weeks to build clinical communication proficiency. Evidence-based practice is central to all course activities, with an emphasis on critically appraising the scientific literature and translating research findings into professional nutrition practice.
This is a 16-week course.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Students in this course will learn how to:
- Demonstrate graduate-level understanding of macronutrients and micronutrients and their roles in health and disease.
- Analyze, synthesize, and critically evaluate peer-reviewed nutrition literature using appropriate study design criteria.
- Apply the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) to develop evidence-based Medical Nutrition Therapy plans and produce ADIME-formatted clinical documentation.
- Construct correctly structured PES statements using eNCPT terminology.
- Identify and apply nutrition care strategies across the lifecycle, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood.
- Apply food service management principles in institutional, community, and government program contexts.
- Identify major federal community nutrition programs.
- Interpret food labels and dietary supplement claims for clinical accuracy and regulatory compliance.
- Explain ethical principles and scope of practice in nutrition professions and apply them to common professional practice dilemmas.
- Identify the principles of Motivational Interviewing and how they are used in nutrition counseling and health coaching.
- Describe strategies used to plan and deliver effective group nutrition education.
- Use correct medical terminology in written and verbal clinical communication.
Assignments
Writing Statement
As professionals in the field, you will consistently be expected to clearly and concisely articulate advanced concepts for diverse audiences at a variety of educational levels.
Graduate students are expected to integrate and apply current scientific evidence and scholarly practice guidelines when completing assignments. Theories, ideas, concepts, and other information obtained or generated through review of the scholarly literature must be synthesized and summarized across multiple sources and correctly attributed.
Graduate students are expected to produce work that is their own and that is their best quality work. Students are expected to screen and proofread their work prior to submission for proper attribution of sources and authority, clarity, grammar, spelling, formatting, and mechanical issues.
While there is often a portion of each assignment’s rubric dedicated specifically to grammar, spelling, mechanics, and formatting, it is critical to understand that failure to submit work that has been adequately proofed may result in a reduction of points in other areas of the rubric. These may include, but are not limited to metrics rating professionalism or content knowledge and synthesis; work submitted in graduate courses should provide evidence of strategic reading, writing, and academic speaking skills essential for success in the discipline.
Please note that the Graduate Programs in Applied Nutrition, which includes the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program, holds the position that Grammarly and other artificial intelligence (AI) writing and generative technology should not be used when completing course assignments, unless explicitly permitted by course faculty and assignment instructions. These tools do not support a student’s personal and direct capacity to develop and hone skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing, which are central to graduate level rigor, assessment, and research. Use of these tools may result in an academic integrity infraction.
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Applied Nutrition page
UNE Library
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Applied Nutrition Database
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their student success team member and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week
Phone: Mon-Fri: (207) 602-2487
After Hours/Weekends: 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
In keeping with the requirements of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course and is available at both UNE libraries under the title "AMA Manual." Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in AMA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Generative AI Use Statement
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, CoPilot, and similar tools) are increasingly used in academic and professional workspaces. In the MSAN program, AI tools may be used in limited and transparent ways that support learning. They may not substitute for independent critical thinking, scientific reasoning, writing, analysis, or demonstration of mastery of course learning outcomes.
The use of AI in academic work falls under the MSAN Academic Integrity policy and must align with our commitment to honest, responsible, and professional scholarship. Additionally, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Code of Ethics spotlights the value of integrity and the ethical principle of behaving in a trustworthy manner.
Students should always be able to demonstrate the originality of submitted work if improper use of AI is suspected.
In situations where AI tools are used as a resource, students must:
- Ensure that all submitted academic work demonstrates their own learning and mastery of course objectives.
- Acknowledge every instance of AI use in-text at the point where it was used. AI use should not ONLY be listed in the References section. If a paper was run entirely through Grammarly or other AI-related tools, a general acknowledgment is needed.
- Include a brief description of how the AI tool was used, followed by the AI tool name, model/version (if available), manufacturer/owner, and date used in parentheses. Students should consult the AI citation section of the AMA Style Guide for additional details.
- Take full responsibility for the accuracy, interpretation, and conclusions presented in their work.
- Critically evaluate AI output for errors, bias, and potential risks to vulnerable or underrepresented populations.
- Follow any additional course or assignment-specific AI restrictions provided in assignment instructions.
Failure to acknowledge AI use in submitted work constitutes a violation of academic integrity and will be treated as plagiarism under the MSAN Academic Integrity Policy and Student Handbook.
Penalties for AI misuse will follow the MSAN program’s academic integrity escalation structure. A first offense of academic integrity will result in a zero on the assignment with an opportunity to resubmit resulting in a 20% reduction. A second instance of academic integrity will result in a zero for the assignment/s. A third instance may result in course failure and/or referral for program-level review, which may include dismissal from the program.
Late Policy
Assignments and Quizzes: Assignments or quizzes submitted after the due date and time will receive a deduction of 10% of the total possible grade for each day it is late. After three days, the assignment or quiz will not be accepted. No assignments or quizzes will be accepted after the course ends.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, acceptance of the discussion board is at the discretion of the faculty. Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded (does not apply to practicum).
Students are encouraged to make every effort ahead of time to contact their instructor and their student support specialist if they are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Attendance Policy
6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.