Current trends and issues relating to nutrition, food, and food products are examined. Topics may include the organic movement, nutrition and health related product trends in modern society, food and the economy, food politics and food labeling. Global food systems and trends will be explored. Socio-cultural and socioeconomic impacts on food behaviors and health will be discussed. Students will apply course concepts to their practice and/or area of study and expertise.
Students in this course will meet the following program-specific competencies, learning how to:
Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives.
Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
Develop communications and collaboration strategies with representatives from government, non-profit, community, and business entities regarding nutrition initiatives
Students in this course will learn how to:
Assess arguments posed by relevant scholarly literature
Convey discipline-specific information to a diverse audience
Identify current trends and issues within the field of nutrition
Posit evidence-based solutions to nutrition-related issues and controversies
Describe the relationship between food and society
This course is lecture-based; please see each week’s module for required, supplemental and optional viewing as applicable.
RefWorks Assignment
AMA Quiz Assignment
6 Checkpoint Assignments: A series of short reflection papers and activities intended to build skills necessary to succeed in the key assessments
Key Assessment 1: Position Paper
Key Assessment 2: Blog Post
You will be required to participate in weekly discussions. Initial posts are due on Sundays, and responses are due by Tuesday. If the initial post and response are not submitted within the discussion week you will be given a zero. Posts submitted after the discussion week will not be graded.
Your success in the course relies on robust discussion, critical thinking, and peer response. Weekly posts responding to prompts posed are meant to facilitate a deeper understanding of the broader themes of the course as well as enrich the readings, handouts, and lectures. Your initial response should be no less than 400 words. Peer-responses should be no less than 200 words and must be thoughtful, contain compliment as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone. Please be sure to follow the individual directions provided with each Discussion Board prompt, as the requirements may vary from Discussion Board to Discussion Board. Review the MSAN Discussion Guidelines document in week one.
Specific statements about nutrition and health outcomes should be supported appropriately with citations of peer-reviewed research.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
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 produce their best quality work, including screening their work prior to submission for clarity, grammatical, 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.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
6 Checkpoint Assignments (5 points each) | 30 |
RefWorks Assignment | 2 |
AMA Quiz | 2 |
8 Discussion Boards (Week 1 @ 3 pts; Weeks 2-7 @ 4 pts each; Week 8 @ 2 pts) | 29 |
Key Assessment 1: The Position Paper | 20 |
Key Assessment 2: The Blog Post | 16 |
Student Syllabus Contract | 1 |
Total | 100 |
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 |
Week One: 5/1 – 5/7
Week Two: 5/8 – 5/14
Week Three: 5/15 – 5/21
Week Four: 5/22 – 5/28
Week Five: 5/29 – 6/4
Week Six: 5/5 – 5/11
Week Seven: 6/12 – 6/18
Week Eight: 6/19 – 6/23
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
See course for supplemental video.
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings.
Assignments
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
See course for supplemental material.
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings.
Readings For Checkpoint Assignment
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 2: Reading and Interpreting Scholarly Articles
Discussions
Please also email the instructor your topic for the position paper.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings.
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 3: Choose a Dietary Restriction
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
No lectures this week. Please use this time to finesse and complete your position paper.
See course for supplemental videos.
Required Readings
The only required readings are those needed for your weekly discussion post.
See course for supplemental readings.
Assignments
Key Assessment 1 Position Paper Due
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings and videos.
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 4: Practicing Your Web Writing Skills
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings.
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 5: The Fruits of Globalization Reflection
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
See course for supplemental readings.
Required Videos
Assignments
Key Assessment 2 Blog Post Due
Discussion
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 6: Course Reflection and Portfolio Piece
Discussion
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Assignments: Assignments 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 will not be accepted. No assignments 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.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
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.
8 week: 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.
16 week: 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.
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.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
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:
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.