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Online Master of Public Health in Nutrition Degree

Current Students

Welcome

Welcome! This page is designed to help you navigate life as an online graduate student. I have tried to include answers to questions you may have, as well as include links to websites you will use on a daily basis. If you have questions not found here or need immediate assistance, please feel free to email me at any time. I look forward to working with you and wish you much success during your MPH program.

Patsy

Student Life

Welcome to student life page! Here you will have one stop access to managing your degree. If you have not yet completed the new student orientation; you are encouraged to complete it now. Please contact the department to request the orientation modules link.

Blackboard Learn: To access your courses for the current semester.
amherstsupport@umassonline.net –or– 1-888-300-6407: If you are experiencing technical problems with Blackboard Learn please call or email. Both contacts are available 24 hours a day.
Online MPH in Nutrition Blog: Log into the online MPH in nutrition Blog.
Advisor: Contact and set up an appointment to speak with your advisor.
Academic Calendar: To view the current academic calendar.
UMail: To access your University Email.
Spire: To access Spire to register for courses, check grades, or track your progress.
UMass Library Home Page: To access the UMass Amherst Library System; also see the Research Databases and Student library Account log in pages.
OIT: To access the UMass Office of Information Technology. For technical problems with Spire or UMail, please call 413-545-9400. The OIT Help Desk is open Mon-Fri, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. **NOTE: You will need a Spire ID number in order to receive help from the OIT Help Desk.
Discounted software program: To learn about discounted computer software.
UMass UCard website: To request an UMass student ID card.

Important Tips for Online Courses:

If the semester has not yet begun you will not be able to log into your courses! Courses become viewable 1 week prior to the semester start date.
Upon signing up for classes you will receive an email from the ELearning office. ELearning manages the technical aspects of the online program. Please do not disregard this email, as it contains the username and password you will use for the duration of your time in the program.
If this is your first time logging into Blackboard, you will have to change your password when prompted. Also, you have been signed up for the self-paced orientation class entitled “Getting Started in Blackboard Learn.” The course is designed to help you navigate the Blackboard setting and you are highly encouraged to complete it.

Graduate Student Forms

Below is a listing of many useful forms available for download. If you need a form that is not on this list, please email phonline@schoolph.umass.edu.

Graduate Bulletin

All students enrolled within the University of Massachusetts Amherst are required to abide by the rules and regulations outlined in the official Graduate Student Bulletin. As an online student, some rules will apply to you and some will not. For instance: on-campus students must carry health insurance and provide proof of this or enroll in the insurance program offered through the University. Online students are exempt from this rule.

The most important section is the policies and regulations section. This includes procedures for taking a semester off, withdrawing from the University, grading, transferring credits, and privacy issues. I invite you to read through the bulletin and, if you have questions, feel free to contact us.

Here are a few things to remember as an online student:

You are a non-thesis graduate student.
You do not pay the same tuition or fees that on-campus students pay.
You do not have a foreign language requirement.
You may take time off, as long as you contact the department prior to leaving.
You must abide by the University’s Academic Honesty policy. Violation of these rules will result in action on the part of the faculty, department and the University. In the online environment this is especially important. Trust in your commitment to be honest in all academic areas is automatically given.

The current Academic Calendar can also be found on the Graduate Student Bulleting website.

Advisor

Contact Your Advisor:

Two faculty members have specific advising duties to all Online MPH in Nutrition degree candidates:

Online MPH in Nutrition Program Director
Patricia Beffa-Negrini, Ph.D., R.D.
Phone: 413-545-0798
Email: patsy@nutrition.umass.edu

Dr. Beffa-Negrini will assist in planning your semester course schedule, approve course substitutions, answer questions about the Online MPH in Nutrition and your chosen area of interest, counsel you should other academic issues arise, and help and verify that you have met the requirements for graduation. She will also help you identify your faculty supervisor for your project/culminating experience, including the final course report and presentation or exit exam.

Graduate Program Director
Dr. Elena Carbone, Dr.P.H, R.D., L.D.N.
Phone: 413-545-1071
Email: ecarbone@nutrition.umass.edu

Dr. Carbone should be consulted if you need information regarding graduate programs in nutrition, the application process for doctoral programs, and general academic advice. You should communicate with Dr. Carbone through email or mutually pre-arranged telephone calls. During the first year of the program, you should define your area of professional practice, which will be your focus during the practicum as well as study and research during the final Independent Study courses.