Mission, Goals, and Program Statistics

Mission Statements

• University of Massachusetts Amherst: The University's mission is to provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.
• School of Public Health and Health Sciences: Education and scholarship for a healthier world.
• Nutrition Department: The mission of the Department of Nutrition is to offer excellence and innovation in teaching, research, and outreach by applying a scientific foundation that addresses the nutritional needs of individuals and diverse populations. This is achieved by educating undergraduate and graduate students and interns in the profession of dietetics and nutrition; generating and disseminating research findings in basic and applied nutrition; cooperating with public and private sector agencies in educating staff and consumers and developing nutrition-related policies; and providing professional service and expertise to agencies and consumers in Massachusetts, nationally, and internationally. Areas of emphasis include nutrition education of diverse groups, nutrition and reproduction, obesity, cellular mechanisms of nutrient actions, nutritional assessment and interventions, and food security and safety.
• UMass Amherst Dietetic Internship: The UMass Amherst Dietetic Internship is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education in the preparation of competent registered dietitians/nutritionists committed to serving their communities and their profession as it evolves in the 21st century.

Goals and Objectives

Goal #1: Prepare graduates to become competent entry-level dietitians.

• Objective 1.1: At least 80 percent of program interns complete program/degree requirements within 56 months (150 percent of the program length).
• Objective 1.2: 90 percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
• Objective 1.3: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80 percent.
• Objective 1.4: Of graduates who seek employment, 80 percent are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• Objective 1.5: During the first year of employment, 90 percent of employers will rank program graduates as average or above average in professional knowledge and skills as compared to other entry-level registered dietitians.

Goal #2: Prepare graduates to promote health and prevent disease in communities like those in Western Massachusetts. 

• Objective 2.1: At least 90 percent of graduates working in the field of dietetics will state they felt prepared to promote health and prevent disease.

UMass SPHHS Dietetic Internship Program Statistics:

• Please view our Program Statistics here.