Credit for Prior Learning

The UMass Amherst DI program allows for prior learning credit on a case-by-case basis. This means students may be able to transfer time spent in a nutrition-related field toward the required 1,000 hours of supervised practice. For example, if a student held a nutrition specialist position at WIC, some of that time could count toward their supervised practice, reducing the overall time spent in the program. The number of hours applied is related to the amount of work and experience a student received prior to entering the program. For example, if a student worked five hours/week for WIC for one year, and had a higher level of responsibility (e.g., delivering nutrition education or conducting nutrition-related trainings) that was confirmed by their supervisor, that student would likely be able to apply the full 256 hours of supervised practice that would go toward the community nutrition rotation. This could allow the student to complete the internship in less time (e.g., eight months).