Program Completion, Graduation & Verification Statement Requirements
Students are expected to be full-time and complete the program in 2 years (four semesters with 1 summer in between). Courses will not be offered each semester. Students should work diligently to successfully demonstrate expected competencies and pass courses the first time they are taken in compliance with continuing in their original cohort. Repeating one course will mean a student waits one year for it to be offered again. The maximum time frame allowed for completion of the program is 5 years.
To ensure students achieve the expected learning outcomes, competencies will be tracked for didactic and Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) courses using the Learning Management System (LMS) Moodle©. Once the competency framework with pertinent performance indicators has been selected for a specific course, a Student’s Learning Plan for each course will be created to track student’s achievement of each competency performance indicator. A report by student and course cohort is generated using a ranking scale: complies, partially comply, or does not comply. Each student will be evaluated using the specific formative or summative assessment for each didactic and SEL course. Students are expected to obtain an 80% or higher in formative and summative assessments whether using a rubric to evaluate or simple criteria to grade coursework as well as in assessments in SEL rotations. An evaluation below this threshold will indicate that the student has not achieved or complied with a competency. This will be documented in the student’s Learning Plan within the LMS and utilized to provide a remediation activity or plan to facilitate compliance with the competency performance indicator.
To ensure adequate tracking of student’s achievement of competencies, the MSND-SEL Director will meet with the faculty academic advisor and SEL Coordinator twice in the semester. Following institutional policies of assessment to monitor student progress mid-semester, each October for the Fall semester and March for the Spring semester, an evaluation of student progress in each course and SEL rotation will be examined to determine achievement of competencies to date. For this evaluation, several sources of data will be used to capture student’s performance in the program and determine if remedial intervention is required for a student such as providing more time to demonstrate competency or additional learning activities in didactic courses or in SEL rotations. Data sources will include the report from each student’s Learning Plan generated in Moodle showing the level of compliance with competencies, Preceptor feedback evaluation forms and faculty feedback where quantitative and qualitative data will be considered.
At the UPR-RP, to qualify as a degree candidate, students must comply with the following requirements:
- Satisfactory completion of program’s coursework with minimum GPA of 3.00 or more.
- Complete graduation requirements within the length of time established by the University.
- Not having debts with the institution.
- Official submission of the Graduation Request to the Registrar’s Office during the semester in which is expected to complete program’s requirements and, in any case, later than the stipulated date established in the UPR-RP calendar for the specific semester. These requests become official once graduation fee is paid, which is non reimbursable.
- Degree recommendation by the College-specific program and the institutional administration.
Students who complete the 45 credits with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or more and complete the minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised experiential learning will be recommended to the Office of the Registrar to be granted the degree. After the degree is conferred by the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, the Verification Statement will be provided to program graduates by the MSND-SEL Program director, which verifies completion of requirements necessary to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam. The CDR will be notified by the Program director, at which time the graduate assumes responsibility for arranging to take the exam. Students are encouraged to take the exam promptly after completing the program.
A Verification Statement document awards a student’s completion of all academic requirements established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) Future Graduate Accreditation Standards for Graduate Degree Programs. To receive a verification of completion of the program students must:
- Demonstrate attainment of all Future Education Model entry-level competencies as documented in specific assessment method for each competency.
- Complete the program as evidenced by the institution to a terminal degree on the transcript.
- Final GPA must be > 3.0 for graduate studies [otherwise academic probation]
- Perform in a professional and ethical manner.
After successful completion of the MSND-SEL Program requirements, as certified by the Registrar’s Office, all students will receive a Verification Statement granting eligibility to take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists (RDN). Each student will receive copies of their Verification Statement. Copies of the Verification Statements will also be retained by the Program.to
Formal evaluation of students occurs at pre-determined times throughout the supervised experiential learning (SEL) using specific assessment forms. The timing of evaluations will be distributed to students at the beginning of each course or SEL practicum. Evaluations include both assessments of the student’s progress as well as assessments of the student’s knowledge and performance in supervised experiential learning. Preceptors completing the evaluation do so within the rotation assessment system provided and review with the student prior to submitting to the program’s SEL Coordinator. Students also complete a self-evaluation, which is reviewed with the preceptor. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the various evaluation forms so that he/she is aware of the criteria and timing.
Students can expect to receive formal evaluations in the following formats: written evaluations from preceptors, rubrics for oral presentations; comprehensive review of nutrition assessments and charted notes with written feedback provided by preceptors (daily during rotations where medical nutrition therapy is provided); preceptor reviewed assignments, such as case studies. Many opportunities exist for informal feedback about performance. These should be viewed as opportunities to gain insight and adjust performance. Examples of informal evaluation include, but are not limited to, daily feedback and discussions with preceptors on skill development, clinical documentation, presentations, and projects.