Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) will begin offering its Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN) program entirely online for students starting in Fall 2022 and beyond. This new format reduces the overall cost of attendance and provides greater access to the DCN degree program, which was previously offered in the hybrid format and required in-person visits to campus.

This professionally-oriented clinical doctoral program is grounded in an integrative and functional nutrition approach. It is one of only two integrative Doctor of Clinical Nutrition programs in the U.S. and uses a holistic, flexible and personalized nutrition approach to address the unique health goals and needs of individuals. Functional nutritionists are known for their ability to consider the root causes of symptoms, the relationship between environmental and lifestyle factors, genetic predisposition, core biological functions and imbalances, and disease expression to inform clinical assessment and recommendations.  

Students acquire a clinical skill set and knowledge base that prepares them to create personalized nutrition care plans which move people towards greater holistic health. They have opportunities to build their professional portfolios by completing rigorous case reports and preparing original clinical nutrition manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The program addresses five of the six trends in nutrition noted by the American Nutrition Association in 2021 immune resilience, microbiome boom, mental health nutrition, new directions in nutrition research, high-tech innovations and equipping practitioners for the future.  

“The Doctor in Clinical Nutrition program is designed for nutritionists, registered dietitians, and other clinicians and educators seeking to deepen their knowledge and skills in nutrition, especially those who desire to broaden the types of clients and cases they work with, including individuals with complex clinical conditions. Additionally, it can be a tremendous boost for health care professionals eager to work at the forefront of private practice and conventional and integrative medicine settings,” said Dr. James Snow, department chair for Nutrition and Herbal Medicine.

The critical role that nutrition plays in health, disease, and healing is now well documented, particularly in areas such as cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity, as well as mental health and certain cancers and other diseases on a global scale. Six in 10 Americans have a chronic disease, and nutrition is one of the four key lifestyle risks for developing a chronic disease. In support of this importance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a faster than average (11 percent) employment growth rate for nutritionists and dietitians from 2020 to 2030. 

​​​​​​The program is grounded in MUIH’s holistic and natural approach to health and wellness, and its long-standing expertise in nutrition. MUIH began offering nutrition degrees in 2011 and added the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition degree in 2015. MUIH has offered online courses and programs since 2013.

For more information about, visit https://muih.edu.