TTU’s New Community Health And Nutrition Master’s Program Has Successful Beginning

Tennessee Tech’s new Community Health and Nutrition Master’s Program has seen a successful first semester.

Program Director Samantha Hutson said that the program was created to contain general graduate school programs, research courses, and leadership courses. She said the program has a strong emphasis on the community health aspect.

“We are really focused in on policy,” Hutson said. “We’re focused in on ways that we can improve the health of the community through nutrition-related programs, community education, partnerships within the community between registered dietitians and others who have knowledge in other areas of healthcare and community health.”

Hutson said that the program is focused on making a difference in the lives of the community. She said that in the program of 13 students, about 10 of them are looking to use the degree to start careers as registered dietitians.

Hutson said that her students have reached out and enrolled in the program because they have a strong interest in improving lives within the communities they’re from. She said that the students have been engaged with the content because it’s something they’re passionate about.

“We have a well-rounded program,” Hutson said. “We do have two tracks. We have those who want to be dietitians, and if they want to be dietitians then they do some extra practicum courses so they can get hands-on experiential learning. But then we another track who are in the completely online, degree-only program. Which is a 30 credit program. Those students may already be registered dietitians, and some work int he school system. It can be appropriate for someone who has a background in nursing or another healthcare background, but really it’s for anyone who wants to learn more about policies involving rural health, leadership, advocacy and those types of things.”

Hutson said that if there are people interested in enrolling in the program or learning more, they can reach out to her through the program page on Tennessee Tech’s website.