Program Outcomes
Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN)
Updated June 13, 2025
1. Professional Competencies
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates achieve professional competencies as currently defined by their respective profession.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate appropriate content knowledge as required by either entry-level or post-professional practice
- Demonstrate clinical, research and/or technical skills necessary for successful performance in the chosen discipline
Program Outcomes:
- Assimilate knowledge of drug-nutrient, and drug-dietary supplement interactions and associated pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patient care.
- Develop advanced practice knowledge in preparation for Clinical Practice Residency.
- Demonstrate physical examination and assessment skills on the novice level supervised by experienced clinicians.
- Complete a 350-hour in-depth mentored clinical practice residency experience
- Write, submit and defend a practice based research proposal. Conduct, write and defend practice-based research and submit a final research manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal and defend orally.
2. Professionalism
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates exhibit professional behaviors such as cultural sensitivity, integrity, respect, compassion, and altruism, and demonstrate excellence in delivery of service and a commitment to their profession.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Exhibit professional behaviors in all interactions
- Exhibit a commitment to their profession through professional membership or participation in professional activities, and by interrelating with other professionals
- Identify and evaluate the impact of culture and diversity on health beliefs, practices, and actions
- Apply and/or demonstrate leadership principles and strategies in organization or professional settings
Program Outcomes:
- Collaborate with other members of the healthcare team, industry, and academia as the nutrition expert.
- Present and defend research findings to professional audiences and develop a manuscript worthy of publication to a peer-reviewed journal.
3. Communication
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates effectively communicate in oral, written, and technical formats.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Express concepts in writing using proper grammar and stylistic guidelines
- Appropriately document health information according to professional standards
- Demonstrate critical thinking by synthesizing, organizing, presenting, and/or disseminating information following established guidelines at a level appropriate for the target audience
- Adapt appropriate interactions and/or strategies in order to accommodate diverse audiences
Program Outcomes:
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- Apply critical thinking skills in communication, information management, problem-solving, and resource utilization to foster professional autonomy in clinical practice. (P6)
- Analyze current nutritional interventions using an evidence-based approach. (P9)
- Present and defend research findings to professional audiences and develop a manuscript worthy of publication to a peer-reviewed journal.
- Mentor and teach clinical nutrition practice to students and colleagues across diverse health care arenas. (P8)
4. Collaboration
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates collaborate with health care team members and other stakeholders to facilitate the attainment of common goals.
Objectives: Within their scope of practice, SHP graduates will be able to:
- Identify roles and responsibilities of team members in the provision of patient/client/community care
- Identify opportunities and/or participate with others to set and achieve goals
Program Outcomes:
- Collaborate with other members of the healthcare team, industry, and academia as the nutrition expert.
- Practice as an advanced dietetics practitioner for individuals, communities, and/or clinical populations with expert-level competency in assessment, diagnosis, implementation, and evaluation of clinical nutrition care plans using the Nutrition Care Process model, standardized language, and evidence-based practice guidelines.
5. Ethics and Jurisprudence
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates identify, critically evaluate, and practice professional, ethical and legal decision-making.
Objectives: Within their scope of their profession, SHP graduates will be able to:
- Maintain and/or adhere to professional ethics and legal requirements
- Articulate ethical and legal decision making practices (process by which an ethical/legal decision was made)
- Apply ethical and legal principles to Identify breaches of professional ethics or legal requirements
Program Outcomes:
- Comply with the Code of Ethics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and display ethical behavior in practice, education, and scholarly activities. (P11)
- Design, conduct, analyze, and author papers on clinical nutrition outcomes research. (R2)
- Practice as an advanced dietetics practitioner for individuals, communities, and/or clinical populations with expert-level competency in assessment, diagnosis, implementation, and evaluation of clinical nutrition care plans using the Nutrition Care Process model, standardized language, and evidence-based practice guidelines. (P1)
6. Education
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates incorporate educational strategies into their roles.
Objectives: Within the scope of their profession, SHP graduates will be able to:
- Identify relevant educational content for a target audience
- Plan, implement and/or evaluate an educational program appropriate for a target audiences
Program Outcomes:
- Apply critical thinking skills in communication, information management, problem-solving, and resource utilization to foster professional autonomy in clinical practice.
7. Scholarship
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates apply methods of scientific inquiry and disseminate findings.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Propose a problem/topic and appropriate methods to investigate it
- Use systematic search techniques to find and critically appraise research and other sources of evidence
- Summarize and disseminate findings to appropriate audiences
Program Outcomes:
- Present and defend research findings to professional audiences and develop a manuscript worthy of publication to a peer-reviewed journal.
- Analyze current nutritional interventions using an evidence-based approach
- Incorporate knowledge of body composition and nutritional physiology to guide clinicians.
8. Problem-Solving
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates identify, critically analyze, and solve a variety of challenges.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Recognize and respond appropriately to various situations within their discipline regarding clinical, cultural, psychosocial, quality improvement and/or administrative problems
- Design and/or implement solutions using best evidence and/or practice guidelines
- Assess outcomes
Program Outcomes:
- Apply a global perspective to professional practice by incorporating scientific, clinical, and cultural implications of food and nutrition into clinical practice.
- Demonstrate competence in the interpretation and critique of scientific healthcare literature using an evidence analysis approach; apply and integrate findings into practice settings.
9. Information Management
Schoolwide Outcome:
Graduates effectively access, manage and use scientific, health care and/or patient/client information while respecting the ownership and privacy of sources.
Objectives: SHP graduates will be able to:
- Identify and access sources of evidence/information to inform the decision making process for scholarship or patient care
- Analyze evidence/information for quality, economic, legal, and social implications
- Demonstrate proficiency in information privacy regulations, e.g. HIPPA and PHI
- Adapt to changing technology in their field
Program Outcomes:
- Apply critical thinking skills in communication, information management, problem-solving, and resource utilization to foster professional autonomy in clinical practice.
- Mentor and teach clinical nutrition practice to students and colleagues across diverse health care arenas.
- Design, conduct, analyze, and author papers on clinical nutrition outcomes research.
- Analyze current nutritional interventions using an evidence-based approach..
10. Safety
Schoolwide Outcome:
SHP graduates create a safe practice environment for themselves and their patients.
Objectives: Within their scope of practice, SHP graduates will be able to:
- Recognize medical, behavioral, and public health emergencies
- Demonstrate skills to create safe environments and respond to health emergencies
Program Outcomes:
- Apply critical thinking skills in communication, information management, problem-solving and resource utilization, to foster professional autonomy in clinical practice.