Program Highlights
Accelerated Curriculum
We understand that students want to get out in the field, start earning an income, and practice in their new profession as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). The GP@CSULB is an intensive, year-round, 19-month curriculum that will help them do that.
Curious about what the new program will be like? Check out our GP Curriculum Summary.
Focus on Career Success
If you review our curriculum sneak peek, you will see that our classes are focused on building skills to help our graduates as soon as they enter the workplace. Rather than only teaching the skills needed to pass the RDN exam, we will also ensure our graduates learn skills that can maximize their potential to earn a better income, be on the cutting edge of the field of nutrition, and have more career options.
Some unique parts of our curriculum include entire classes devoted to:
- Sustainability and food systems
- Nutritional genomics, pharmacology, and supplements
- Marketing, entrepreneurship (private practice, business), and grant writing - all skills that can translate into better earning potential
- Career success - everything from interviewing, salary negotiation, navigating conflict at work, and setting goals for your future professional life
Distance Option (Year 2)
One of the main barriers to increasing the size of RDN training programs is having access to enough facilities to support the minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours that students need. Plus, many of our students live in the surrounding Los Angeles and Orange County areas, which require commuting for classes.
Therefore, in Year 2, the GP offers a "distance" option, meaning that all classes will be entirely online, and students can choose to complete their in-person supervised practice hours anywhere in California. This option allows students to spend less time commuting great distances and more time focused on learning. The GP@CSULB will provide resources and support to help students find distance placements. It also means we can have much larger cohort sizes since we aren't limited to the greater Long Beach area for placements!
Special emphasis
GP students can customize their learning experience by choosing a special emphasis to take a deeper dive and learn more about a particular area of nutrition and dietetics. These options include:
- Sports nutrition
- Community nutrition
- Media and communications
Within any particular emphasis, GP students can choose a graduate-level elective course, select a specialty rotation based on their interest, and focus on a capstone project or thesis topic in an area they are most interested in. Regardless of emphasis, students will learn about all areas of nutrition practice, including clinical, community, and food service. So, if you have a hard time choosing, don't stress!
Thesis optional
All students must, at minimum, complete a semester-long capstone project built into the curriculum. However, a research thesis is not a requirement of the GP. If a student is interested in pursuing a career in research or academia, they are encouraged to choose the thesis option and will be supported in that goal.
