Clinical Nutrition Program Schedule and Course Sequence

Program Schedule

The Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition (MSCN) is a 16-month, 59-credit full-time graduate program completed in four continuous trimesters (fall, spring, summer, fall), following the School of Health Sciences trimester academic calendar. Enrollees complete the curriculum as a cohort, with new cohorts starting annually in August and completing the program the following year in December. Students must arrive in Sacramento a week before the fall trimester starts to attend the MSCN Program Orientation on campus. 

Program Cohort Dates

• 2023-2024 Cohort: Aug. 21, 2023 to Dec. 20, 2024 - Orientation is Aug 19-21, 2024.
• 2024-2025 Cohort: Aug. 26, 2024 to Dec. 19, 2025 - Orientation is Aug 18-20, 2025. 

Holidays and Recess

Pacific observes most federal holidays. During Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE), students do not follow the university holiday schedule but rather the holiday schedule for the clinical education site. Students have scheduled time off between the fall and spring trimesters (approximately three weeks) and between the summer and fall trimesters (approximately one week).

Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition Course Sequence Plan

The first and second trimesters are dedicated to didactic coursework to establish a strong foundation of knowledge and competencies in preparation for subsequent supervised clinical practice experience (SCPE) rotations. The third and fourth trimesters are for SCPE rotations, during which students are in rotation for four days. Students will spend Friday mornings working on their capstone projects and Friday afternoons in a virtual classroom for debriefing sessions or interactive classes with Pacific faculty or guest speakers.

Most of Pacific’s MSCN courses are delivered via in-person classroom instruction on our Sacramento campus, but some also include hybrid courses (a combination of in-person and online instruction). Students Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) courses (NUTR 287A &B) occur at clinical education sites throughout California and some out-of-state facilities.

First Year — Fall (15 term units)

First Year — Spring (15 term units)

First Year — Summer (15 term units)

Second Year — Fall (14 term units)