SUNY College Oneonta

More commonly known as SUNY Oneonta, the State University of New York College (SUCO) at Oneonta is a four-year liberal arts college located in Oneonta, New York. The college offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, and many of its academic programs hold national accreditations. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked SUNY Oneonta number 12 on its list of "Best Public Colleges in the North." Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine has ranked the school on its list of "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" for the past 10 years.

SUNY College Oneonta Accreditation Details

SUNY College Oneonta is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States. In addition, the master's in dietetics degree is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

SUNY College Oneonta Application Requirements

Students seeking admittance into the online Master's in Dietetics degree must submit a completed graduate application as well as a nonrefundable $125 fee. SUNY Oneonta alumni receive a $50 credit to put toward the application fee. In addition to the application, students must submit official transcripts from previously attended colleges as well as three letters of recommendation. Admittance into the program also requires students to have earned an undergraduate degree and provide evidence that they have successfully completed an undergraduate dietetics program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Students must also hold a current Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Membership Card. Applicants who have not attended a university in more than three years may be asked to provide evidence that their knowledge is current and/or to take a placement exam as verification.

Tuition and Financial Aid

New York State residents pursuing a graduate degree will pay $453 per credit hour, and non-resident graduates will pay $925 per credit hour. In addition, students will need to pay for health insurance if they do not have private insurance already as well as professional liability insurance. Total expenses for the entire degree hovers around $20,194 for New York State residents and $36,442 for non-residents. Students seeking financial aid to help offset the cost of tuition may file a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial aid comes in three forms: work-study programs, grants and loans. In addition, SUNY Oneonta recognizes veteran and military service members and offers education benefits and other services to these individuals and their dependents.

Online Master's in Dietetics Degree Available

Students who have strong written and oral skills, the ability to self-assess and the desire to help others may consider a career as a Registered Dietitian. SUNY College Oneonta offers an online combined master's degree and dietetic internship program. Graduate students who successfully complete this three-semester, full-time program will earn an Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics degree and be eligible to sit for the national examination to become a Registered Dietitian. The Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics from SUNY Oneonta is ranked as the top online nutrition program in the U.S. However, SUNY Oneonta is not able to accept applicants residing in several states, so the school urges interested students to contact the director of the program to determine whether they are eligible to earn this online degree.

The online master's degree and dietetic internship program (M.S.-N+D) emphasizes community nutrition and includes a culminating community health intervention project. The non-thesis master's program consists of 36 credit hours of coursework, which includes 1,220 supervised practice hours. The online degree is designed to provide students with the food service management, clinical care and other competencies established for entry-level practitioners by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Students will also gain experience in providing education and care for communities and individual clients to treat or prevent conditions such as obesity, cancer and heart disease.

The online M.S.-N+D program permits students to live and work in their own communities while simultaneously completing a graduate program and supervised practice hours. Applicants who wish to enter the program must provide documentation that they have the Internet, daily access to a computer and have already identified healthcare facilities and Registered Dietitian preceptors who are willing to provide a learning environment for their studies. The Academic Information Technology Services Department is responsible for providing ANGEL, an online course delivery system and learning environment through which students will complete all required courses.

Students begin the program by attending a five-day on-campus orientation program, typically held during the last week in May. Graduates will begin the first four courses in the summer. The experiences and learning offered in each graduate course coincide with those of the intern's supervised practice experience. For instance, if a student is doing supervised practice with diabetic patients in a hospital setting, the online class may include learning how to assess the needs of patients with diabetes, participating in online discussions of new ways to treat and educate others about diabetes, reading about diabetes research and learning how to develop a nutritional diagnosis. Students complete the degree in May of the following year.

Graduate students will take courses in research methods, applied nutrition assessment and intervention, interviewing strategies, current issues in dietetics, applied nutrition therapy and advanced nutrition therapy. The degree also covers topics such as nutrition in the community, applied foodservice systems management and advanced foodservice systems management.

The combined Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics degree program boasts a philosophy of service-learning, which is a type of experiential education that offers equal benefits to both the graduate student intern and the provider. Interns will complete service learning experiences and projects as an integral part of the program. Interns should expect to be scheduled for duty during vacations and holidays, on Sundays and Saturdays and during late and early shifts since many food and nutrition services are provided to clients with varied schedules as well as those admitted to hospitals.

Related Resource: Top 30 Affordable Online Master's in Dietetics

Students who complete all 12 required courses with a minimum grade of a "B" and meet all supervised practice requirements will receive an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics "Verification Statement." Students graduating with an Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics from SUNY College Oneonta will then be eligible to take the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Exam to earn their Registered Dietitian license.