Doctor of Clinical Nutrition Curriculum

This course provides an advanced, evidence-informed exploration of functional nutrition counseling and clinical care models. Students will synthesize principles of systems biology, functional nutrition, personalized lifestyle, integrative care, and behavioral science to design and deliver client or patient-centered nutrition interventions. The course emphasizes advanced counseling competencies, functional assessment interpretation, and integration of biochemical individuality, lifestyle factors, and mind-body approaches into clinical nutrition practice.

This course equips students with the advanced skills to conduct and interpret findings from a nutrition-focused physical exam (NFPE) as part of a comprehensive functional nutrition assessment. Emphasis is placed on identifying signs of nutrient deficiencies, functional imbalances, and systemic dysfunctions relevant to functional and integrative healthcare.

This course explores ethical frameworks and professional responsibilities in the practice of functional and integrative nutrition. Students will critically examine issues related to autonomy, informed consent, interprofessional collaboration, scope of practice, and the ethical integration of emerging therapies in clinical care.

This course challenges students to apply functional and integrative nutrition principles to complex clinical scenarios representing all systems biology facets via an intensive case-based learning approach. Students will refine their clinical reasoning, assessment, and personalized care planning skills utilizing real-world case scenarios focused on immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal, neurological, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and detoxification/biotransformation conditions.

This course develops doctoral-level competencies in the design, critical evaluation, and implementation of nutrition research within functional, clinical, and integrative health contexts. Students explore methodologies from mechanistic studies to practice-based and mixed-methods research, learning to translate evidence into client or patient-centered care. Emphasis is placed on data literacy, systems thinking, and ethical integrity in clinical and translational nutrition research.

This course explores the systems biology framework as applied to functional and integrative nutrition practice, including an analysis of the immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal, neurological, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and detoxification/biotransformation systems. Students will examine and evaluate the interconnectedness of biological pathways, nutritional influences on the function of systems, and the role of nutrition in personalized care approaches.

This course provides doctoral candidates with structured guidance to prepare a publishable manuscript. Students engage in iterative writing, peer review, and editorial processes while deepening their understanding of scholarly communication within functional and integrative nutrition. The course emphasizes scientific integrity, evidence synthesis, and clarity in communicating complex clinical and biochemical data.

This course is the culminating scholarly experience of the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN) in Functional and Integrative Nutrition program. This course requires students to design and complete an advanced doctoral-level capstone project that demonstrates synthesis and application of program competencies aligned with the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). The capstone project focuses on an identified area of need within the field of functional and integrative nutrition and emphasizes the integration of evidence-based practice, systems thinking, and professional leadership. Through this project, students are expected to translate theoretical knowledge into applied solutions that advance clinical nutrition practice and contribute to the broader professional field. Areas of emphasis include future directions in functional and integrative nutrition, innovation and entrepreneurism, professional leadership and mentoring, community engagement, and preparation for post-doctoral professional practice.

Prerequisite
This course should be completed during the final term of the program.

This course explores the roles and requirements of macro and micronutrients in fueling energy systems and the applications to make nutritional recommendations for physically active persons at all levels of performance (beginners, youth, and elite athletes) to meet training demands. Nutrition assessment and examination of popular performance enhancing ergogenic aids, supplements, functional sports nutrition methodologies, and the fundamentals of energy balance, exercise and body composition are discussed.

This course expands on the concepts of NUTR 6212 to include the athlete specific variability from genetics, environment, sport-type, and training-level components and the role of functional nutrition to optimize athletic health and performance.

Prerequisite
NUTR-6212

This course explores the current understanding and practical application of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. By considering the impact of individual genetic variations on nutritional status and requirements (nutrigenetics), students will learn to provide personalized dietary and nutritional recommendations that accommodate common genetic variants. Students will evaluate the evidence for food and nutrient modulation of gene expression (nutrigenomics) which will improve the student’s ability to design nutritional treatment plans that address common chronic illnesses and aid in their prevention. Students will learn connections to nutritional epigenetics and genetic testing options to assist the student in navigating the complexities of gene-mediated influences on health and illness.

This course explores the growing role of diagnostics and technology in functional and personalized nutrition intervention. Students will examine and evaluate current and emerging technologies and tools for their potential efficacy in patient treatment. Students will learn more in-depth about the methods of various diagnostic assessments and technology used in functional medicine and how to interpret data from those sources to be applied in patient care planning.

In this course, students will explore the relationship between diet and mental as well as neurological health conditions by analyzing the gastrointestinal microbiome-brain axis. Furthermore, students will evaluate the factors which influence microbiome shaping, stress response, and resilience. Finally, students will also learn to personalize nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle intervention protocols based upon a client’s gastrointestinal microbiome as well as mental and neurological health status.

In this course, students will explore the roles inflammation plays in the development of disease as well as how diet, inflammation, and immune responses influence one another. Students will evaluate the role various immunoglobulins and inflammatory mediators have on health status as well as describe inflammatory health conditions related to nutrient status from cardiovascular disease to pain conditions. Students will also learn how to personalize dietary, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations based upon the analysis of an individual’s inflammatory and immune responses or conditions.

In this course, students will cover individual nutritional needs of throughout various critical stages of development from prenatal support through young adulthood including the changing needs for developmental health conditions. Furthermore, students will explore the changes in biochemical need for nutrients for the aging adult as well as how to support wellness via functional nutrition throughout the life cycle. Also, students will learn the consequences of over- and under-nutrition as well as how to identify and address such lifecycle nutrition issues.

In this course, students will analyze the roles nutrition plays in endocrine system function as well as explore how diet and endocrine system signaling influence one another. Furthermore, students will learn about underlying causes of endocrine dysfunction, signs and symptoms of hormone imbalance, as well as how to create personalized dietary recommendations based on the analysis of an individual’s endocrine system panel.

In this course, students will explore the intricate mechanisms of detoxification and biotransformation processes in the human body, focusing on nutritional and functional care approaches for support. Students will understand the biochemical pathways involved in detoxification, the critical nutrients required for these processes, as well as how to use diet, supplementation, and lifestyle interventions to optimize detoxification in nutrition care and wellness plans. The course will also specially cover phase I and II biotransformation pathways, gastrointestinal health, liver function, environmental toxins, heavy metals, mycotoxins, xenobiotics, and other cutting-edge considerations from a functional nutrition lens.

This course explores the interconnections between human nutrition, ecological health, and sustainable food systems through the lens of regenerative principles. Students will examine how agricultural practices, food production, and dietary patterns influence planetary and human well-being. Emphasis will be placed on understanding food as part of a living system where soil health, biodiversity, cultural traditions, and nutrient density are deeply intertwined. Students will learn to evaluate and design nutrition strategies that promote both individual and environmental wellness. The course integrates functional nutrition science with systems ecology, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability frameworks to cultivate a holistic understanding of “food as medicine” within regenerative food systems.

Success in Integrative Healthcare requires business competence and leadership skills. This course will focus on sound business strategies and practices that drive the development, management, and implementation of Integrative Healthcare. Practical programs and processes support providers and the entire team in delivering patient and family-centered care while ensuring both patient outcomes and financial sustainability.

Successful integrative healthcare teams depend on patient-centered communication and collaborative leadership. Team members need shared definitions and a framework that values each team member. Learners will define integrative care and collaborative leadership and identify obstacles to optimal care. Learners will explore the role of personal experience in the development of personal beliefs, overall health, and one’s relationship to others and the environment. Students will also examine issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the dynamics of integrative healthcare teams as they relate to health outcomes.

Public Health and Determinants of Health in Integrative Care provides a holistic conceptual framework of public health, integrative care, and the health outcomes of populations to shape emerging and innovative solutions. This aligns with U.S. Healthy People’s goal “to promote, strengthen, and evaluate the nation’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of all people.”

This course identifies the overlapping principles of prevention, protection, and promotion with integrative care toward driving health outcomes. In addition, it investigates the history of our public health and broad health care system, and the complex interrelationships between social, biological, behavioral and psychological determinants of health drawn from multiple disciplines and theoretical frameworks. Emerging trends in innovations and technology are discussed as well.

Integrative health care providers share an ethical and professional responsibility to partner with the public health system to improve health and wellbeing in their communities and reduce health disparities. In this course, learners will discuss core concepts of health equity, social justice and social disparities and the impact on health. We will investigate ways to think about health equity and use practical tools and strategies to guide decision making for future programs and policies.

In this course learners will study the interconnectedness of physical and psychological health, the essence of mind-body medicine. The relational structure and function of the central nervous system lays the foundation for a more in-depth examination of how a person’s mental and emotional health is reflected in and affected by the physical body (soma). Learners will come away with a better understanding of how they are somatically aware, in addition to being able to explain to others the implications of what it means to be somatically aware for themselves.

In this course learners will examine the basic principles of psychology from the beginning of our modern understanding to current day knowledge. Learners will be able to recognize the presentation of some of the most common mental health conditions encountered in personal and clinical environments. This knowledge will allow learners to stay within their scope of practice and make appropriate referral decisions to the proper mental health practitioners. Learners will better understand current treatment options as well as assessments, therapeutic approaches, and common medications used to treat mental health disorders.

In this course participants will study the role and impact culture, spiritual practices, and socioeconomic aspects have on health. Integrative health care considers a multi-dimensional approach to healing. The learner will examine how an individual’s personal and family culture, healing-traditions, and socioeconomic status contribute to the state of their health, well-being or illness. Participants will consider the intersection of each dimension when working with other professional disciplines in the planning and delivery of care.

The influence of psychological trauma, along with other psychological and social elements on health is significant. Indeed, the combination of these elements typically contribute either to healing or can further advance disease processes. In this course participants will learn, understand, and recognize how unresolved psychological trauma and addiction affects health and healing. Additional information about both positive and negative coping mechanisms, resilience and post-traumatic growth, and self-care will be presented and examined.

The influence of psychological trauma, along with other psychological and social elements on health is significant. Indeed, the combination of these elements typically contribute either to healing or can further advance disease processes. As providers it is imperative that we adjust for how psychological trauma affects and is affected by multiple environmental settings and behavioral interactions. An integrative care approach to trauma-informed practice shifts the conversation from pathology to healing and wholeness. In this course learners explore how to create and sustain a trauma-informed practice which includes policies and procedures.

Prerequisite
INCR-6104