The state Board of Regents approved a new Master of Clinical Nutrition program after changes in education requirements.

The state Board of Regents on Wednesday voted to approve a new clinical nutrition program for the UI set to be implemented in August 2018.

The Master of Clinical Nutrition program will be a part of the Carver College of Medicine in the Department of Food and Nutrition Services.

The program was designed to use existing courses and staffing when possible and is targeted toward dietetic interns admitted to a post-baccalaureate dietetic internship program.

The need for a graduate program comes after entry-level education requirements for dietitians changed from a bachelor’s degree to a graduate degree beginning in 2024.

“Given the requirement that entry-level dietitians be required to attain a minimum of a graduate degree in a seamless program of academic coursework and supervised practice, it is necessary that a master’s program be incorporated into the supervised practice component of the University of Iowa dietetic internship program,” regent documents said.

Associate Provost for Faculty Kevin Kregel noted during his presentation that undergraduate degrees are no longer the gold standard in education in many health-care fields, leading to other programs making the same transition

This program will be the only existing program of its kind at the UI, but includes semester-hour requirements from the College of Public Health and from the Department of Health and Human Physiology.

Regent documents noted there would be the possibility of expanding with the addition of tracks of study for working professionals and health-care students.

Around the state, Iowa State University currently offers a M.S. degree in Diet and Exercise and also in Nutritional Sciences.

“The focus will be primarily clinical, and that will make distinct from other programs offered,” Kregel said during the meeting.