Why I Chose to Get an Online MS in Nutrition Education

Graduate Program: MS in Nutrition Education
Graduate Year: 2015

Hi! My name is Amy Klassman, and I am an American University online MS in Nutrition Education student and am over halfway through the program. It feels like just yesterday that I was debating about getting a master’s degree, and got accepted into American’s MSNE online program. Going back to graduate school was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career, and I would love to tell you why.

I am a Registered Dietitian with a little bit of a non-traditional background (culinary degree as well). Since becoming a dietitian, I’ve worked in a number of industries in various nutrition-related roles. I’ve worked in non-profits, restaurants, grocery stores, and most recently a senior retirement community. While working at my last job, a good dietitian friend encouraged me to do some “soul searching” to figure out my long-term career goals and start working towards them. Her gentle guidance made me realize that I wanted to teach future dietitians, and in order to do that, I needed to obtain an advanced degree.

My soul searching led to school searching. I knew that forgoing my income in order to attend classes was out of the question, and was also not thrilled with the available options nearby (moving was also not an option). As such, I started to search for online programs, and happened to come across the American University Master of Science in Nutrition Education program via an industry ad. I reached out to obtain more information and was pleasantly surprised to know my search was over. American University’s program really stood out to me because of its strong focus on providing nutrition educators (or future educators) with all of the necessary tools to create and implement nutrition education programs. Most advanced degrees in nutrition have a heavy focus on clinical nutrition and do not necessarily provide the candidates with the tools on how to use all of the information they learn. I also loved the fact that I could be done with my graduate degree in 20 months—that’s absolutely no time to obtain a master’s degree!

Now that I’m halfway done, I could not be more thrilled that I chose the online MSNE program. The time has flown by and I’ve learned so much. The professors are absolutely fantastic, and the program is exceeding my expectations. It feels great to be learning in a collegiate-like setting, even if I’m multiple states away from the physical school. Even though I’m happy to be getting closer to the final degree completion, I’m truly enjoying the entire experience (well except for finals and papers…but whoever enjoys those?) and have never regretted my decision to choose American University.

To learn more about American University’s online Master of Science in Nutrition Education, request more information or call us toll free at 855-725-7614.

  • About the Author

    Amy Klassman

    Amy Klassman, RD, LDN is a current graduate student, enrolled in American University's online MSNE program. She obtained her BS in Nutrition & Dietetics with a Culinary Emphasis from Saint Louis University, and completed her Dietetic Internship at Loyola University of Chicago. She currently works in a high-end continuing care retirement community in Chicago, IL and plans to teach future dietitians after completing her MSNE degree.