Nutrition and Wellness (MS)
Gain experience investigating current nutritional issues related to fad diets, obesity, aging, athletic performance, food sustainability and motivating clients to make change.
Gain experience investigating current nutritional issues related to fad diets, obesity, aging, athletic performance, food sustainability and motivating clients to make change.
Do you have an interest in disease prevention, health advocacy, or nutrition education?The Nutrition and Wellness degree is designed for students with a variety of career goals who have a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics, nutrition, a life science or a physical science. You will study nutrition counseling methods in Food Behaviors and Motivations; analyze food policies and controversial food issues in Sustainable Food Systems; and investigate the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion in Obesity and Chronic Disease.
Explore a variety of career paths with: Food Companies (marketing, product development, research); Non-profit organizations such as United Dairy Industries, American Heart Association (health promotion, health policy); Corporations (employee wellness); Pharmaceutical Companies (sales); Universities (faculty lecturer, extension nutrition educator); Private Practice (food and nutrition media specialist, health coach); International Food and Nutrition Organizations such as USAID, FAO, WHO (food and health policy)
Pathways that require the MS plus RDN credential: Clinical Dietitian, Outpatient Dietitian, Sports Dietitian
Kate Kloss earned her B.S. in dietetics and M.S. in Nutrition and Wellness at Madonna University. She completed an internship at Henry Ford Hospital, and worked for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan where she partnered with funders to bring nutrition and physical education classes to local schools.
At Michigan Medicine she has worked as a diabetes educator, trained in the philosophy of patient empowerment, and earned her CDE credential. Since then, Kate worked as a behavioral health specialist on a diabetes research project with Stanford University and Cecelia Health and is now a program manager for the University of Michigan School of Social Work for the Center for Health Equity Research and Training.
Work toward a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) by gaining advanced knowledge in many areas of nutrition and gaining skills in creating nutrition plans and educating clients of diverse backgrounds.
Ph.D. Michigan State University
M.S. Iowa State University
B.S. University of Iowa
Dietetic Internship, University of Michigan School of Public Health
734-432-5534
Franciscan Center S217-U
Dr. Schmitz is a former Peace Corps volunteer who became interested in the field of nutrition while working as a high school science teacher in Lesotho, Africa. She is a Registered Dietitian who has worked in the areas of research, nutrition education and nutritional counseling. She enjoys teaching courses in Nutrition Assessment, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Advanced Human Nutrition and Experimental Foods and Research.
Karen has been active in many professional associations related to nutrition and dietetics, most recently serving as an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper editor and on the board of the Southeastern Michigan Dietetics Association. She has served as a reviewer for several nutrition textbooks and on advisory boards for dietetic internships. Her recent research includes collaborating with nursing faculty on the project titled, "Teaching Nutrition Screening and Assessment of the Geriatric Patient: An Inter-professional Approach."
In addition, she has worked with many students on research projects related to fat replacers, sugar substitutes, oil absorption and consumer acceptability of food products. Several of these students have presented their research and won awards at the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference.
Ph.D. Wayne State University
B.S. Oakland University
Dietetic Internship, WSU Coordinated Program
734-432-5514
Franciscan Center 217D
Rachel Sochocki is the Director of the Undergraduate Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics. She began teaching at Madonna University in 2025. Her interests include clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, and obesity management. Rachel also serves as the faculty advisor for the Nutrition Network Student Organization.
Rachel is a Registered Dietitian with experience in acute care clinical dietetics. Her doctoral research at Wayne State University, supported in part by the Thomas C. Rumble University Graduate Fellowship, focused on the relationship between eating behaviors, weight loss maintenance and inflammation.
M.S. Eastern Michigan University
B.S. Madonna University
Dietetic Internship, DMC
734-32-5515
Franciscan Center 217-P
Ph.D., Walden University
M.S. Michigan State University
B.S. Madonna University
MPH University of Michigan
B.S. University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dietetic Internship Iowa State University
