ACHS Graduate Alumni Now Eligible to Become Certified Nutrition Professionals

Portland, OR, August 6, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​Graduates of the following ACHS NANP-approved programs meet the education requirement for qualification as a Certified Nutrition Professionals (CNP) through NANP: Master of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine (MS in CAM), Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition (MSHN), and Master of Science in Health and Wellness (MSHW).

Graduates who become Certified Nutrition Professionals gain the advantage of professional recognition and validation of their education, knowledge, and expertise in the field of holistic nutrition.

“The CNP credential provides the public, the medical community, and other health professionals with assurance that the nutrition professional has earned a bachelor’s or advanced degree in holistic nutrition,” says Nicole Hodson, NANP Executive Director. 

“The supervised practice hours required for this credential are consistent with those set forth by other nutrition associations, in an effort to provide industry-wide continuity.  Professionals with the CNP credential will set themselves apart with added credibility and validation from an organized professional body of peers that govern the holistic nutrition profession,” Hodson says.

According to the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board (HNCB), which facilitates this credential, to earn the level of “Certified Nutrition Professional,” a graduate must meet the requirements to become Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition® as well as:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in nutrition or a nutrition-related field of study from an NANP-approved holistic nutrition program (such as ACHS’s MS in CAM, MSHW, and MSHN degree programs)
• Demonstrate completion of 1,200 supervised practice hours 

“This is an excellent opportunity for graduates of our graduate-level NANP-approved programs to further build their professional reputation in the holistic nutrition community,” says ACHS President and Founder Dorene Petersen. “Holistic nutritionists who pursue this additional credential demonstrate their commitment to the integrity and credibility of the field, and to safely sharing their knowledge by promoting the highest standards of ethical practice." 

“ACHS has two graduates, Lisa Powell and Valerie Mills, who have recently passed the HNCB Exam,” Petersen says, “and we’re extremely proud of their accomplishment. The Certified Nutrition Professional designation would be a natural next step for them, and I hope to see many of our master’s program graduates taking advantage of this certification in the future.”

To learn more about the CNP credential and eligibility criteria, visit the HNCB’s website.

To learn more about ACHS graduate programs eligible for CNP certification, call 800.487.8839, or visit the ACHS website.

About ACHS

American College of Healthcare Sciences has been educating industry leading holistic health professionals since 1978. ACHS is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACHS is one of the only accredited holistic health colleges offering fully online graduate and undergraduate degrees, diplomas, career-training certificates, and continuing education courses in integrative medicine fields, such as aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness coaching. For more information about ACHS programs visit their website.