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What is the Nutritional Psychology Micro-Degree (NP-FMA)?
The CNP micro-degree in nutritional psychology (NP-FMA) is a short, specialized educational program designed to provide foundational and applied knowledge at the intersection of the nutritional and psychological sciences. This program equips professionals with skills to understand how and why dietary habits and nutrient intake affect mental health, mood, behavior, and cognitive processes. Unlike a full traditional degree, the CNP micro-degree (NP-FMA) is completed over a shorter period and is intended for professionals or students seeking to enhance their ability to address diet-mental health connections within their existing scope of practice, rather than serve as a formal standalone qualification for licensure or professional practice. It is important to note that the NP-FMA credential replaces the individual certificate post-nominals and does NOT imply licensure.
The NP-FMA Micro-Degree in nutritional psychology requires the completion of 11 courses that are grouped into three thematic areas: Theoretical Foundations, Biological Mechanisms, and Professional Applications. While Certificate #3 in Professional Applications (NP-A) is not available until Fall 2026, learners can prepare for this micro-degree by completing the NP-F (Theoretical Foundations) and NP-M (Biological Mechanisms) certificates.
For Learners who have just earned the NP 100 Series Certificate
As CNP evolves its continuing education programs to offer a micro-degree, the NP100 Series Certificate will be retired. With this new move towards a micro-degree, Learners/ Professionals who have completed the NP100 Series Certificate might be wondering what this means for them. All of the continuing education hours you completed remain fully valid and recognized by CNP. Nothing about your existing credit changes.
Learners who have earned the NP 100 Certificate have already fulfilled Certificate #2 in the new micro-degree framework. NP 100 also covers part of Certificate #1. We’ll provide clear instructions on how your existing coursework will transfer and how you can continue, should you choose, into the new program. If you are uncertain about your standing, email our administrator at admin@nutritional-psychology.org to discuss your path.
For Learners who have recently purchased and enrolled in the NP 100 Series Certificate:
The continuing education hours you’ve earned and will be earning are fully valid, do not expire, or lose value. These courses directly serve as singular CE courses, towards individual Certificate Tracks in the new program, and go towards completion of the NP-FMA Micro-Degree in Nutritional Psychology. We can help you plan your program by contacting our Program Administrator.
Why Complete Our Nutritional Psychology Micro-Degree (NP-FMA)?
Our micro-degree in nutritional psychology equips you with strong, evidence-based knowledge of the theoretical and biological connections between nutrition and mental health. It also enables you to integrate interdisciplinary nutrition and psychological science into your practice or classroom while remaining within your specific professional scope of practice. Additionally, this micro-degree can enhance your professional credibility, support your continuing education goals, and allow you to expand your range of services offered to your clients, patients, and students.
From CNP Articles
A study on mice published in Cell Metabolism found that daily oscillations in gut microbiota composition regulate natural daily patterns of corticosterone release. Depletion of gut microbiota results in impairments in stress responsivity that are specific to certain times of day and in disruptions in the rhythmicity of stress pathways in the brain. In this […]
A survey of Saudi Arabian female students published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine examined the links between eating habits and sleep quality Results showed that students consuming higher quantities of foods with added sugars tended to have worse sleep quality Study authors report that only 17% of study participants had good sleep quality […]
A study published in Health Psychology found that one’s expectations affect physiological responses to food Participants who believed that the milkshake they consumed was high-calorie showed a much steeper decline in ghrelin level compared to participants who believed that the same shake was low-calorie. Participants’ feelings of satiety were consistent with what they believed they […]
A study published in Foods examined the relationship between the availability of palatable food and three aspects of eating behavior —cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Where palatable foods were widely available, people were more prone to uncontrolled eating and emotional eating Individuals currently on a diet exhibited higher levels of cognitive restraint and […]
A survey of children and their caregivers in China, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, found that children who eat more fruits and vegetables tend to have better self-concepts. In other words, they tend to see themselves as more capable, worthy, and valuable compared to children who eat fruits and vegetables less often. Children who frequently ate […]
The results of a survey of Turkish adults published in Food Science & Nutrition showed that individuals consuming more ultraprocessed food tended to self-report slightly more severe symptoms of food addiction. These individuals also tended to report slightly greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Younger participants, women, those unemployed, and single individuals tended to […]
A study of Brazilian public servants published in JAMA Neurology found an association between high ultraprocessed food consumption and the pace of age-related cognitive decline. Compared to participants with the lowest ultraprocessed food intake (below 20% of calories), those with higher intake showed a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline. They also experienced a […]
A study of individuals suffering from major depressive disorder published in Psychological Medicine found that their wanting for various food items is lower compared to their healthy peers Looking at the macronutrient content of food, depressed participants had lower wants and likings for high-fat and high-protein foods if they were low in carbohydrates. Their preferences […]
A meta-analysis published in BMC Psychiatry found that individuals consuming junk food frequently had 16% higher odds of having depression and 33% higher odds of experiencing increased stress. Junk food consumption was also associated with 15% higher odds of developing mental health problems in general. The meta-analysis included 17 studies with a total of 159,885 […]
