The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is no longer accepting students and will be voluntarily closing effective May 31, 2020. The DPD will maintain its ACEND accreditation status through May 31, 2020. Students who do not complete all DPD course requirements by May 31, 2020 will not be considered graduates of an ACEND-accredited DPD. For more information about the closure of the DPD, please contact Lori Cherok at lcherok@pitt.edu.
The Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition is offering two other programs:
Nutrition and Dietetics is a challenging and exciting profession that applies the science of food and nutrition to the health and well-being of people. The profession includes areas of practice which focus on the impact of food and nutrition on our lives such as:
- treating existing disease
- promoting health and fitness
- preventing illness
- planning school meal programs or other group feeding programs
- food supply safety
- the management of food service operations in institutional settings; nutrition research
- community education programs
- food and nutrition labeling laws
- improving the nutritional quality of food and supplements
Our Programs:
Our programs are designed to meet the educational goals for individuals seeking to become Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists (RDN). The Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, also known as the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by ACEND, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Only ACEND accredited programs can train individuals to become RDNs.
Our Mission:
The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition (SMN) is to provide students a strong academic foundation of knowledge and skills in nutrition and dietetics to meet the required coursework and experiences to apply to a Dietetic Internship or a Coordinated Master’s Program as required to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), pursue an advanced degree in science/healthcare-related discipline, or to function in society as a professional and upon which practitioner competence can be built. The program provides the academic preparation to support continued professional growth to meet personal, professional, community, and worldwide evolving health care needs.