The Dietitian Nutritionist Program, housed within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, is a graduate degree program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as a Future Education Model Graduate Degree Program (FEM). The program is a competency-based educational program that integrates experiential learning with didactic coursework to enable students to demonstrate the higher level of competence that will be needed for future practice as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Students entering as a junior or with a baccalaureate degree that is not from a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) will complete 93-95 credits during this three-year program.
Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) graduates will complete Year 2 & Year 3 of the program fulfilling a 60-credit course of study.
Curriculum themes cover a variety of topics including:
- Medical nutrition therapy
- Nutrition assessment and counseling
- Professional trends and issues
- Food service management
- Nutrition research
Plan of Study
First Year, Fall Term
HRS 1000 - Introduction to Research, 3 credits
HRS 1023 - Human Physiology, 4 credits
NUTR 1602 - Nutrition Assessment, 3 credits
NUTR 1620 - Nutrient Metabolism, 3 credits
NUTR/HRS 1622 - Life Cycle Nutrition, 3 credits
NUTR/HRS 1600 - Introduction to Dietetics (if not taken previously), 2 credits
First Year, Spring Term
NUTR 1604 - Food Service Management with Lab, 3 credits
NUTR 1605 - Principles of Nutrition Education, 3 credits
NUTR 1610 - Food Application, 3 credits
NUTR 1613 - Food Application Lab, 1 credit
NUTR 1625 - Nutrition Therapy, 4 credits
NUTR 1614 - Nutrition Critical Thinking (suggested elective or NUTR 1612 Food and Culture [if not taken previously]), 3 credits
Students must maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA to matriculate from Year 1 to Year 2 of the program.
DPD graduates enter here.
Second Year, Fall Term
HRS 2004 - Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan, 4 credits or HRS 2650 Exercise Physiology, 3 credits + HRS 2999 Independent Study, 1 credit
HRS 2623 - Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy 1, 3 credits
HRS 2631 - Nutrition Focused Physical Examination with Lab, 3 credits
HRS 2635 - Professional Development, 2 credits or Elective, 3 credits
Elective, 3 credits
Second Year, Spring Term
HRS 2612 - Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy 2, 3 credits
HRS 2625 - Counseling Methods, 3 credits
HRS 2646 - Introduction to Functional Nutrition with Lab, 3 credits
HRS 2655 - Research Methods and Applied Statistics, 3 credits
Elective, 3 credits
Undergraduate students will receive a BS in Nutrition Science after the completion of the second year.
Third Year, Fall Term
HRS 2647 - Experiential Practice: Community Nutrition, 3 credits
HRS 2648 - Experiential Practice 1, 10 credits
HRS 2649 - QI Research Project, 1 credit
HRS 2654 - Practicum in Dietetics 1, 1 credit
Third Year, Spring Term
HRS 2008 - Entrepreneurial Skills for Nutrition Professionals, 3 credits
HRS 2651 - Experiential Practice 2, 7 credits
HRS 2652 - Experiential Practice 3, 3 credits
HRS 2653 - QI Research Project, 1 credit
HRS 2656 - Practicum in Dietetics 2, 1 credit
Students will receive a Master of Science degree at the completion of Year 3.
*Each course is offered only once during the academic year, therefore, any departure from completing a course in its planned sequence (for example: failure, for any reason, to satisfactorily complete a required course; an unresolved "G" or "Incomplete" grade) will result in a one year delay in completing the course, the remaining program requirements, and the year of graduation.
The Dietitian Nutritionist Program is accredited by the commission of Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (A.N.D.), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL, 60606-6995, 312/899-5400. https://www.eatright.org/