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Dietetics Program

The university awards the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Dietetics to students upon successful completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) curriculum listed below.

To be considered for acceptance into the Didactic Program in Dietetics, the student must: 1) be a dietetics major; 2) have achieved an overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.0 scale); and 3) have successfully completed all prerequisite courses (BIOL 114, BIOL 115, BIOL 116, BIOL 117, ENGL 101, ENGL 102, MATH 101 OR 117, MATH 214, DIET 111, DIET 112, DIET 200, CHEM 101 OR 105, PSYC Elective) with a grade of “C” or better. The DPD program accepts 30 applicants each year. Meeting the above requirements doesn’t guarantee placement. This application is a competitive process.  Students who are accepted will be placed in DIET 390 the following fall semester.

Students must complete all courses listed in the curriculum with a grade of “C” or higher to graduate. The Dietetics Program maintains national accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). (120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 1.800.877.1600 extension 5400).

The DPD curriculum includes academic, laboratory, and clinical education experiences. Graduates of the DPD, who would like to become a Registered Dietitian, must complete a post-baccalaureate dietetic internship to be eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians. These highly competitive internships are available throughout the United States. Upon completion of the DPD, students may request a verification statement from the DPD Director which is required for application to an internship. To receive a verification statement which documents that the DPD requirements have been completed, the student must meet the University requirements for graduation for the dietetics major, complete all the courses listed in the curriculum with a grade of “C” or higher, and earn a minimum of a 3.0 in the DPD courses listed in the Student Handbook (www.nicholls.edu/dietetics). Completion of the DPD does not guarantee the student’s eligibility for a verfication statement.

Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate Program

The Department of Allied Health Sciences offers a verification statement to students upon successful completion of the Dietetic Internship (DI) curriculum listed below. The DI curriculum has been granted candidate status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) (120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; 1.800.877.1600 extension 5400).

The DI program is a post-baccalaureate certificate program of study. That includes a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised practice at affiliate healthcare institutions.  The DI provides a verification statement to the student upon successful completion of the program which qualifies him/her to sit for the National Registration Examination for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) administered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Commission on Dietetic Registration. The DI program selectively admits 14 students per year utilizing D&D Digital Computer matching process. Seven students are preselected and seven are matched through the matching process and the DICAS application system.

Admission requirements include: completion of a baccalaureate degree from an ACEND accredited college or university with a major in nutrition, dietetics, or related field. A DPD verification statement must be presented upon application. Minimum GPA requirement for acceptance is 3.0 overall, Preferred GRE of 340 (DPD GPA on last 60 hours x 20 + Verbal + Quantitative) and completion of the DICAS application and the D&D Digital Matching application and a program application fee of $40 USD. Instructions and timeline for application to the DI can be found at www.nicholls.edu/diet.

Curriculum:

Semester 1: DIET 520 Dietetics Preprofessional Practice I (3-0-20)
Semester 2: DIET 521 Dietetics Preprofessional Practice II (6-0-40)
Semester 3: DIET 522 Dietetics Preprofessional Practice III (6-0-40)

Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics

  • (CLR) Computer Literacy Requirement;
  • (GER) General Education Requirement;
  • (OCR) Oral Communication Requirement;
  • (UR) University Requirement

Suggested Course Sequence:

YEAR* COURSE NAME COURSE NUMBER REQUIREMENT CREDIT HRS
1 BIOL 114 GER 3
1 BIOL 115 1
1 BIOL 116 GER 3
1 BIOL 117 1
1 ENGL 101 GER 3
1 ENGL 102 GER 3
1 DIET 111 3
1 DIET 120 1
1 Freshman Seminar Course UR 1
1 MATH  101 or 117 GER 3
1 PSYC Elective GER 3
1 SOCI 151 3
1 Fine Arts Elective GER 3
1 Computer Literacy Elective(s) CLR 2
2 Elective 3
2 BIOL 205 3
2 CHEM 101 or 105 GER 3
2 CHEM 208 3
2 DIET 200 3
2 DIET 201 1
2 DIET 112 1
2 DIET 264 3
2 HIST Elective GER 3
2 Humanities Elective GER 3
2 MATH 214 GER 3
2 ENGL Literature Elective GER 3
3 FCED or 
SPCH
262
101
OCR 3
3 MKTG 300 3
3 DIET 300 3
3 DIET 301 3
3 DIET 305 3
3 DIET 316 3
3 DIET 330 3
3 DIET 390 3
3 DIET 395 3
4 DIET 410 3
4 DIET 404 3
4 DIET 416 3
4 DIET 418 3
4 DIET 419 1
4 DIET 450 1
4 DIET 400 2
4 DIET 401 1
4 DIET 459 2
4 ECON Elective GER 3
4 ENGL 468 GER 3
4 300-400 Level Elective 3
TOTAL HOURS 120

*Recommend complete as Freshman (1), Sophomore (2), Junior (3), Senior (4)

Courses in major are taken in a sequential order. Students should obtain a curriculum plan from their assigned advisor.

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