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, MATH 214, DIET 111, DIET 200, CHEM 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 2190, 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 will earn 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. Completion of the DPD does not guarantee the student’s eligibility for a dietetic internship.
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 2190, 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. Up to seven students may be preselected and the rest 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 declaration of intent to complete requirements for the verification statement must be presented upon application. Minimum GPA requirement for acceptance is 3.0 overall, Preferred GRE of 340 (DPD GPA 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/dietetics.
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 | GER | 3 |
| 1 | PSYC Elective | GER | 3 | |
| 1 | SOCI | 151 | GER | 3 |
| 1 | Fine Arts Elective | GER | 3 | |
| 1 | Computer Literacy Elective(s) | CLR | 2 | |
| 2 | Elective | 2 | ||
| 2 | BIOL | 205 | 3 | |
| 2 | CHEM | 105 | GER | 3 |
| 2 | CHEM | 208 | 3 | |
| 2 | DIET | 200 | 3 | |
| 2 | DIET | 201 | 1 | |
| 2 | DIET | 113 | 2 | |
| 2 | DIET | 264 | 3 | |
| 2 | Humanities Elective | GER | 3 | |
| 2 | Humanities Elective | GER | 3 | |
| 2 | MATH | 214 | GER | 3 |
| 2 | Humanities 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 | 411 | 3 | |
| 4 | DIET | 404 | 3 | |
| 4 | DIET | 412 | 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 | 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.
