Dietetics (08-09 Undergraduate Bulletin listing)

• Healthcare settings
• Sports Nutrition
• Diabetes Education
• WIC
• Nutrition Consumer Education
• Public Health
• Wellness Programs
• Foodservice

The Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics) option is designed for students who wish to become registered dietitians and practitioners in clinical, community, food industry, and foodservice areas of nutrition. Registered dietitians are employed by hospitals, community agencies, and various government or private organizations.  Completion of degree requirements will result in the student being awarded a Verification Statement of completion of Didactic Program in Dietetics.

Following completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, an accredited dietetic internship program is required before students are eligible to take the registration examination and obtain the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. Acceptance into an accredited dietetic internship program is competitive.  Currently, there is a significant shortage of available internship positions for the number of students applying for acceptance into an internship program.  Acceptance into an internship program cannot be guaranteed.

The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is to provide a challenging and high quality curriculum which prepares graduates to successfully enter a dietetic internship, post-baccalaureate program and/or a variety of employment opportunities related to nutrition and food.

DPD Program Goals and Outcome Measures:
Goal 1: The program will provide the Foundation Knowledge and Learning Outcomes for Didactic Program in Dietetics for admission and success in a dietetic internship program and/or post-baccalaureate program.

Graduate Outcomes Monitored to Determine Extent of Goal Achievement:

• Percentage of students enrolled in the professional courses in the third year of the program completing the DPD program requirements and degree requirements within three years.
• Percentage of DPD graduates applying to supervised practice programs the academic year they complete the program.
• Success rate in the placement of first time applicants applying for admission into a dietetic internship program.
• Percentage of students completing dietetic internship and/or post-baccalaureate programs indicating that their undergraduate education was excellent or above average when compared to the academic preparation of their peers.
• Percentage of dietetic internship directors contacted indicating that graduates of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln DPD program are adequately prepared to succeed in their specific dietetic internship program.

Goal 2: The program will contribute to the number of professionals working in nutrition and food related careers in Nebraska and beyond its borders.

Graduate Outcomes Monitored to Determine Extent of Goal Achievement:

• Percentage of program graduates over a five-year period successfully passing the Registration Examination for Dietitians on their first attempt.
• Of those graduates seeking employment in nutrition and food related careers upon completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements, percentage successful within 6 months of program completion.
• Of those graduates seeking employment in nutrition and food related careers upon completion of the dietetic internship program and/or post baccalaureate program, percentage successful within 6 months of program completion

Accreditation Status

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Didactic Program in Dietetics is currently granted developmental accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association, 120  South Riverside  Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312/899-0040, ext. 5400.

The Didactic Program in Dietetics Student Handbook/Policies and Procedures is available on this web site and contains important information about the program.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln can be located at http://admissions.unl.edu/requirements. Application for admission to the Didactic Program in Dietetics is required upon successful completion of specific prerequisite courses.  The application process will go into effect for freshman students declaring dietetics as a major for the 2008-2009 academic year.  Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, the application requirement will apply to all undergraduate students seeking to complete the dietetics option.

Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree and are meeting DPD requirements do not need to complete the application process described below.
The process for students wishing to only meet DPD requirements follows the description for Application to the Didactic Program in Dietetics and Program Acceptance Requirements.

Application to the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)

Following successful completion ( a grade of C or above must be earned in all NUTR courses) of prerequisite courses, application is necessary for entrance into the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) which consists primarily of  nutrition course work at the 300 and 400 level.

Program Acceptance Requirements (See advisor in Student Advising Center for complete details)

1.  Application must be submitted by February 15 prior to the fall semester of desired acceptance. 
2.  Admission requirements for acceptance into the Didactic Program in Dietetics include a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above and completion of 48 or more credit hours which must include the following prerequisite courses:

• CHEM 109 General Chemistry I and CHEM 110 General Chemistry II                 
• BIOL 101/101 L General Biology or BIOS 102 Cell Structure & Function or BIOS 103 Organismic Biology
• NUTR 100 Nutrition, Exercise and Health
• NUTR 150 Foundation in Nutrition and Health Promotion
• NUTR 244/245 Scientific Principles of Food Preparation/Lab
• NUTR 250 Human Nutrition and Metabolism
• NUTR 251 Nutrition Through the Life Cycle
• NUTR 253 Cultural Aspects of Food and Nutrition

Process for Students Who Have Already Earned a Bachelor’s Degree

The process to become a registered dietitian involves three steps:

1.  Meet Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements (which usually takes a  minimum of two years full time undergraduate work)
2.  Apply to and be matched to an accredited dietetic internship program (a competitive process where you are not guaranteed to be matched to a program, is unpaid, and generally 11-12 months in length).
3.  Sit for and successfully pass the Registered Dietitian exam.

The first step if you wish to explore obtaining the RD credential is to send to the Didactic Program in Dietetics Director:

1.  Official transcripts for all college course work.
2.  A check for $35.00 (payable to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

The DPD Director will review transcripts and send the student a letter listing the courses needed to be completed in order to obtain a Verification Statement of DPD completion which would then allow application for acceptance into a dietetic internship program.

Verification Statement of Meeting Didactic Program in Dietetics Requirements

Graduates completing all Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements with a grade of “C” or better in all NUTR courses will receive a Verification Statement.  Verification Statements will be mailed upon confirmation by Registration and Records of degree completion to the address provided by students.

The Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences will provide a Verification Statement of a student meeting Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements based on the program in effect in the undergraduate bulletin the student is using for graduation requirements if the student is continuously enrolled and graduates within five years.  If the student cannot finish their studies within this five-year time period, they must comply with the didactic program reflected in the undergraduate bulletin currently in effect.  The Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences will not accept course work to meet prerequisite courses for DPD program admission or DPD requirements from any university/college outside the University of Nebraska system in which a grade of D-, D, or D+ was earned.

In order to receive a Verification Statement of a student meeting Didactic Program in Dietetic requirements, a minimum of 15credits from 300- or 400- level courses must be completed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Nine of the 15 credit hours must come from three of the following classes: NUTR 450 Medical Nutrition Therapy I, NUTR 452 and 452L Medical Nutrition Therapy II and Lab, NUTR 455 Advanced Nutrition, or NUTR 473 Organization and Administration of Foodservice.

Program Costs

Information on expenses related to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree can be found at http://admissions.unl.edu/value/

No additional costs are associated for students enrolled in the Didactic Program in Dietetics.  Optional expenses are for student membership ($49.00) in the American Dietetic Association (which is highly recommended).  As a student member of the American Dietetic Association, students are automatically members of the Nebraska Dietetic Association and can become student members of the Lincoln District Dietetic Association with no additional membership fees required.

Academic Calendar Including Vacation and Holidays

The Didactic Program in Dietetics follows the University of Nebraska-Lincoln academic calendar http://www.unl.edu/regrec/calendar/calendar_main.shtml

Graduation and/or DPD Completion Requirements

For students earning a bachelor’s degree, graduation and completion of DPD requirements are based on the Undergraduate Bulletin in effect when the student declares the major in Nutritional Science and Dietetics-Dietetics option or any subsequent bulletin.  Students have five years to meet graduation and DPD requirements upon declaring their intent to graduate with the dietetics option.  If the student requires more than five years to complete DPD requirements, then the student must meet the DPD requirements currently in effect in order to be granted a Verification Statement of completion of Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements.

For students who previously earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and have returned to meet DPD requirements, they have a maximum of five years to meet DPD requirements from the date of the letter listing DPD requirements for granting of a Verification Statement of completion of Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements.  If the student needs more than five years, they will be required to meet the DPD requirements currently in effect.

For more information on the Dietetics Option contact:

Linda O. Young, MS, RD, LMNT
Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
Nutrition & Health Sciences
University of Nebraska
104H Ruth Leverton Hall
Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0806
402-472-2925
lyoung3@unl.edu