Nutrition, B.S. - Didactic Program

Also see

Nutrition, B.S. - Nutrition and Wellness  Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate

The Didactic Program in Dietetics is a four-year baccalaureate degree leading to the completion of the academic requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). The courses are designed to meet the knowledge competencies for entry-level dietitians.

Completion of this degree qualifies a student to apply for a dietetic internship. After completing both the didactic program and more than 1,200 hours of experience provided by the internship, the student is then eligible to sit for the national registration examination to become a registered dietitian. The didactic program is also open to students with a baccalaureate degree in a major other than Nutrition. These students may take six credits as a non-degree student, but then must apply for admission as a second degree candidate in Nutrition.

In 2009 the University of Saint Joseph Didactic Program was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 S Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606 (312.899.0040 x 5400). ACEND is the accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as registered dietitians or dietetic technicians, registered.

Admission and Continuation Requirements

Students in the didactic program must earn a minimum of a C in all Nutrition major courses and in these natural science courses or their equivalents: general Biology, Microbiology, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry (CHEM 170), Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology (both semesters). A course may be repeated only once to raise the grade.

Application Procedure

• Students must meet the University of Saint Joseph admissions requirements
• Students who already possess a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition may enroll in classes to update their education to meet requirements of the Academy. They must meet with a department faculty member, submit official transcripts, and maintain a department file as a non-matriculated student.

Mission Statement

The mission of the USJ didactic program is to provide excellence in education in Nutrition and Dietetics in the context of a liberal arts education and that meets the requirements of the AND and ACEND.

Goals and Objectives

1. University of Saint Joseph didactic students will successfully complete these didactic requirements
   Objectives:
   • Over a five-year-period 75% of entering seniors will complete the program within five years
   • 100% of didactic program students or graduates will earn at least a C in all major courses and the required sciences
2. University of Saint Joseph didactic graduates will be successful in furthering their professional education or obtaining employment
   Objectives:
   • Of the students who receive didactic verification, 75% over a five-year-period will apply to an internship
   • Over a 5-year period, of those who apply two-thirds or 66% will be accepted
   • Of those who are accepted into a didactic internship, over a five-year-period, 90% will successfully complete the internship
   • Of students who complete a didactic internship and take the exam, 80% will pass over a five-year-period
   • 75% of graduates will obtain employment in nutrition, a nutrition-related field or a position of responsibility within two years of graduation
3. University of Saint Joseph didactic graduates will demonstrate life-long learning and involvement in the dietetics profession
   Outcomes  (75% will participate in at least two of the following activities):

• Join AND or another professional organization or a dietetic practice group
• Attend professional meetings including webinars
• Read professional journals and become preceptors to didactic students
• Present posters or talks to the public or professional groups
• Undertake post-graduate work including continuing education credits or certificate

   4. University of Saint Joseph didactic graduates will be competent professional
      Outcomes:

• Students will be evaluated in NUTR 499 - Coordinating Seminar, in their didactic internship and in their entry-level positions by preceptors, directors, and employers. Eighty percent of the students need to receive an average of three or better on the following characteristics:
• Work methods, adaptability, decision making, interpersonal skills, communication, leadership characteristics, and work habits.

Student learning objectives

1. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to write and speak effectively

• 100% of students must achieve a three or better on their portfolio submission to the CAE
• All students will earn at least a C in NUTR 310 - Nutrition Counseling and Communication 
• All students must earn at least a C in NUTR 499 - Coordinating Seminar, which includes a final paper and an oral presentation

2. Graduates will have successfully acquired knowledge of Biology and Chemistry

• Graduates must earn a minimum of C in all required science courses
• Students must earn a minimum of C in NUTR 418 - Advanced Nutrition, which incorporates nutritional  biochemistry and NUTR 316 - Medical Nutrition Therapy I and Skills Lab  which is highly focused on nutrition-related physiology and biochemistry

3. Graduates will have a broad understanding of food and nutrition for healthy populations. Graduates will earn at least a C in NUTR 130 - Foods, NUTR 220 - Fundamentals of Nutrition, NUTR 315 - Community Nutrition I,  NUTR 325 - Nutrition Through the Lifecycle, NUTR 330 - Food Science, NUTR 418 - Advanced Nutrition 

4. Graduates will demonstrate a broad understanding of food and nutrition for individuals in need of medical nutrition therapy

• Students will earn at least a C in NUTR 316 - Medical Nutrition Therapy I and Skills Lab  and NUTR 416 - Medical Nutrition Therapy II  

5. Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of management in a food and nutrition-related setting.

• Graduates will successfully complete the creation of a food service company in NUTR 411 - Food and Nutrition Management II 
• Graduates will earn at least a C in both NUTR 311 - Food and Nutrition Management I and NUTR 411 - Food and Nutrition Management II