Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)

Andrews University DPD Program Description
This program is designed for students pursuing professional degrees in the fields of nutrition, dietetics, medicine, dentistry, public health, research and other health-related graduate degrees. This BS also prepares students for dietetics registration eligibility.

The degree in nutrition science & dietetics with a dietetics emphasis is recommended for students wishing to become a registered dietitian/registered dietitian nutritionist, or pursue a career in public health and/or graduate school.

The degree in nutrition science & dietetics with a nutrition science emphasis is recommended for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-PA students wishing to have a nutrition science and health promotion emphasis as they prepare for medical, dental, public health or graduate school.

Mission Statement & Goals
The mission of the DPD program is to prepare students for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist for service to their church, society and the world and to influence the community at large to affirm Seventh-day Adventist lifestyles, including a plant-based, vegetarian diet.

Goal #1: The program will prepare graduates to be competent for entry into supervised practice or other post-graduate programs through high quality educational offerings.

Goal #2: The program will prepare graduates who are highly competent to promote a vegetarian diet as a lifestyle option.

Andrews University DPD Program Outcomes

Our accreditation status is based upon our program achieving these outcomes.  All program outcome data is available upon request.   

• 80% of students who are accepted into the Didactic Program in Nutrition Science & Dietetics in their junior year are expected to complete program requirements within 150% of the time or three years. 
• Over a three-year period, 60% of DPD graduates will apply to supervised practice programs the academic year they complete the program. 
• Over a three-year period, 80% of those applying to supervised practice programs the academic year they complete the program will be accepted. 
• Over a three-year period, 80% of students will pass the registration examination within one year of their initial attempt. 
• 75% of DI directors will rate the graduates as adequately prepared or higher for supervised practice.
• 70% of DPD graduating seniors will rate the program as adequately preparing them for promoting a vegetarian lifestyle. 

*Our current three-year pass rate for the DPD Program is 95% for testers within one year of the first attempt.
 

Requirements

Admission Requirements

Nutrition Science & Dietetics Program (Step 1)

Prospective students enter the Nutrition Science & Dietetics program upon acceptance to Andrews University. Students must apply to the professional program* at the end of their sophomore year. The dietetics emphasis is recommended for students wishing to become a registered dietitian/registered dietitian nutritionist, or pursue a career in public health and/or graduate school.

Prerequisite Courses—two years of the following:

• introductory professional (e.g. Food Science and Nutrition)
• sciences (e.g. Intro to Chemistry, Biochemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and Microbiology)
• social sciences (e.g. Sociology and Psychology)
• math (e.g. MATH 145 or higher)
• Andrews Core Experience (ACE)

These courses may be obtained at Andrews University or another accredited college or university, or equivalent institution for international students.

Professional Program in Nutrition Science & Dietetics (Step 2)

Applying to the Program*
To transition into the professional program, students need to apply to the director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition Science & Dietetics (DPD) at the end of their sophomore year. Students must apply to the program in order to register for FDNT 351 Food Service Management, a required course for the major.

Courses
The professional program includes two years of study, including courses in:

• medical nutrition therapy
• food-service management
• nutrition and metabolism
• community nutrition

These courses are to be obtained on the Andrews University campus.

Application Deadline
For acceptance to the program, applications need to be submitted to the program director by the last Friday in March, September or November for the following semester.

Acceptance

• Full acceptance into the BS Nutrition Science & Dietetics Program requires successful completion of all prerequisite courses, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 in the sciences and FDNT courses.
• Students who are not fully accepted into the program by their senior year will be unable to register for FDNT 441 Medical Nutrition Therapy, which is required for the completion of the program.

Submission of application to Dietetics Program which includes:

1. DPD Program Application Form

2. Statement of Purpose

3. Two (2) recommendation forms

4. Official transcripts (if transferring from another college)

5. Apply now: http://www.andrews.edu/future/apply/index.html

Please note: All information must be reviewed by the Dietetics faculty.

Suggested 4-Year Schedules for the...

Courses For DPD Program

Prerequisite Courses:

The following courses are prerequisites to enter the Didactic Program in Dietetics, and are usually taken during freshman and sophomore years:

Cognate Courses:

The following courses are Cognate Requirements to take during the Didactic Program in Dietetics, and are usually taken during the Junior year:

DPD Courses:

The following courses are DPD Requirements to take during the Didactic Program in Dietetics, and are usually taken during the Senior year:

(click here for full course descriptions)

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements include satisfactory completion of curriculum requirements with at least 2.25 cumulative GPA in all dietetics courses (no grade below C). Students completing the DPD program and successfully passing the Senior Comprehensive Exam administered in April of their final year will be issued a verification statement. Students must complete both the coursework (DPD) requirements and a Dietetic Internship before being eligible to sit for the Registration Examination.

Our Accreditation

**The B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics is a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) .**

Disclaimer:

The information on these web pages is for information purposes only. While every attempt has been made to provide accurate information, the Andrews University Bulletin is the final and authoritative guide on regulations such as admission, general, core, major, and cognate requirements.

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