Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, Traditional or Spanish Emphasis, Bachelor of Science

Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Traditional (65 DPD Professional [53 ND-coded course credits and 12 required liberal arts credits] and 18 DPD Science course credits) and Spanish Emphasis Curriculum Four-Year, Bachelor of Science Degree Options

The department offers two curricula options within the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) that lead to a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nutrition and Dietetics. Both the traditional DPD curriculum and the Spanish Emphasis curriculum options are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and adhere to the ACEND Accreditation Standards for Didactic Programs in Dietetics. This educational framework provides the knowledge, skills, and values needed, not only for successful entry into dietetic internship programs and graduate school, but also for the flexibility which permits changing roles and the development of skills needed for future specializations that the students wish to pursue.

Students completing the DPD requirements and a bachelor’s degree will earn a DPD Verification Statement (VS), which indicates they are eligible to sit for the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician, Registered (NDTR) examination and/or apply to an accredited dietetic internship/supervised practice program. The DPD must be followed by an ACEND accredited dietetic internship/supervised practice program or other currently approved route to registration in order to be eligible to sit for the national registration examination for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs).

Although there is a shortage of internship sites, and completion of the DPD does not guarantee acceptance into an internship/supervised practice program, the faculty will offer guidance with the internship application process.

Also Note: The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) changed the entry-level registration eligibility education requirements for dietitians, beginning in 2024, from a baccalaureate degree to a minimum of a graduate degree.

The mission of Marywood University’s Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is to provide a comprehensive learning experience that empowers students to develop leadership skills needed to live responsibly in an interdependent, global world and prepares students for supervised practice to become entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) who are committed to serving the community and/or the profession.

In accordance with the program mission, the DPD at Marywood University has established the following program goals:

Goal 1: Graduates will secure acceptance into an accredited dietetic internship/supervised practice program and successfully complete the registration examination for a career as an entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and/or secure acceptance into a graduate program.

Goal 2: Graduates will a receive a comprehensive learning experience that allows them to develop leadership skills needed to live responsibly in an interdependent, global world and prepares them for supervised practice.

Goal 3. Graduates who become entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) will be committed to servicing the community and/or the profession.

All students who declare a major in Nutrition and Dietetics are admitted to the Department and are placed in a program sequence that enables them to be accepted into the DPD before the start of their junior-level courses. To be eligible for admission to the DPD, a student must have an overall GPA of ≥ 3.00 and have earned a grade of C+ or better in all ND-coded professional didactic courses/labs. Students who do not receive a grade of C+ or better will be required to repeat the course/lab at the next available opportunity in order to remain in the program. 

Additionally, students must have completed or be enrolled in the following courses at the time of acceptance in the DPD:

ND 101	Intro to ND Profession	1
ND 103	Basic and Culinary Foods	2
	And
ND 103L	Basic Foods Lab	1
ND 112	Nutrition I	3
ND 138	Food and Safety	1
ND 203	Food Science and Technology	2
	And
ND 203L	Food Science Lab	1
ND 211	Nutrition Education	3
ND 213	Nutrition II	3
ND 223	Social and Cultural Aspects of Food	2
	And
ND 223L	Social and Cultural Aspects of Food Lab	1
BIOL 121	Anatomy and Physiology I	3
BIOL 122	Anatomy and Physiology II	3
BIOL 234	Introduction to Molecular & Cellular?Biology and Nutrigenomics	3
CHEM 110	Introductory Chemistry	3
CHEM 210	Introductory Organic Chemistry	3
CHEM 310	Introductory Biochemistry	3
ENGL 160	Composition and Rhetoric	3

Required

The DPD program consists of at least a total of 65 DPD Professional (53 ND-coded course credits and 12 required liberal arts credits) and 18 DPD Science course credits. In addition to completion of the courses listed above, students in the DPD must also complete the following courses to earn a DPD Verification Statement:

ND 300	Theory of Medical Nutrition Therapy I	4
ND 301A	Food Systems Management I: Management	3
ND 301B	Food Systems Management I: Production	1
ND 301C	Food Systems Management I: Marketing	0.5
ND 312	Community Nutrition	3
ND 331	Sports Nutrition in Health Promotion	3
ND 379A	Food Systems Management II: Human?Relations	1
ND 379B	Food Systems Management II: Purchasing	2
ND 379C	Food Systems Management II: Food Cost?Control & Financial Management	2
ND 379D	Food Systems Management II: Layout &?Equipment	1
ND 391	Supervised Practice Food Systems?Management I	1
ND 392	Supervised Practice in Community?Nutrition	1.5
ND 400		3
ND 420	Theory of Medical Nutrition Therapy II	6
ND 465	Research in Nutrition and Dietetics	3
MATH 155	Statistics for Behavioral/Social Science	3
PSYC 211	General Psychology	3
SOC 211	Introductory Sociology	3
	Or
SSCI 201	Introduction to Social Sciences	3

All students majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics are eligible for a minor in Science if an additional 3 credits are taken in a science course designated for Science majors. Additionally, students are encouraged to consider pursuing a minor in areas other than Science if desired. A candidate for a baccalaureate degree at Marywood University must present a minimum of 120 undergraduate credits of college work that fulfill all general, departmental, and program requirements. The degree requirements are typically met within four years (8 semesters) for a traditional student. This time frame varies for nontraditional students.

In addition to the traditional DPD curriculum requirements, students following the Spanish Emphasis DPD curriculum option must also complete a minimum of 18 credits, approved by the English and Foreign Languages Department, in Spanish before graduation. At least half of these credits must be earned through Marywood University. Additionally, students following this curriculum study abroad in a Latin American country for a portion of the spring semester of their senior year. During the semester abroad, the students complete Spanish credits in addition to any other outstanding required credits to earn their BS in Nutrition and Dietetics/Spanish degree while being immersed in this culture. This curriculum option enhances the graduates’ linguistic and cultural competence and better prepares them to serve the Hispanic population.

Another requirement of the DPD is to maintain memberships with the following professional organization:

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

• The student’s state affiliate (which is included in the Academy membership)
• North East Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NE PAND)
• Marywood University’s Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (SAND).

SAND provides students with opportunities to develop as professional leaders by involvement in community and on-campus nutrition activities. It is because of this, in addition to membership with SAND, all DPD students are required to attend two SAND meetings and actively participate in two SAND-sponsored events per semester.