Didactic Program in Dietetics | Programs | Health Professions Mission

Program Profile: Didactic Program in Dietetics

Program Description

Name of program: Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) (B.S. Program in Dietetics)

Program Overview: Idaho State University offers the only approved Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) in the state. Practical experiences are incorporated in both lecture and laboratory courses in medical nutrition therapy, foodservice systems management and community nutrition.

There are currently sixteen seats awarded annually in the DPD. Students are typically admitted to the professional component of the program at the beginning of their junior year. Requirements for application to the DPD include: 1) 3.0 accumulative grade-point-average or above, 2) completion of the majority of the ISU General Education Requirements, 3) completion with a C or higher of several basic science, food, nutrition and English classes.

Declared pre-dietetic and intent to major dietetic students may continue to take most upper division dietetics classes, once prerequisites have been met, without being accepted into the program (with the exception of Medical Nutrition Therapy.) A student must, however, be accepted into the program and complete all of the required classes (including MNT) in order to receive a B.S. in Dietetics and a Verification Statement needed for admittance to a dietetic internship. Upon successful completion of a dietetic internship, the student will be verified as eligible to take the registration examination through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR). In addition, licensure or certification is required for practice in most states.

Accreditation

Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), 120 South Riverside Plaza Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (800) 877-1600.

Program Highlights

The DPD integrates practical experience in food service management, medical nutrition therapy, and community nutrition along with traditional pedagogy, which is atypical to most DPDs. Graduates, preceptors and faculty agree that practical experience in the undergraduate program improves skills and competence giving our graduates an edge in applying for dietetic internships. Approximately 75% of DPD graduates apply for internships with 90% being accepted. Once the internship is completed the graduate is eligible to take the National Registration Examination.

About the Profession

Successful completion of a DPD and a Dietetic Internship are necessary for taking the national registration exam. Upon passing the exam the graduate becomes a registered dietitian and can seek an entry-level position. Career opportunities include working in hospitals, outpatient settings and acute care facilities providing medical nutrition therapy. Institutional foodservice management offers opportunities in schools, healthcare facilities, business and industry, corrections and hospitality. Community nutrition opportunities include working in health departments and corporate wellness programs. State and national government agencies hire dietitians in many capacities such as conducting and analyzing results of national food consumption surveys.

Approximately 50% of Registered Dietitians have their master�s degree. Options are numerous (e.g. Nutrition Education, Public Health, Health Education, Food Science). Some graduates use their B.S. in Dietetics to enter graduate programs in other health disciplines such as Physical Therapy, Physician�s Assistant, and Medical School.

Potential Salary: $17.00/hour - $25.00/hour entry level

Faculty

3 full-time faculty, 10 clinical faculty and 10 clinical sites.

Laura McKnight, MPH, RD, LD began teaching at ISU in 1994 and is the DPD Director. Her areas of teaching include food service systems management, community nutrition, meal management and introductory food science. Service learning is a major component in all of her classes. Her research interests involve dietetic education and the role of dietitians in food service management and hunger issues. She has received the Idaho Conference on Health Care Award, a research grant from the Foodservice Management Educators Council, several academic scholarships and local recognition for student service learning. She is a doctoral candidate at Kansas State University.

Cynthia Blanton, PhD, RD began teaching at ISU fall 2007. She worked for 5 years as a research nutritionist for the USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center located at the University of California, Davis and worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Wyoming prior to coming to Idaho. Her research interests include the effect of weightlessness on bone health, the importance of iron status in cognition, the neurochemical control of food intake and the assessment of diet and physical activity. Her areas of teaching include nutritional biochemistry, experimental foods and general nutrition.

Andrea Grim, MS, RD began teaching at ISU fall 2007. She is the Dietetic Internship Director and Coordinator of the Pocatello Dietetic Internship Site. Prior to coming to ISU she taught for 6 years at a college in California, worked as a bariatric dietitian for 3 years and as critical care dietitian at the University Medical Center for 6 years. She has given numerous media interviews for television and radio programs in California. Her teaching areas are Medical Nutrition Therapy and general nutrition.

Class Size

Fixed Seats: Yes

Number of students in entering class: 16

Total number of students enrolled in program: 25

Length of Program

Number of academic years needed to complete the program: 2

Locations

Locations offered: Pocatello

Program offered fully online? No

Program delivered through distance presentation? No

Prerequisites

Required Degree: No

Other Prerequisites: Students seeking admission into the DPD should meet with a dietetic faculty advisor at least once per year and follow the suggested sequence of courses as outlined on the program website

Prerequisite courses include several hard and soft science courses (biology, chemistry, microbiology, psychology, sociology, economics), college algebra, introductory food science, meal management, medical terminology and nutrition along with the university general courses for a Bachelor of Science degree.

Costs

Tuition: Annual tuition set by University for residents or non-residents.

Professional fees: $50.00 fee per lab course (7 required lab courses); $49 per year student membership to the American Dietetic Association.

Equipment: None

Books: $400-$600 per year

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarship Deadline: Contact the Scholarship Office for more information.

Financial Aid Deadline: Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Other Information: Students who are members of the American Dietetic Association are eligible to apply for national scholarships. Deadline is in January for the following academic year. Students who are members of Phi Upsilon Omicron National Honor Society are eligible for both national scholarships and a local scholarship (Jeanette Rowe Memorial Scholarship). Check with Phi U officers or advisors for date and application information.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Mid-February of each year. See American Dietetic Association website for specific date.

Program Start Date: Fall semester

Other Information: Apply