The program provides students with practice experiences that meet the American Dietetic Association's core Performance Requirements for entry-level practitioners. The program is committed to preparing entry-level dietitians with the scholarship and research skills consistent with a graduate degree. The University is committed to providing a Program, which fosters creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills, and which enables students to pursue individual interests supportive of their professional goals. Students must accumulate a minimum of 37 semester hours of coursework and research, which includes completion of a thesis. In addition to nutrition courses, students choose at least 9 semester hours in a supporting area including exercise physiology, nutrition education, nutrition counseling, business, chemistry, biology, communications or gerontology.
Students begin their supervised practice experiences in the summer of their second year.
The ideal candidate would graduate in December to be ready for internshp placement in May, though May graduates will be considered. Interested students are encouraged to apply in the fall. They are required to participate in computer matching only if they are applying for more than one internship. The supervised practice program offers interns a wide variety of learning experiences and shows the prospective dietitian many options for career choices. The interns will complete an initial basic skills training period and then rotate through 13-15 sites and work with over 40 dietitians.