Nutrition and Dietetics, B.S.

Where Can I Work?

A degree in nutrition and dietetics prepares you for careers in various settings, including:

• community nutrition
• hospitals
• long-term care facilities
• sports nutrition counseling
• fitness and wellness centers
• schools, colleges and universities
• food service management
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs and other public health agencies
• health programs in developing countries with organizations such as the Peace Corps
• specialized patient care, such as pediatrics
• rehabilitation centers
• private practice
• nutrition research laboratories

Immaculata University’s Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL, 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400.

Our program emphasizes cultural competence throughout the curriculum, and offers specialized courses in:

• Medical nutrition therapy
• Nutrition education and counseling
• Community nutrition
• Research
• Food service management

The program also requires a minimum of 150 hours of experiential learning, covering a variety of supervised experiences in clinical, community and food service nutrition. Instructors will help guide you as you find placements to complete these hours. This experiential learning enables you to apply your knowledge, understand the day-to-day profession of the registered dietitian nutritionist, and prepare for a dietetic internship after finishing your undergraduate program.

In addition, the Student Dietetic Association offers activities and opportunities to socialize and build professional and leadership skills.

You may continue your education in Immaculata’s Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition.

IU’s 3+2-year B.S. and M.S. allows you to earn your bachelor’s in just three years and apply to IU’s M.S. in Clinical Nutrition with Dietetic Internship, which provides the academic preparation and supervised practice necessary to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). To qualify for the 3+2 program option, you must fulfill the admission requirements and:

• Have a minimum 3.25 cumulative high school GPA
• Write an essay describing your interest in a career in nutrition
• Interview with the program director
• Transfer students may apply to this accelerated program and must complete at least two years of undergraduate coursework prior to entering the M.S. in Clinical Nutrition. Admissions staff will provide a transcript review to determine whether transfer students can complete the program in an accelerated fashion. 

Once admitted to the accelerated program, you will take three years of undergraduate classes year-round that will provide you with the foundational knowledge to be successful in the graduate program. During your undergraduate studies, you must meet academic standards for progression in the program by maintaining the required 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.2 in DPD courses (on a 4.0 scale).

During the fall of your third year, you will apply to the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition program, either for preferred early admission into the dietetic internship program or the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition without the dietetic internship. You will pay graduate tuition at the master's level for the M.S. program and may apply for graduate financial aid. 

If you are unable to meet the requirements for the 3+2 program, you may continue in the four-year nutrition program and apply to the M.S. in your senior year.

Program Completion Requirements

You must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.6 and earn a minimum grade of B- in all FNU courses to graduate and receive the Verification Statement. This document is required to apply for a dietetic internship or to be eligible to take the exam to be a Registered Dietetics Technician.

If you transfer to Immaculata, you must take a minimum of 12 credits at IU to complete the Didactic Program in Dietetics and receive the Verification Statement.

If you meet the minimum GPA but have less than a B- in any FNU course(s), you must repeat the course(s) before graduation and earn at least the minimum grade requirement to receive a Verification Statement. If you do not meet the program minimum and/or overall GPA requirement, you may still graduate but will not earn a Verification Statement.

Graduation (Degree) Requirements

All undergraduate students must meet both the institutional degree requirements outlined in the university’s Undergraduate Catalog in the “Academic Life” section, under the subheading “Degree Requirements” and the requirements specific to a given major/program.

As described in the catalog, to complete a baccalaureate degree at Immaculata University, candidates must:

• fulfill the general (major and core) curriculum requirements of the college (including ethics and writing intensive requirements);
• earn a minimum of 126 credit hours if a student in the College of Adult Professional Studies and 128 credit hours if a student in the College of Undergraduate Studies, with a minimum GPA of 2.00 (C).
• if enrolled in the College of Undergraduate Studies, complete a First Year Seminar (FYS) course and two contact hours in physical education;
• meet the departmental requirements appropriate for the concentration program chosen.

Additional Fees

The DPD program fees listed below are estimated, and additional fees are possible.

• Text and resource materials (~ $200 per course)
• Department fees
  • Food Science Laboratory and supplies fee (~$70 per lab course)
  • Practicum fee for FNU 359 and FNU 370 ($55 for both courses)
• Medical insurance

Additional required documentation fees are possible and may include child abuse clearance screening, flu shot, criminal background check and drug testing.

The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at Immaculata University is to provide educational excellence that prepares graduates for supervised practice, leading them to be eligible for the CDR credentialing exam to become registered dietitian nutritionists. The Didactic Program also strives to promote a lifelong appreciation for the attributes of a liberal arts education beyond graduation, encompassing ethical integrity, service, justice, and peace.

To accomplish this mission, the DPD program has the following goals:

Goal 1 – Graduates will be well prepared in the field of nutrition and dietetics, demonstrating logical and critical thought, independent study, and integration of knowledge.

• Objective 1.1: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 6 years (150%) of the program length.
• Objective 1.2: Graduates who respond to the post-program completion survey will rank program satisfaction as a minimum overall mean score of 4.0 out of 5.0.
• Objective 1.3: 80% of supervised practice program directors will indicate overall satisfaction with graduate’s preparation for supervised practice.

Goal 2 – Graduates who successfully complete the DPD program will be eligible for supervised practice, graduate school, or employment.

• Objective 2.1: At least 70% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
• Objective 2.2: Of program graduates who apply to a supervised practice program, at least 70% are admitted within 12 months of graduation.
• Objective 2.3: The programs one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
• Objective 2.4: Graduates who respond to the post-program completion survey will indicate that the program promoted mastery of subject material to prepare them for employment as a minimum overall mean score of 4.0 our of 5.0.

Goal 3 – Graduates will be prepared to communicate ideas effectively in a multicultural society, while respecting diversity, exhibiting personal integrity, and displaying ethical conduct.

• Objective 3.1: Graduates who respond to the post-program completion survey will rank preparedness to work professionally and communicate within a multicultural society as a minimum overall mean score of 4.0 out of 5.0.
• Objective 3.2: Graduates who respond to the post-program completion survey will rank overall coursework relating to professional growth as a minimum overall mean score of 4.0 out of 5.0.