nutrition and dietetics handbook
summer 2016
Welcome to Nutrition and Dietetics at Louisiana Tech University! This Handbook is designed to provide basic information and answer questions you may have about the undergraduate degree program.
The Undergraduate Degree Program in Nutrition and Dietetics
The undergraduate program at Louisiana Tech University is a generalist program with two concentration options. The Registered Dietitian (RD) concentration prepares students for clinical dietetics, community dietetics, and food service management. After successfully completing the undergraduate RD concentration program, a dietetic internship and the Registration Examination for Dietitians, graduates are prepared to assume professional positions in health care facilities such as hospitals; community positions in health centers like public health departments and wellness centers; and management positions in food service.
The non-RD concentration is for students who do not wish to pursue the RD credential and allows students to select an approved minor in an area that supports their career interests such as family and child studies, gerontology, kinesiology, business, entrepreneurship, journalism, and psychology. Career options in the non-RD concentration include working in the foods industry, food systems management, pharmaceutical sales, food journalism, and community and extension nutrition programs.
The BS program in Nutrition and Dietetics RD concentration is an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). The program is designed to allow students to meet the Foundation Knowledge Requirements and Learning Outcomes established by ACEND. The Foundation Knowledge Requirements are listed, beginning on page 6 of this Handbook. In addition to meeting the ACEND Foundation Knowledge Requirements, the BS degree is designed to provide a broad general education, with required courses in Fine Arts, English Composition, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. The BS program in Nutrition and Dietetics at Louisiana Tech University is a 120-hour curriculum, usually completed in four years. While a minor is not required for the RD concentration, students may obtain a minor by completing 18-21 hours in a specified field of study. Some of the more commonly chosen minors are Spanish, Psychology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Family and Child Studies, and Health Education/Kinesiology. Requirements for minors are described in the University Catalog. A minor is a requirement for the BS program non-RD concentration.
In order to receive a BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Louisiana Tech University, students must receive a grade of “C” or better in each course that is required in the curriculum. To receive the ACEND verification statement of DPD completion, graduates must complete the RD concentration coursework and earn a grade of “C” or better in each course that is required in the curriculum, and they also must have an overall curriculum GPA of 2.85 or better. The curriculum GPA is not necessarily the same as the cumulative GPA that is posted on students’ transcripts. The curriculum GPA includes only those courses listed on the Nutrition and Dietetics Curriculum Sheet (refer to page 15 in this Handbook). Students will be allowed to repeat curriculum classes to earn higher grades; however, both grades will be counted in the calculation of the curriculum GPA. The curriculum GPA is determined by dividing the total quality points earned in curriculum courses by the total number of hours of curriculum courses attempted. The curriculum GPA is calculated at the end of each quarter by the Secretary for Dietetics Programs and is posted in the students’ academic folders. Students can check their curriculum GPA at any time by contacting the Secretary for Dietetics Programs or their Academic Advisor. There is no additional cost associated with the verification statement.
Students who complete the non-RD concentration do not receive the ACEND verification statement. The non-RD concentration requires students to complete a minor in an area that supports their career goals. Students may need to confer with the minor department for requirements and to see if substitutions are possible to complete the minor in the event of conflicts. If there is no way for the student to complete the official minor, a substitute course from the same area at the same level will be considered by the DPD Director and Associate Dean. Students who are not awarded the ACEND verification statement are not eligible to apply for dietetic internships or ISPPs, and thus, will not be able to take the examination to become a registered dietitian. If Louisiana Tech Nutrition and Dietetics graduates in the non-RD concentration desire to obtain the ACEND verification statement at a later date, the following items are required: 1. Minimum curriculum GPA of 2.85, 2. MNT coursework series completed (FNU 414, 423, 443, 463), and 3. All Upper Division coursework completed within the last 5 years.
Becoming a Registered Dietitian
Louisiana Tech’s Nutrition and Dietetics degree—RD concentration serves to prepare individuals to be Registered Dietitians (RDs). Registered dietitians work in foodservice management positions in hospitals and other health care facilities, school systems, universities, and private corporations. They work in clinical settings in hospitals and long term care facilities, and in out-patient settings like dialysis centers, diabetes treatment centers and cardiac rehabilitation centers. Registered dietitians also work in community settings such as public health departments, weight loss clinics, physicians’ offices and private practice.
The route to becoming a registered dietitian is a three-step process:
1. Complete a baccalaureate degree from a didactic program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and receive an ACEND verification statement of completion;
2. Complete a post-baccalaureate ACEND-accredited dietetic internship or individualized supervised practice pathway (ISPP) and receive the ACEND verification statement of completion;
3. Pass the National Examination for Dietitians, administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
The RD concentration undergraduate program at Louisiana Tech University will allow you to complete the first step in that three-step process. The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312-899-0040, or 800-877-1600, Ext 5400, www.eatright.org/ACEND), an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. After you receive the BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, you will still need to apply for, be admitted to, and complete an accredited dietetic internship. Louisiana Tech University also offers a Dietetic Internship (DI). However, students completing the DPD at Tech are not guaranteed admission into the DI. Though Louisiana Tech graduates are given extra points in the selection process, they must compete for a position, along with all other applicants. Only after you have completed an accredited internship or ISPP will you be eligible to take the RD exam.
Admission to accredited dietetic internships is highly competitive. Nationwide, 50% of those who applied to dietetic internships in 2015 were accepted. Among Louisiana Tech graduates, the admission rate was higher with 82% of Tech students who applied for internships accepted in 2016.
In order to practice Nutrition and Dietetics in the state of Louisiana, as well as in most other states, you must be a Registered Dietitian (RD), and you must be licensed. State licensure laws protect the titles “dietitian” and “nutritionist”. You cannot call yourself a dietitian or nutritionist and you cannot practice the profession, even if you have a degree in dietetics, unless you are a registered dietitian. The Louisiana Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition (LBEDN, www.lbedn.org) licenses registered dietitians in the state.
Nutrition and Dietetics as a Second Bachelor’s Degree
Students who have previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in another field may choose to enroll in the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Louisiana Tech University in order to receive an ACEND verification statement. These students will be awarded the verification statement if they complete all of the courses required for a BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics RD concentration with a grade of “C” or better and earn a curriculum GPA of at least 2.85. Transcripts from previous degrees will be reviewed by the DPD Director and the Associate Dean in the College of Applied and Natural Sciences to determine whether previous coursework satisfies any of the degree requirements. Students earning the second degree must complete all upper division food and nutrition courses at Louisiana Tech University in order to be eligible for the verification statement. Students wishing to earn a second Bachelor’s degree in addition to the verification statement must meet the University requirements of earning at least 30 hours from Louisiana Tech University.
Recency of Education
In order to receive an ACEND verification statement documenting completion of the ACEND Foundation Knowledge Requirements and Learning Outcomes, all course work meeting upper division (300 and 400 level) food and nutrition course requirements must be completed within five years of receiving the verification statement. Students wishing to earn a verification statement will be required to retake any 300 and 400 level food and nutrition course that is more than five years old.
Nutrition and Dietetics Programs at Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University offers three Nutrition and Dietetics programs. These programs include:
1. An undergraduate didactic program in dietetics, an ACEND-accredited Bachelor of Science degree program.
2. A post-baccalaureate dietetic internship that is also ACEND-accredited. The dietetic internship includes a graduate certificate program in Dietetics.
3. A graduate program in dietetics that leads to the Master of Science degree.
While many students will complete all three programs at Tech, students completing the undergraduate program are not guaranteed entry into the Louisiana Tech University dietetic internship. Each program operates autonomously. Students must apply for and be admitted to the dietetic internship and the graduate program after completing the DPD.
Philosophy of Dietetic Education at Tech
Dietetic education should provide opportunities for students to grow in their knowledge of the profession and to consider current societal issues affecting the profession, along with trends that are likely to affect it in the future. Critical thinking and personal commitment to the profession are enhanced by knowledge and understanding of basic concepts in dietetics.
Undergraduate education in dietetics should provide a broad intellectual experience on which graduates can base practice in the profession. Such a background will contribute to a professional who is capable of problem solving, appreciates and responds to the positions and views of other people, and has a broad frame of reference within which to set goals and interpret issues.
The dietetic internship should provide “real world” professional experiences in an environment that is constructive and supportive. It should enable students to apply theoretical learning; to reconcile ideal practice with existing circumstances in a variety of settings; and to interact as a professional with other professionals, support personnel and clients. Such experiences will contribute to effective entry-level practice.
Graduate dietetic education should provide opportunities that enable students to expand their knowledge, to develop specialized expertise, and to engage in research. Such experiences can enhance advanced-level dietetic practice and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the profession.
Program requirements should be sufficiently flexible to allow students to explore related areas of interest while mastering knowledge and performance requirements. Learning experiences in which both intellect and imagination are stimulated, challenged and allowed to flourish can contribute to creative and effective functioning in a changing environment and can be pleasant and rewarding for both faculty and students.
Efficient and effective operation is an important component of successful programs and is enhanced by integration of the various facets of the programs into a cohesive total system. Optimal learning environments in the Louisiana Tech dietetics programs are facilitated by coordination between and among the didactic courses and between didactic learning and practice experiences.
Didactic Program Mission and Program Goals
The mission of the didactic program in dietetics is to prepare students to enhance the quality of life of individuals, families and consumers through education, research, and service in the areas of nutrition and food systems. The goals of the baccalaureate program are:
1. To prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes needed for successful performance in a dietetic internship, entry-level dietetics or related profession. (This goal will be evaluated using assessments of program completion rates, application and acceptance into dietetic internships, first-time pass rates on the national registration exam, and preparedness for DI performance from graduates’ DI directors.)
2. To prepare students with basic research skills to facilitate completion of a graduate degree and conduct outcomes-based research on the job. (This goal will be evaluated based on number of students pursuing graduate degrees, number of students presenting original research at local, state, and national professional meetings, and graduates understanding of outcomes-based research.)
3. To prepare students to provide service to the profession of dietetics and to the community. (This goal will be evaluated based on SDA service activities, and student participation in service activities for the profession and the community.)
Program outcomes data are available upon request.
ACEND Foundation Knowledge Requirements for Didactic Programs in Dietetics (2012)
Foundation learning is defined by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as follows: the knowledge required by students in clinical, biomedical and behavioral sciences to support the attainment of the competencies of dietetics practice (also “Knowledge”). Knowledge is defined by ACEND as the recall or recognition of specific facts procedural patterns, and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills. To successfully achieve the foundation knowledge, graduates must have demonstrated the ability to communicate and collaborate, solve problems, and apply critical thinking skills.
The following five emphasis areas are specified by ACEND as foundation knowledge requirements and for the didactic component of entry level dietetic education programs:
1. Scientific and Evidence Base of Practice: integration of scientific information and research into practice
KRD 1.1 The curriculum must reflect the scientific basis of the dietetics profession and must include research methodology, interpretation of research literature and integration of research principles into evidence-based practice.