Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Dietetics
Location: Gunter 2280
Telephone: 970.351.2755
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/nutrition-dietetics
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
This program is designed for the undergraduate who would like to pursue dietetic registration and/or licensure in several states. The Dietetics major offers a wide range of studies related to foods and nutrition applicable in several health care settings in the community and health care organizations as well as for food service in public, government, and private organizations. The focus of the Bachelor of Science degree is to prepare graduates for dietetic internships and graduate school, and entry-level practice. Physiological, biochemical, and behavioral sciences provide the foundation for study. Social, environmental, cultural and psychological factors affecting food accessibility and dietary intake related to health care are covered. Students also develop human relationship skills and expertise in addressing nutritional needs throughout the life cycle.
The undergraduate Dietetics Program 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 2190, Chicago, IL 60606 (800-877-1600, ext 5400), as a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Following successful completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, a Verification Statement will be issued to each student which is needed to continue onto the next step in dietetic registration. At the senior level (4th year), students are eligible to apply for ACEND accredited dietetic internships or combined master of science and accredited dietetic internship programs. With successful completion of the B.S. Dietetics degree or Didactic Dietetics Education Certificate program at UNC and completion of an ACEND accredited internship, along with a minimum of a master’s-level degree, the graduate is eligible to take the registration exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Licensure to practice can also be obtained after becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist per state guidelines (Note: Not all states require Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to be licensed).
The steps to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist are:
- Complete a bachelor’s degree and receive a Verification Statement from an ACEND accredited program.
- Effective January 1, 2024, a graduate degree will also be required to be eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration dietetic registration exam.
- Complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice dietetic internship program. Supervised practice/experiential learning is combined with Coordinated Programs, Future Graduate Programs, and International Dietitian Education Programs.
- Pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s dietetic registration exam.
- Gain licensure in your state of practice, if applicable.
- Maintain continuing education.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing.
The Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition and Dietetics also offers an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship, a Master of Science in Dietetics combined with the Dietetic Internship, and a stand-alone Master of Science in Dietetics. Application for these programs is separate from the Dietetics B.S. program.
NOTE: Beginning January 1, 2024, the degree requirement for dietitian registration eligibility will be a master's degree.
Program Requirements:
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and grades of C or better (C- is not acceptable) in all degree required courses to earn a Verification Statement making them eligible to apply for the accredited dietetic internship programs as the next step toward achieving dietetic registration upon completion of their Dietetics B.S. degree. If a student does not have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, then students should have a 3.0 in DPD coursework or the last 60 credits to earn a Verification Statement.
For students who already hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, a second degree is not required to become eligible to apply for supervised practice on a path to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. If a student does not wish to earn a degree in Dietetics, then enrolling in the Didactic Dietetics Education Certificate Program is appropriate. Students who earn the certificate will also receive a Verification Statement. The certificate does not take the place of the Verification Statement and may not be used for employment or practice purposes. It should be noted that students enrolled in a certificate program only are not eligible for financial aid.
Students may not earn B.S. degrees in both Nutrition and Dietetics from UNC.
Students who earn a B.S. degree in Nutrition or Dietetics cannot minor in Nutrition.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 75 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
SCI 291 is recommended to fulfill Intermediate Writing Course requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
STAT 150 is recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
PSY 120 is recommended to fulfill Social & Behavior Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
BIO 110, CHEM 111, CHEM 111L, and FND 250 are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 75 credits
Take all of the following courses:
| BAMG 350 | Management and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| BAMK 360 | Marketing | 3 |
| BIO 110 | Biology: Atoms to CellsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| BIO 245 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| | |
| BIO 251 | Allied Health Microbiology | 4 |
| or | |
| BIO 351 | Microbiology | 4 |
| | |
| CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry ILAS1 | 4 |
| CHEM 111L | Principles of Chemistry I LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| CHEM 231 | Principles of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 381 | Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 381L | Principles of Biochemistry Lab | 1 |
| FND 210 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| FND 250 | Principles of NutritionLAS1 | 3 |
| FND 252 | Nutrition in the Life Cycle | 3 |
| FND 310 | Introduction to Foods | 2 |
| FND 310L | Introduction to Foods Laboratory | 2 |
| FND 320 | Nutrition Applications in Foodservice | 2 |
| FND 320L | Nutrition Applications in Foodservice Laboratory | 1 |
| FND 370 | Nutrition Education and Application Strategies | 3 |
| FND 410 | Professional Development Seminar | 2 |
| FND 430 | Nutrition Assessment and Intervention | 2 |
| FND 430L | Nutrition Assessment and Intervention Laboratory | 1 |
| FND 431 | Medical Nutrition Intervention | 2 |
| FND 431L | Medical Nutrition Intervention Laboratory | 1 |
| FND 446 | Foodservice Systems Management | 3 |
| FND 446L | Foodservice Systems Management Laboratory | 1 |
| FND 451 | Advanced Nutrition | 3 |
| FND 452 | Community Nutrition | 3 |
| PSY 120 | Principles of PsychologyLAB3 | 3 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
3. University-Wide Credits — 14-30 credits
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program that will typically be 14-30 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Program Notes
In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major, minor, or licensure requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.