Help Make Our World a Healthier Place: Pursue SC State’s Nutrition and Food Management Program
Are you interested in helping rid the world of chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cancer? Could your experience as a nutritionist major transform your love of cooking into a medical field career?
Through South Carolina State University’s Bachelor of Science in nutrition and food management degree, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the microbiology, processing, and chemistry of food. Your hands-on experiences—plus your classes on nutrition and food management topics—will prepare you to become a professional in careers as a dietitian, nutritionist, food scientist, public health nutritionist, sports nutritionist, and many more.
Our food and nutrition classes provide an appreciation for lifelong learning, developing effective problem-solving skills, and preparing for service to the community. You’ll learn to help people appreciate and develop a healthier diet, reducing the chronic health issues millions of people deal with every day.
Choose your option, choose your career
SC State’s food and nutritionist major offers two tracks. No matter which one you choose, our classes on nutrition feature experiential learning opportunities in community settings such as childcare centers, school and hospital food service kitchens, public health settings, and research and development organizations:
Nutrition option — Our nutrition degree is offered through the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). This option prepares students to be eligible to apply to an ACEND approved dietetic internship/master’s program. After completion, the student is eligible to take the national registration examination for dietitians of the Commission on Dietetic Registration to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN). Careers held by RDs and RDNs are available in healthcare, research and development, higher education, wellness and school food programs, entrepreneurship, and many others.
Food management option — Food management consists of a plethora of areas, from food harvesting and selection to the preparation and presentation of meals in food service settings. Although it is similar to the nutrition degree option and requires some of the same classes on nutrition, it does not satisfy the required courses necessary to become a RD or RDN. Food management program graduates hold job titles such as food service manager, food inspector, public health nutritionist, and many more.
More about the Nutrition Option
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). To be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS). For more information about this requirement visit the CDR’s website. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by ACEND.
- In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements visit https://www.cdrnet.org/LicensureMap.
- Licensure information for South Carolina can be found here: https://llr.sc.gov/diet
- For more information about becoming an RDN, visit https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/information-for-students
Important Program Information
Through South Carolina State University’s Bachelor of Science in nutrition and food
management degree, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the microbiology, processing,
and chemistry of food. Your hands-on experiences—plus your classes on nutrition and
food management topics—will prepare you to become a professional in careers as a dietitian,
nutritionist, food scientist, public health nutritionist, sports nutritionist, and
many more.
Our food and nutrition classes provide an appreciation for lifelong learning, developing effective problem-solving skills, and preparing for service to the community. You’ll learn to help people appreciate and develop a healthier lifestyle, reducing the chronic health issues millions of people deal with every day.
The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics is to prepare students for a supervised practice program leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian. The learning environment is structured to promote an appreciation for lifelong learning, effective problem-solving and for service to the community and profession. The education is congruent with standards of education enunciated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
To prepare graduates of the Didactic Program in Dietetics by emphasizing foundation
knowledge and competencies in nutrition and dietetics for the preparation of supervised
practice program leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become an
RDN.
Objectives:
1. At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 3 years (150% of the program length).
2. 50% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
3. 10% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
4. The program’s 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%.
5. 75% of the Dietetic Internship Directors’ responses to a program survey of satisfaction with graduates’ preparation for supervised practice will rate South Carolina State University’s DPD graduates a minimum of 2 on a 3-point scale where 1 = below average, 2 = average, and 3 = above average.
To prepare graduates with the Nutrition Option of the DPD to assume leadership roles
in professional and community organizations.
Objectives:
1. Over a five-year period, 30% of alumni will respond to surveys and will indicate that they participated in a leadership role in a professional organization.
2. Over a five-year period, 30% of alumni will respond to surveys and will indicate that they participated in a leadership role in community organizations.
The program’s outcome data is available upon request.
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) satisfies the undergraduate commitment to becoming a RD/RDN. After completion of the DPD competencies and maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or above graduates will earn a verification statement. This verification statement is used to apply to an accredited Supervised Practice Program, such as a Dietetic Internship or a Graduate Program in Dietetics.
The Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Services (DICAS) is a web-based application service that simplifies the dietetics application process
by allowing applicants to apply to multiple programs with one application. Viste the
DICAS Platform to search for and apply to dietetics programs (Dietetic Internship-DI
or Graduate Program in Dietetics-GP)
After completion of the accredited DI or GP graduates are eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) examination
for RD/RDNs.
After passing the CDR examination graduates may obtain licensure in South Carolina
at the South Carolina Labor Licensing and Regulation: http://llr.sc.gov/diet.
ESTIMATED PROGRAM EXPENSES
|
CATEGORY |
ESTIMATED COST |
|
SC Dietetic Association State Meeting |
$50.00 - $200.00 |
|
Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Student Membership |
$58.00 |
|
SC State University Dietetic Association Membership |
$20.00 |
|
South Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Student Membership |
$50.00 |
|
South Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Conference |
$100.00 - $200.00 |
|
Liability Insurance |
$60.00 |
|
Medical Exams |
$200 plus |
|
Drug Testing |
$25.00 |
|
Background Checks |
$60.00 |
|
Slip-Resistant Closed Toe Shoes |
$65.00 |
|
White Lab Coat |
$20.00 |
|
SC State University White Polo Shirt |
$32.00 |
|
Black Khaki Pants |
$25.00 - $75.00 |
|
Books |
$500.00 plus per semester |
|
Laptop |
$500.00-1500.00 |
|
Health Insurance |
(variable) |
DPD ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS TO UPPER DIVISION
Minimum requirements for admission into Upper Division of the Nutrition Option of DPD include: completion of the following courses: Chemistry 150, 151, 152, 153, 306, 307, Math 151, 155, 153, Biology 207, 217, 208, 218, FCS 101, NFM 102) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
An application must be submitted to the Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics one semester prior to starting the upper division course work; with no grade less than a “C” and a minimum curriculum GPA of 3.0 or higher. The curriculum GPA is not the same as the overall cumulative GPA posted on the student’s transcript. The curriculum GPA is calculated using only courses that are listed on the curriculum sheet or university approved substitutions for these courses. Students can contact their advisors at any time to check their curriculum GPA. (Note: Students can repeat classes in which they earn grades less than a “C” to earn a higher grade. However, both grades will be factored into the calculation of curriculum GPA.)
Application to Upper Division is made after the completion of the sophomore year, although students are able to apply during any semester in which they meet the eligibility requirements. A copy of the Upper Division application form is provided in Appendix A of this Handbook.
Persons seeking a verification statement from the DPD, must have completed a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or above. Graduates should apply to SCSU as a non-degree seeking student and have transcripts accessible for the DPD Director to determine necessary classes and competencies needed to complete DPD. Obtain and complete the application for the DPD from the Student Nutrition Handbook on the website. Submit the application to the DPD Director.
Graduation requirements include completion of all the courses in the Nutrition and Food Management curriculum, with a grade of “B” or better, completion of all KRDN competencies and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Students who meet these requirements will also be awarded the ACEND verification statement upon completion. The curriculum is 130 hours and is designed to be completed in four to six years. However, students who are not continually enrolled (except summer) will be required to complete the curriculum that is in place when they return. This may mean that some of the courses already completed will not count toward graduation requirements, or that the student may be required to complete additional courses not on the original curriculum.
All students completing the curriculum for the Nutrition of DPD are required to submit a professional portfolio as part oftheir graduation requirements. The portfolio assignment is introduced in NFM 410 and/or NFM 321. It must be submittedto the Program Director at the end of each semester.
Before starting classes, students should know how to: use email; attach files to an email; check email daily; download documents; use a word processing program; locate information online with a browser; understand which browser you use; and use Blackboard the university’s web-based course management system.
Program Highlights
Whether you’re interested in becoming a nutritionist major or preparing for a professional food management career, earning your degree from South Carolina State offers you many advantages, including the ability to:
Earn a uniquely respected, accredited degree
South Carolina State is the only historically black college or university (HBCU) in the state offering a nutrition program nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). ACEND is the accrediting agency for programs that prepare students to become registered dietitians, nutritionists, and dietetic technicians.
Learn from faculty who are seasoned professionals
All faculty who teach classes on nutrition and food management are registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), which means you’ll learn from registered professionals who are experts in their field and serve as student collaborators and mentors. You’ll gain tremendous insights from your classes on nutrition and food management.
Gain real-world skills and experience in the field
In addition to your food and nutrition classes, you’ll benefit from the skills and hands-on learning you’ll gain through field experiences. Some of your skills will be developed in our laboratories, while many will be developed at health care and food service facilities in the community.
