Bachelor of Science in Dietetics
The Bachelor of Science in Dietetics provides individuals the didactic requirements needed to complete a Dietetic Internship and then be eligible to take the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) exam. The Bachelor of Science in Dietetics mission statement is to guide the future of dietetics in Alaska by preparing students for supervised practice. To be successful in their field, RDNs need a strong science foundation along with courses in management, clinical and community nutrition, food science, communication, counseling, therapeutic nutrition, and nutrition for the lifespan. This degree has been designed in accordance with the accreditation standards from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. There is a competitive application process for admissions to the Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. Please contact the Dietetics and Nutrition Program for application information.
The Dietetics and Nutrition (DN) course requirements are online courses to facilitate access to the BS in Dietetics degree statewide. Some courses require students to complete practicums with RDNs in their communities. If practicums are located in health care settings, fingerprinting and criminal background checks will be required and paid for by the student.
Expenses beyond tuition generally include, but are not limited to, activity fees, lab fees, student organization membership, immunizations, fingerprinting and criminal background checks for practicums, cost of Serv Safe certification and food/supplies for some DN courses.
Admission Requirements
Satisfy the Application and Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Programs.
Students who apply to the baccalaureate dietetics program are admitted first as dietetics pre-majors. To be admitted as a pre-major, students must:
- Complete WRTG A111 or WRTG A1W with a grade of C or better.
- Complete MATH A105 or higher level math course with a grade of C or better.
- Complete at least 3 credits of college chemistry (may be CHEM A055) with a grade of C or better.
- Complete at least 12 credits of college coursework.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50.
- Attend a group advising session for pre-dietetics majors.
Admission as a pre-major does not guarantee admission to the dietetics program. There is limited capacity in the program. Students may apply for admission to the full dietetics major (didactic program in dietetics, or DPD) in the spring semester in which they are completing the final prerequisites for the full major (see No. 4 below). The application deadline for the DPD is February 15. The application form and full requirements can be found on the UAA dietetics program website. Applicants transferring credit from another institution should apply to UAA no later than November 1 prior to spring application to the dietetics program to allow sufficient time for application processing and transcript evaluation. Spring enrollment in another institution may postpone transcript evaluation and therefore affect program acceptance.
The requirements for application to the full dietetics major are:
- Satisfy the Application and Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Programs.
- Schedule an advising session with a dietetics and nutrition program advisor regarding application and program admission requirements prior to application. For an advising appointment, call 786-1276.
- Submit a DPD admissions application (found on the dietetics program website).
- Complete the following courses with a minimum grade of C and an overall GPA of 3.00*. BIOL, CHEM and DN courses (or a higher level course in similar subject matter as approved by the DPD director) must have been completed within the past 10 years:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL A111 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL A112 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOL A240 | Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences | 4 |
| CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM A106 & A106L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| DN A100 | The Profession of Dietetics | 1 |
| DN A203 | Nutrition for Health Sciences | 3 |
| MATH A151 | College Algebra for Calculus (or higher level math course) | 4 |
| Humanities GER (language is recommended) | 6 | |
| Oral Communication GER | 3 | |
| PSY A111 | General Psychology | 3 |
| or SOC A101 | Introduction to Sociology | |
| Written Communication GER | 6 | |
| At least 6 additional credits of required Dietetics and Nutrition (DN) coursework in residence at UAA (see Major Requirements). | 6 | |
| * | Conditional acceptance to the program can be granted if the students are in the process of taking any of the prerequisite courses during the spring semester. Students will need to provide official proof of course completion with a minimum grade of C prior to starting the program. |
Students admitted to the full dietetics major are granted conditional acceptance to the UAA Graduate Certificate in Dietetic Internship.
Advising
- Call the dietetics and nutrition program at (907) 786-1276 for an appointment with a dietetics and nutrition program advisor to plan a personal program of study.
- Contact Testing Center (786-4500) to take a UAA-approved placement test of mathematics, reading and writing skills. Place a copy of the results in the department portfolio. SAT, ACT and other post-secondary transcripts may also be submitted to the department. These records will be used for advising only.
- All students in the BS in Dietetics program are required to participate in a dietetics advising session a minimum of one time per year.
Academic Requirements
In order to progress within the DPD, students must earn a grade of C or higher in each required course and maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher in all required courses.
Graduation Requirements
- Satisfy the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the major requirements listed below.
- Meet the following GPA requirements:
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 in major requirements.
- A grade of C or higher in all courses that count toward the major.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Support Courses * | ||
| BIOL A111 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL A112 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOL A108 | Principles and Methods in Biology | 6 |
| CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM A106 & A106L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| ECON A201 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| WRTG A111 | Writing Across Contexts | 3 |
WRTG A1W | Written Communication GER | |
| WRTG A212 | Writing and the Professions | 3 |
| or WRTG A213 | Writing and the Sciences | |
| Fine Arts GER | 3 | |
| Humanities GERs (language recommended) | 6 | |
| MATH A151 | College Algebra for Calculus (or any course for which MATH A151 is a prerequisite) | 4 |
| Oral Communication GER | 3 | |
| PSY A111 | General Psychology | 3 |
| or SOC A101 | Introduction to Sociology | |
| STAT A252 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| Core Courses | ||
| ACCT A101 | Principles of Financial Accounting I | 3 |
| BIOL A240 | Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences | 4 |
| CHEM A321 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM A441 | Principles of Biochemistry I * | 3 |
| DN A100 | The Profession of Dietetics | 1 |
| DN A151 | Nutrition Through the Life Cycle | 3 |
| DN A155 | Survey of Alaska Native Nutrition | 3 |
| DN A203 | Nutrition for Health Sciences | 3 |
| DN A255 | Concepts of Healthy Food | 3 |
| DN A260 | Food Science | 3 |
| DN A301 | Nutrition Assessment | 3 |
| DN A312 | Nutrition Communication and Counseling | 3 |
| DN A315 | World Food Patterns | 3 |
| DN A350 | Foodservice Systems and Quantity Foods | 3 |
| DN A401 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| DN A402 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
| DN A415 | Community Nutrition * | 3 |
| DN A430 | Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics | 3 |
| DN A450 | Dietetic Management | 3 |
| DN A475 | Advanced Nutrition | 3 |
| DN A492 | Senior Seminar in Dietetics | 1 |
| Electives | 8 | |
| * | Courses may be used to satisfy General Education Requirements. |
A minimum of 120 credits is required for this degree, of which a minimum of 42 credits must be upper division.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Assess the nutritional needs of individuals, populations and diverse cultures, including infants, children, adolescents, adults, pregnant/lactating females and the elderly.
- Utilize the nutrition care process to make decisions, identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions, including medical nutrition therapy, disease prevention and health promotion.
- Develop communication skills appropriate for entry-level jobs in nutrition and dietetics.
- Integrate principles of research methodology, interpretation of literature and integration of research principles into evidence-based practice.
- Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
- Demonstrate counseling techniques to facilitate behavior change.