Dietetics

Major

Why This Program & What You'll Learn

You'll find that one-on-one attention, mentoring with faculty who are industry pros and small class sizes are part of the supportive learning experience at CMU. With our coursework, you'll be rolling up your sleeves in fieldwork and developing a practical application of nutrition in areas from food service and medical nutrition to vulnerable community groups.

For example, you’ll make a community healthier with firsthand experiences, like leading CMU faculty and staff on tours at local grocery stores, teaching about healthy (and tasty!) food options, and understanding nutrition labels. Or perhaps you’ll develop a nutritional awareness program for local high school students, helping them raise the bar on their own eating habits.

You'll have an opportunity to make lasting connections with our student organization, the Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (SAND). This engaging group will help you build your network and deepen your knowledge through seminars, conferences and events.

When you complete this program, you'll receive a bachelor's degree and be issued a Verification Statement, indicating that all Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) degree requirements have been met. You are then eligible to apply for dietetic internships or the Future Education Graduate Model (FEM). Graduates who complete an accredited dietetic internship and a master's degree or FEM are eligible to write the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians. Nearly 70 percent of our dietetic students place into post-baccalaureate internships within the first year of graduation; the national average is 50 percent. Once you complete an internship, you'll be ready to complete your education for a master's degree in nutrition and dietetics (M.S.N.D.) which will be required starting in January 2024 to be eligible to take CDR's Registration Examination for Dietitians and become credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Our helpful dietetics advisors will guide you every step of the way.

Program Highlights

With the dietetics undergraduate program, you'll:

• Study a curriculum based on criteria from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Gain 30 hours of hands-on experience in the community, putting all of the knowledge and skills you have learned into practice — other programs rarely have this type of fieldwork embedded in their program.
• Have internship experiences (DI) that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND); the DI and a master's degree are needed (or FEM) for eligibility to take the Registered Dietitian exam.
• Receive personal attention and develop mentoring relationships with seven full-time faculty; class sizes average 35 students or less.