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 an ACEND-accredited dietetics internship (after completing a graduate degree or you are in the final semester) or you may choose to enroll in a Future Education Graduate Program (GP) or a Coordinated Program (CP). 

After earning your graduate degree and completing the dietetic internship, GP, or CP, you will be eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam to become a credentialed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

At CMU, after completing your Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) degree, you’ll be prepared to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.N.D.) and apply to our ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship (DI). Once successfully completing the DI, you will be eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) examination and become credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

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.
• Complete a dietetic internship (DI) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). To apply for a DI, DPD graduates must either complete a graduate degree or be in their final semester, or they may choose to enroll in a Future Education Graduate Program (GP). After earning your graduate degree and completing the dietetic internship or GP, you will be eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam to become a credentialed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
• Receive personal attention and develop mentoring relationships with seven full-time faculty; class sizes average 35 students or less.