Curriculum

Here's what you'll study

The Doctorate in Nutrition and Dietetics (DND) provides a strong, academic foundation in nutrition and dietetics to allow you to meet the challenges of a rapidly developing and changing profession. This three-year, full-time, entry-level coordinated program includes 90 credit hours of graduate work and 1,288 hours of clinical rotations in a wide range of inpatient and outpatient settings. 

The supervised practice component will prepare you to translate this knowledge into the provision of healthy, attractive food required for health and healing, patient care in the community and tertiary care hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation facilities, workplace wellness, and community nutrition services.

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Successful candidates for the degree are required to meet grade requirements and demonstrate entry-level competency in the supervised practice component of the degree. As a graduate of the DND program, you'll receive verification to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

DND curriculum

To complete this degree, you will take 90 credit hours of graduate work and complete 1,288 clock hours of clinical rotations. The specific distribution of courses by academic session is as follows:

Semester 1 (Fall) | 15 credit hours

  • PBHL-H 501 U.S. Health Care Systems and Health Policy (3 credits)
  • BIOL 55600 Physiology I (3 credits)
  • BIOC-B 500 Introductory Biochemistry (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 600 Legal and Ethical Issues in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)
  • PBHL-B 551 Biostatistics for Public Health I (3 credits)

Semester 2 (Spring) | 16 credit hours

  • BIOL 55700 Physiology II (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 670 Nutrition in Pregnancy & Lactation (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 674 Pediatric Nutrition (3 credits)
  • EDU-C 750 Learning and Teaching (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 642 Nutrition Education Experience (1 credit)
  • NTRD-N 650 Food Science (3 credits)

Semester 3 (Summer) | 9 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 652 Menu Planning for Culturally Diverse Populations (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 640 U.S. Public Health Nutrition (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 655 U.S. Food Market Place (3 credits)

Semester 4 (Fall) | 15 credit hours

  • MPAS-M 818 Principles of Medical Pharmacology for Physician Assistants (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 508 Managing Health Care Accounting Information for Decision Making (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 663 Evidence-Based Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 751 Human Nutrient Metabolism I (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 750 Vitamins Minerals and Accessory Nutrients (3 credits)

Semester 5 (Spring) | 15 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 752 Human Nutrient Metabolism II (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 509 Health Services Financial Management (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 753 Nutrition and the Microbiome (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 760 Personalized Adult Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 507 Management of Individual and Group Behavior (3 credits)

Semester 6 (Summer) | 9 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 765 Advanced Pediatric Nutrition (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 740 Nutrition Counseling Techniques (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 762 Personalized Adult Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3 credits)

Semester 7 (Fall) | 14 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 745 Experiential Nutrition Education (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 801 Seminar in Nutrition & Dietetics (1 credit)
  • NTRD-N 850 Process Improvement Proposal (3 credits)
  • NTRD-N 890 Supervised Practice (7 credits/512 hours)

Semester 8 (Spring) | 12 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 855 Process Improvement Project (4 credits)
  • NTRD-N 890 Supervised Practice (8 credits/576 hours)

Semester 9 (Summer) | 3 credit hours

  • NTRD-N 855 continues
  • NTRD-N 890 Supervised Practice Concentration Capstone (3 credits/200 hours)