Academic Programs Catalog

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Undergraduate Programs
Dietetics

The undergraduate program in dietetics has been approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as a Didactic Program that meets the minimum academic requirements for professionally qualified dietitians.

The undergraduate program in dietetics is designed so that supporting disciplines provide a knowledge base prerequisite to the professional courses. Course offerings are sequenced to build upon previous knowledge and provide increasingly complex experiences. The student is expected to acquire approximately equal expertise in nutritional assessment and care and in foodservice management systems.

Verification of successful completion of the ACEND-approved minimum academic requirements is the responsibility of the Dietetics Program Director in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Persons who wish to receive a final Verification Statement for the fulfillment of ACEND-approved minimum academic requirements from Michigan State University, but who have not completed a Bachelor of Science degree with a Dietetics major at Michigan State University, must complete a minimum of 10 credits in 300—400 level courses in dietetics at Michigan State University with a minimum grade of 2.0 or better in each course.

Eligibility for the registration examination for dietitians is determined by verification of successful completion of an ACEND-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics and one of the following supervised practice experiences: ACEND-approved Dietetic Internship, Coordinated Program, or Graduate Program. A master’s degree is required to be eligible for the registration examination. Dietetic registration, as administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, is a requirement of most positions for professional dietitians. Licensure is an additional requirement for dietitians practicing in certain states.

Admission as a Junior

Enrollment in the dietetics major is limited. The Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics is a professional degree, which requires acceptance into a competitive internship in order to complete the requirements for eligibility to take the registered dietitian examination. A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 is necessary to be considered for admission.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics

  1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog.

    The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Dietetics major is met by completing Human Nutrition and Foods 411.  That course is referenced in item 3. a. below.

    Students who are enrolled in the Dietetics major leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition may complete an alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that consists of the following courses:  Biochemistry 200 or Physiology 250; Chemistry 141, 143, and 161. The completion of Chemistry 143 and 161 satisfies the laboratory requirement.
  2. The requirements of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.
    1. The following requirements for the major:
      a. All of the following courses in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
      (45 credits):
      HNF 150 Introduction to Human Nutrition 3
      HNF 300 Experimental Approaches to Foods 4
      HNF 320 Professional Practice of Dietetics and Nutrition 3
      HNF 350 Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism 4
      HNF 377 Applied Community Nutrition 3
      HNF 378 Applied Nutrition Assessment Laboratory 1
      HNF 406 Global Foods and Culture 3
      HNF 411 Research Methods in Dietetics 3
      HNF 440 Foodservice Operations 3
      HNF 444 The Business of Nutrition Services 3
      HNF 445 Foodservice Management Practicum 2
      HNF 446 Applied Culinary Nutrition 2
      HNF 453 Nutrition and Human Development 3
      HNF 471 Medical Nutrition Therapy I 4
      HNF 472 Medical Nutrition Therapy II (W) 4
      b. The following courses outside the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (36 to 39 credits):
      (1) All of the following courses (30 credits):
      ANTR 350 Human Gross Anatomy for Pre-Health Professionals 3
      BMB 200 Introduction to Biochemistry 4
      CEM 141 General Chemistry 4
      CEM 143 Survey of Organic Chemistry 4
      CEM 161 Chemistry Laboratory I 1
      FSC 342 Food Safety and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Program 3
      MGT 325 Management Skills and Processes 3
      PSL 250 Introductory Physiology  4
      PSY 101 Introductory Psychology 4
      (2) One of the following courses (3 or 5 credits):
      MTH 103 College Algebra 3
      MTH 116 College Algebra and Trigonometry 5
      (3) One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
      STT 200 Statistical Methods 3
      STT 201 Statistical Methods 4