Dietetics, B.S.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program in Dietetics will be able to:

Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical, evidence-based practice decisions.
Select and use appropriate current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols.
Apply critical thinking skills.
Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation.
Describe the governance of nutrition and dietetics practice, such as the Scope of Practice for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Assess the impact of a public policy position on the nutrition and dietetics profession.
Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services.
Identify and describe the work of interprofessional teams and the roles of others with whom the registered dietitian nutritionist collaborates.
Demonstrate cultural humility, awareness of personal biases and an understanding of cultural differences as they contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Describe contributing factors to health inequity in nutrition and dietetics.
Participate in a nutrition and dietetics professional organization and explain the significant role of the organization.
Defend a position on issues impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession.
Use the Nutrition Care Process and clinical workflow elements to assess nutritional parameters, diagnose nutrition related problems, determine appropriate nutrition interventions, and develop plans to monitor the effectiveness of these interventions.
Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
Demonstrate counseling and education methods to facilitate behavior change and enhance wellness for individuals and groups.
Practice routine health screening assessments, including measuring blood pressure and conducting waived point-of-care laboratory testing (such as blood glucose or cholesterol).
Describe concepts of nutritional genomics and how they relate to medical nutrition therapy, health and disease.
Develop nutritionally sound meals, menus and meal plans that promote health and disease management and meet client’s/patient’s needs.
Apply management theories to the development of programs or services.
Evaluate a budget/financial management plan and interpret financial data.
Demonstrate an understanding of the regulation system related to billing and coding, what services are reimbursable by third party payers, and how reimbursement may be obtained.
Apply the principles of human resource management to different situations.
Apply safety and sanitation principles related to food, personnel, and consumers.
Explain the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services.
Evaluate data to be used in decision-making for continuous quality improvement.
Perform self-assessment that includes awareness in terms of learning and leadership styles and develop goals for self-improvement.
Identify and articulate one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals.
Practice how to self-advocate for opportunities in a variety of settings (such as asking for needed support, presenting an elevator pitch) .
Practice resolving differences or dealing with conflict.
Promote team involvement and recognize the skills of each member.
Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and expectations of a professional in mentoring and precepting others.

Course List
Code	Title	Units
Lower-Division Requirements
ACC 2000	Survey of Accounting	3
BIO 1030 & 1030L	Human Anatomy and Physiology I (GE) and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab (GE)	4
BIO 1040 & 1040L	Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab	4
BIO 2010 & 2010L	Cell Biology and Biochemistry (GE) and Cell Biology and Biochemistry Lab (GE)	4
BIO 2020 & 2020L	Microbiology of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology of Infectious Diseases Lab	4
CHE 1052 & 1052L	General Chemistry I (GE) and General Chemistry I Lab (GE)	5
CHE 1053 & 1053L	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab	4
CHE 2094 & 2094L	Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab	4
KIN 1001	Orientation to Kinesiology and the Health Sciences	1
KIN 2030	Lifestyle as Medicine (GE)	2
MGT 2012	Principles of Management	3
MTH 2003	Introduction to Statistics	3
NUT 1010	Fundamentals of Food	2
NUT 2025	Fundamentals of Nutrition	3
PHL 2011	Ethics (GE)	3
SOC 2001	Cultural Anthropology (GE)	3
Upper-Division Requirements
KIN 4041	Applied Research	3
NUT 3000	Quantity Food Production	3
NUT 3003	Cultural Foods	2
NUT 3020	Nutrition Assessment	2
NUT 3030	Community Nutrition	3
NUT 3031	Applied Community Nutrition	1
NUT 3035	Nutrition Research Through the Life Cycle	3
NUT 3065	Advanced Nutrition	3
NUT 4014	Practices in Nutrition Education and Dietary Counseling	2
NUT 4015	Medical Nutrition Therapy	3
NUT 4017	Applied Medical Nutrition Therapy	1
NUT 4035	Food Service Management	2
NUT 4055	Food Science	3
NUT 4097	Senior Seminar	1-2
or KIN 4095	Senior Seminar
Total Units		84-85

Recommended:

Course List
Code	Title	Units
CHD 1050	Human Development	3
KIN 3030	Nutrition for Exercise and Sport Performance	3
KIN 3040	Physiology of Exercise	3
MKT 2032	Principles of Marketing	3
NUT 3040	Nutrition in Women's Wellbeing	2

Additional Information

The major in Dietetics requires 130 units to graduate, two (2) more than the minimum 128 units required for most majors at PLNU. Students are encouraged to take one or two courses in the summer to lighten their course loads during the regular semester.

Students interested in becoming a Registered Dietitian should consult:

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago IL 60606-6995
Phone: 312-899-5400

Graduates in the Dietetics major will require further training by applying to an AND-accredited internship program in order to complete AND requirements to be a registered dietitian (R.D.). (The Commission on Dietetic Registration will require a minimum of a master’s degree to take the credentialing exam for registered dietitians beginning on January 1, 2024.)

Majoring in Dietetics

Graduates in the Dietetics major from PLNU earn a Verification Statement that will allow them to apply to an AND-accredited dietetic internship program, the second step to becoming a Registered Dietitian (R.D.)

To be verified at PLNU, the student must:

Earn a “C” or better in all core curriculum DPD and prerequisite courses
Maintain a GPA of 2.800 or higher
Earn a B.S. degree (official transcripts, including the one that shows an earned bachelor’s degree, must be in the DPD file)
Participate in community service-learning activities during your college education, as evidenced in the senior portfolio
Demonstrate ethical principles and follow AND’s Code of Ethics
Successful completion of all KRDN standards as outlined in DPD course syllabi

Students with a Bachelor’s Degree from Another University Seeking a Verification Statement

If a student has earned a bachelor’s degree from another university, and is seeking a Verification Statement for the Dietetics program, the student may choose one of the two following paths:

Apply to PLNU for a Verification Statement in the Dietetics program, with no degree attached (no second bachelor’s degree). This pathway requires:
1. A bachelor’s degree from a college/university in another major
2. Official transcripts reviewed by the Director of Dietetics and the undergraduate Director of Admissions
3. A minimum 24 units of upper-division Dietetics courses and prerequisites taken at PLNU. (Courses required will be based on previous coursework transferred, and the date that courses were taken)
4. Acceptance to PLNU
  OR
Apply to PLNU for a second Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics. This pathway requires:
1. Official transcripts reviewed by the Director of Dietetics and the undergraduate Director of Admissions
2. Coursework and prerequisites required for the Dietetics major
3. Coursework to meet all General Education requirements at PLNU
4. Acceptance to PLNU

International Students Seeking a Verification Statement

If a student is an International Student seeking a Verification Statement in Dietetics from PLNU, the student must apply to the University and submit the following:

All documents including high school and college transcripts translated into English and evaluated by an approved credential evaluation service before being sent to the Admissions Office. The student may contact any credential evaluator approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluators (NACES), such as World Education Services, Inc. (WES), Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), and Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE).
English proficiency: A 550 paper based TOEFL or 216 computer based TOEFL.
An original notarized copy of an Affidavit of Support (financial statement) submitted by a sponsor or bank, indicating sufficient funds for the educational expenses for one academic year at PLNU. (Point Loma Nazarene is a private university: therefore, tuition is the same for U.S. residents and international students.)
Acceptance to PLNU
A minimum 24 units of upper-division Dietetics courses and prerequisites at PLNU. (Courses required will be based on previous coursework transferred, and the date that courses where taken.)