Foods and Nutrition, B.S. (A, L)

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The Foods and Nutrition major allows students to select one of two concentrations:

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration. The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is designed to prepare students for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN). The DPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) requires a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). For more information about this requirement visit CDR’s website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. Additional career information may be found on the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics www.eatright.org.

The Foods and Nutrition concentration prepares students for a variety of food and nutrition related careers in various settings that include healthcare, community/public health, retail and food industry, wellness, and emerging opportunities.

REAL Curriculum

This major fulfills the A and L areas of the REAL Curriculum. The coursework requires students to analyze many influences (culture, behaviors, health status and social and physical environments) on diet and health. Through application and shadowing experiences, students will develop a professional identity and reflect on their role within the field of Nutrition and Dietetics. Students will be required to take Math and Science courses, these courses will fulfill the REAL studies R minor. Student will need to select a minor to fulfill the E area to complete the REAL Curriculum requirements.

REAL Foundational Requirements

Foundational Writing (3 credits)

ENGL 111 - Principles of College Composition (GE)

Foundational Math (3 credits)

MATH 125 - Precalculus I (GE) (Recommended for Nutrition and Dietetics majors due to required course prerequisites. Requirement may be fulfilled through placement testing.)
MATH 100 - Quantitative Reasoning (GE)
MATH 121 - Math Content for Teachers I (GE)

REAL Cornerstone Requirements

Writing Intensive (WI) Courses (6 credits)

Writing Intensive courses are denoted below with a (WI). Two writing intensive courses are required to graduate, with at least one at the 300- or 400-level. The Nutrition and Dietetics major includes 3 credits of writing intensive courses.

General Education Requirements

General Education courses will be denoted below with a (GE). Students are required to take at least 30 credit hours of general education designated courses within their degree requirements. The Nutrition and Dietetics major includes 32 general education credits.

Major Requirements (82 credits)

Required Core Courses (38 credits)

Concentrations

Students must choose either the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration or the Foods and Nutrition concentration.

Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration (15 credits)

Students wanting to pursue the RDN credential must maintain an overall GPA of 2.8 and take the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration in order to receive a verification statement for a dietetic internship. Students in the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration must earn a “C” or better on all of their NUTR coursework and may repeat NUTR courses once to obtain the required grade standard.

Foods and Nutrition concentration (15 credits)

Select at least 15 credits from the list below, other courses as approved by advisor.

Additional Requirements (29 credits)

Additional Degree Requirements

A 2.8 GPA on all college work attempted and a “C” or better in all NUTR are required to receive a DPD verification statement for supervised practice/dietetic internship (through the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration). Students in the Foods and Nutrition concentration have to maintain a 2.0 GPA and are not eligible for a verification statement.

At least 30 credits must be taken at Radford University in order to graduate with a degree in Foods and Nutrition. All NUTR courses for the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration must be taken in the last 5 years from an ACEND accredited program in order to count in the major. NUTR major courses that are taken at a non-accredited institution will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Open Credit Hours (38 credits)

These credits can be used to fulfill additional courses, majors, minors, and/or REAL Curriculum requirements.

Total Credits Needed for Degree 120

Additional Information

Nutrition and Dietetics (NUTR) majors typically take the prerequisite courses during the first two years, followed by the upper division (300 and 400 level) major courses in the last two years.

Prerequisite coursework

Completion of the following prerequisites with a grade of C or better: