Pre-Dietetics
Pre-Candidate Accreditation Statement
Beginning Fall 2023, St. Catherine University’s Nutrition and Dietetics Department in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health will open a new and innovative 21- month (4 semesters) graduate program to prepare students to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN). This program has candidacy accreditation from ACEND.
*The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for programs in nutrition and dietetics integrate didactic coursework with supervised experiential learning in a competency-based curriculum designed to prepare nutrition and dietetics practitioners for future practice.
3+2 Dual Degree Program in Nutrition and Dietetics
St. Catherine University offers two pathways for completing the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. A dual-degree program is available to undergraduate students resulting in a B.S. degree in Applied Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. The entry level Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics is available to students who have completed a B.A. or B.S.
Standard Application Process for the Dual-Degree Program in Nutrition and Dietetics
In this option, students enter the Applied Science in Nutrition and Dietetics major that includes all liberal arts core requirements, major supporting courses, major course work, and pre-requisites for the Master's of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (MSND) program.
Students apply to the Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics during their junior year. Applicants must complete a dual degree application and meet all other admission criteria for consideration to the program including:
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Junior Status
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Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
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Letter grades of C or better for all prerequisite courses
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Successful completion and a competitive score of the MSND Admission Application (based in part on well-written essays, varied related experiences) during your junior year. The application score is based on committee review and an exemplary rating of all elements.
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Meet with your nutrition and dietetics adviser each semester
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Meet all other admission criteria required at the time of application to the program as outlined on the program website.
If accepted into the MSND, students typically are awarded the St. Catherine baccalaureate degree after their senior year. Following successful completion of all the MSND degree requirements the following year, the master’s degree is awarded.
Students who are not accepted into the MSND program can seamlessly complete a major in Nutrition Science if desired.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Supporting Courses | ||
| CHEM 1110 | General Chemistry I with Lab 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 1120 | General Chemistry II with Lab 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 2200 | Introduction to Microbiology with Lab 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 2610 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 2620 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab 1 | 4 |
| EXSS 3200 | Health Behavior Psychology 2 | 4 |
| or PSYC 4450 | Psychology of Eating with Lab | |
| IPE 1030 | Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology | 2 |
| PHIL 3400 | Biomedical Ethics | 4 |
| PSYC 1001 | General Psychology with Lab 1 | 4 |
| PSYC 2025 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| Select one from: 1 | 4 | |
| Biostatistics | ||
| Statistical Analysis with Corequisite | ||
| Statistical Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 42 | |
- 1
Also a graduate program prerequisite
- 2
Check prerequisites before planning a program of study
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dietetics Courses | ||
| FSNU 2300 | Nutrition Foundations | 4 |
| FSNU 2400 | Food is Medicine | 2 |
| FSNU 3400 | Sports Nutrition | 4 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Courses taken after admission to the dual-degree program:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FSNU 4300W | Advanced Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 5100 | Nutrition Education and Counseling | 3 |
| NUTR 5300 | Professionalism in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 5400 | Lifecycle Nutrition: Pediatrics | 3 |
| NUTR 5450 | Lifecycle Nutrition: Adulthood | 3 |
| NUTR 5500 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| NUTR 5200 | Community Nutrition I | 3 |
| NUTR 5600 | Foodservice and Nutrition Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 25 | |
Students who do not gain entry to the MSDT program after their junior year complete the following courses for a major (B.S. degree) in nutrition science:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major courses: | ||
| FSNU 4602 | Internship | 2-4 |
| or FSNU 4604 | Internship | |
| Choose four courses from: | 16 | |
| Food Science with Lab | ||
FSNU 3340 | Life Cycle Nutrition-Peds | |
| Nutrition Education and Counseling | ||
| Current Issues in Foods and Nutrition | ||
| Medical Nutrition Therapy I | ||
| Choose three courses from: | 12 | |
| Intercultural and Community Nutrition with Lab | ||
FSNU 3360 | Life Cyle Nutrition-Adults | |
| Medical Nutrition Therapy II with Lab | ||
| FSNU 4300W | Advanced Nutrition | 4 |
FSNU 4700 | Applied Research 1 | |
| Total Credits | 34-36 | |
- 1
FSNU 4700 is only available to seniors who are approved to participate in the program that allows seniors to enroll in a limited number of graduate level courses.
The following graduate courses are taken after the dual-degree student's Bachelor of Science degree is posted:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 6200 | Community Nutrition II | 3 |
| NUTR 6270 | Current Issues in Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 6300 | Food Science | 3 |
| NUTR 6400 | Experimental and Culinary Food and Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 6500 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
| NUTR 6600 | Foodservice Operations and Production | 3 |
| NUTR 6700 | Applied Research | 3 |
| NUTR 6800 | Practicum/Clinicals | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |