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Optimal food and nutrient intake play a critical role in disease prevention and health maintenance. There is an increasing demand for professionals in the field of dietetics who can provide quality food and nutrition care services to individuals and groups. The mission of the didactic program in dietetics is to prepare students for successful careers in dietetics and encourage students to assume leadership roles in their profession and in society.
Students who have completed two years of college and are planning to transfer into this major need to be aware of the following requirements: Preferred courses taken as part of the core include statistics, psychology, fundamentals of speech communication, biology and freshman chemistry. Students should complete the equivalent of BIOL 1103/1103L or 1107/1107L and CHEM1211/1211L with a grade of C or better. Entrance to the major requires completion of Area VI Core requirements for the Dietetics major with a grade of C or better in each of the courses. Note: General chemistry courses should be equivalent to CHEM 1211, 1211L and 1212, 1212L, and organic chemistry should be equivalent to CHEM 2211, 2211L.
To receive a B.S.F.C.S. in dietetics a student must have at least a "C" grade in CHEM 1211/L, BIOL 1103/L, in all Area VI core courses, and in all major courses.
Career Opportunities
The field of dietetics offers many opportunities related to foods and nutrition in health care, management, education, business, and industry settings. Clinical dietetics positions are available in hospitals, clinics, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, and private practice. Other opportunities include management of foods or nutrition care services in health care facilities, schools or restaurants; public health nutrition; research and/or education in universities, medical centers, and government agencies. For more information visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website ( http://www.eatright.org/students/careers/).
The dietetics major is a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600, ext. 5400. Students completing degree requirements receive a Bachelor of Science degree.
Upon completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics students must complete a supervised practice program, such as an CADE-accredited dietetic internship, to become eligible to take the registration examination for dietitians.
Students who already have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university may complete dietetics course requirements as a post-baccalaureate student or as a second degree student.
Q: I have a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university, but it is not in dietetics. Can I complete course requirements as an undergraduate at the University of Georgia to become eligible to enter a dietetic internship and become a registered dietitian?
A: Yes. You have two options to complete the dietetics course requirements. For both, a student must be enrolled as a student in the University of Georgia. Visit the university’s site for prospective students to obtain application information and deadline dates ( http://www.admissions.uga.edu).
The first option is to enroll in the university to complete a second bachelor’s degree in dietetics. As a part of the admissions process your previous coursework will be evaluated and you will be told which courses are needed to complete a second degree in dietetics. A verification statement indicating that you have met dietetics coursework requirements will be issued to you following completion of this second degree. This verification statement is required to enter a dietetic internship program to become a registered dietitian.
The second option is to enroll as a post-baccalaureate student and complete coursework needed to meet dietetics knowledge requirements in addition to your bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. A verification statement indicating that you have met dietetics coursework requirements will be issued to you following completion of this work. This verification statement is required to enter a dietetic internship program to become a registered dietitian. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, you will need to complete the following courses or their equivalent (with a minimum of a C grade) to receive a verification statement from the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the University of Georgia:
If you are interested in this option your transcripts will be reviewed upon admission to The University of Georgia to determine which courses you need to take to receive a verification statement. Some of the courses may be taken at another university if they are considered to be equivalent to required courses at the University of Georgia. However, a minimum of 12 credits must be taken in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at the University of Georgia to receive a verification statement from our program.
Some students may elect to take some of the coursework at the graduate level. If you are interested in completing some of the coursework at the graduate level as a non-degree seeking student or as a part of a graduate degree please view the graduate program website: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/graduate/index.html.
Q: I have completed my degree at a university outside of the United States. I would like to complete dietetics coursework and become eligible to apply to a dietetic internship. Can I take coursework at the University of Georgia to meet the dietetics course requirements?
A: Yes, you will need to have your academic degree(s) validated as equivalent to the bachelor’s degree conferred by a U.S. regionally accredited college or university. Please see the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website for information and a list of agencies that will perform this service http://www.eatright.org/becomeanrdordtr/content.aspx?id=9725
As discussed above, you will also need to apply for admission to the University of Georgia ( http://www.uga.edu/admissions/international.html). For a review of your transcripts to determine which courses you need to complete dietetics requirements at the University of Georgia please contact:
Dr. Joan Fischer
Associate Professor
Department of Foods and Nutrition
jfischer@fcs.uga.edu
(706) 542-7983
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