Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics)
Application Deadlines
September 15 at 5pmMarch 15 at 5pm
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) is an academic program designed to present the fundamental knowledge to prepare students for a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) or graduate school. Completion of the DPD program enables students to apply to a supervised practice program - Dietetic Internship (DI) or a graduate program. Students completing the DPD program at UNM will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics degree and receive a verification statement upon graduation, required to apply to an accredited DI. Upon successful completion of the DI, graduates are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians, administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN).
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of New Mexico Didactic Program in Dietetics is to prepare graduates to successfully enter an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship to become eligible for the CDR credential exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, or to be eligible for an entry-level occupation in dietetics, or to be accepted to a graduate program.
DPD Student Handbook
The DPD handbook provides information regarding the curriculum, required DPD courses, suggested course sequencing, admission and graduation requirements, advisement, policies about student rights, suspensions, complaints, expenses and student activities. All students are responsible for understanding and following the policies and procedure described in the DPD Handbook .
Admission Requirements
Students will enter the university designated as pre-dietetics students. During the spring semester of their second year, interested students must apply to the DPD program.
All students wishing to major in Nutrition/Dietetics must apply for admission to the DPD program online. Application information is posted on the Nutrition/Dietetics Program website.
Admission criteria are:
- Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 (including all transfer and UNM credit).
- Completion of the following courses with a grade of B- or better: NUTR 2110 and CHEM 1215.
- Transfer Students: Completion of at least 9 credit hours of courses at UNM (this requirement is waived for post baccalaureate students).
Please download the application packet that will help you in preparing all the necessary documentation required for the application.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
The University of New Mexico awards more than $50 million every year in a variety of scholarships. There are more than 40 different scholarships available through the College of Education & Human Sciences. The online scholarship application page explains all the requirements, deadlines, and other details for incoming freshmen, transfer, and current students. Updated information regarding financial aid can be found at the UNM Financial Aid Office.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate, students must complete all of the required DPD courses:
DPD Professional Courses (37 credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
| NUTR 2110 | Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 301 | Nutrition Research and Writing | 3 |
| NUTR 305 | Clinical Nutrition Assessment and Skills | 3 |
| NUTR 320 | Methods in Nutrition Education | 3 |
| NUTR 321 | Management in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 330L | Principles of Food Science | 4 |
| NUTR 344 | Energy Nutrients in Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 345 | Vitamins and Minerals in Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 406 | Introduction to Public Health Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR * 424 | Nutrition in the Life Cycle | 3 |
| NUTR 427 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| NUTR 428 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
DPD Science Courses (42 credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
| BIOL 1140 | Biology for Health Sciences | 3 |
| BIOL 1140L | Biology for Health Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 2210 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 |
| BIOL 2210L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 2225 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 3 |
| BIOL 2225L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 2305 | Microbiology for Health Sciences | 4 |
| CHEM 1215 | General Chemistry I for STEM Majors | 3 |
| CHEM 1215L | General Chemistry I for STEM Majors Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 1225 | General Chemistry II for STEM Majors | 3 |
| CHEM 1225L | General Chemistry II for STEM Majors Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM ** 301 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM ** 302 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOC * 423 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| MATH 1350 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| PSYC 1110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PEP 326L | Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology | 3 |
Students must earn a grade of C or better on all other required nutrition courses. CR (credit) grades are not accepted for any required courses unless they are courses specifically carrying only CR/NC grades.
Goals and Objectives
Goal #1: The Program will prepare graduates to enter and complete ACEND accredited supervised practice programs (Dietetic Internships).
Objective 1: At least 80% of program full-time students will complete program requirements within 3 years (150% of the program length).
Objective 2: At least 80% of program part-time students will complete program requirements within 6 years (150% of the program length for part- time students).
Objective 3: At least 60% of DPD program graduates will apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
Objective 4: At least 80% of graduates who apply to dietetic internships will be admitted into a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
Objective 5: The program‘s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of their first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist is at least 80%.
Objective 6: At least 80% of graduates will feel prepared with the knowledge and skills to begin their chosen career path.
Objective 7: At least 80% of supervised practice directors responding to the survey will rate program graduates’ preparation for supervised practice as “above average” or better using a 5-point scale, where 4 is “above average”.
Goal #2: The Program will prepare graduates to work effectively with multicultural populations.
Objective 1. At least 80% of Program graduates who respond to the graduate exit survey will indicate that they feel prepared to work with a multicultural population.
Objective 2. Within 12 months of graduation, at least 80% of employers or supervisors who respond will indicate that graduating students are able to work effectively with multicultural populations.
Core Knowledge Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
KRDN 1.1 Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical, evidence-based practice decisions.
KRDN 1.2 Use current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols.
KRDN 1.3 Apply critical thinking skills.
KRDN 2.1 Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation.
KRDN 2.2 Describe the governance of nutrition and dietetics practice, such as the Scope of Nutrition and Dietetics Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics; and describe interprofessional relationships in various practice settings.
KRDN 2.3 Assess the impact of a public policy position on nutrition and dietetics practice.
KRDN 2.4 Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services.
KRDN 2.5 Identify and describe the work of interprofessional teams and the roles of others with whom the registered dietitian nutritionist collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services.
KRDN 2.6 Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence/sensitivity.
KRDN 2.7 Demonstrate identification with the nutrition and dietetics profession through activities such as participation in professional organizations and defending a position on issues impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession.
KRDN 2.8 Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and expectations of a professional in mentoring and precepting others.
KRDN 3.1 Use the Nutrition Care Process to make decisions, identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions.
KRDN 3.2 Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
KRDN 3.3 Demonstrate counseling and education methods to facilitate behavior change and enhance wellness for diverse individuals and groups.
KRDN 3.4 Explain the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services.
KRDN 3.5 Describe basic concepts of nutritional genomics.
KRDN 4.1 Apply management theories to the development of programs or services.
KRDN 4.2 Evaluate a budget and interpret financial data.
KRDN 4.3 Describe the regulation system related to billing and coding, what services are reimbursable by third party payers, and how reimbursement may be obtained.
KRDN 4.4 Apply the principles of human resource management to different situations.
KRDN 4.5 Describe safety principles related to food, personnel and consumers.
KRDN 4.6 Analyze data for assessment and evaluate data to be used in decision-making for continuous quality improvement.
