Nutrition and Dietetics, Bachelor of Science | Benedictine | Chicago (2024)

College: College of Science and Health
Department: Nutrition and Public Health
Student Type: Traditional Undergraduate
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Campus: Lisle Campus

Requirements - Major

The B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics major must complete 72 credit hours, with a grade of "C" or better:

Meeting the above major requirements also satisfies the following General Education requirements: Engaged Learning, Learning Community, two NUTR Writing Intensive courses, Life-Scientific (QLS), Physical-Scientific (QPS), Computational, Mathematical and Analytical (QCM), and Global.

Students must apply to the Nutrition and Dietetics program for acceptance. Refer to the "Nutrition and Dietetics Major Application Requirements" at the beginning of the Nutrition section of this catalog for more information.

Students pursuing this major must earn a cumulative Benedictine University GPA of 3.000/4.000 for acceptance, maintenance, and program completion for graduation and become a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Students pursuing this major will need to complete general electives to fulfill the University requirement for 120 credit hours toward graduation. A student earning a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics can earn a major in Health Education. Alternatively, students can opt to select electives that are part of the graduate school affiliations or minors. Examples of complementary minors include Strength and Conditioning, Entrepreneurship, Management and Organizational Behavior, Marketing, Biology, and Psychology.

Benedictine University Nutrition and Dietetics Major Student Learning Goals

(Revised based on ACEND Standards 6/1/2022):

Upon completion of the Nutrition and Dietetics major, the student will successfully:

1. Apply the Nutrition Care Process.
2. Integrate scientific information and research into practice.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of food service management systems.
4. Demonstrate professional practice skills.
5. Demonstrate leadership and career management skills.

In addition to successful completion of the Nutrition and Dietetics major, the student will successfully:

Demonstrate knowledge, application and integration of principles of health promotion and disease prevention with normal nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and public health nutrition for varied populations.

Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement (Lisle Main Campus Only)

Candidates seeking a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) should have a sincere desire to provide individualized counseling, which could include medical nutrition, show intellectual promise, and display personal, professional and academic characteristics indicative of a RDN. The requirements for attaining the RDN credential are established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), and include completion of academic course requirements prescribed by a Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) (Plan III and IV are not accepted) and an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship Program, then passing of the Registration Examination for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

To qualify for receipt of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics Verification Statement, Benedictine University students must have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative Benedictine University undergraduate GPA of at least 3.000/4.000, and met all the requirements (e.g., NUTR and HLED courses, cognates, skills, grades, major application requirements) of the Benedictine University Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in the Nutrition and Dietetics major program.

Credits to be transferred from other regionally accredited institutions are evaluated on the basis of their equivalence at Benedictine University. Benedictine University accepts transfer course credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities if the courses are comparable in scope and level of difficulty to courses offered at Benedictine University. Acceptance of transfer credit to be applied to health education courses are determined by the Nutrition Department Chair. Acceptance of transfer credit to be applied to the area of dietetics (food and nutrition) is determined by the DPD director. Courses taken prior to specific dates may be unacceptable as transfer credit because of substantial subsequent developments.

Those seeking DPD verification of coursework after completing a baccalaureate degree granted by another United States regionally accredited college or university, or equivalent as determined by an independent foreign degree evaluation agency approved by our university, must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.000/4.000 on all undergraduate college/university coursework. These individuals must meet all the requirements (e.g., NUTR and HLED courses, cognates, skills, grades, major application requirements) of the Benedictine University B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics program, as determined by the Nutrition Department Chair and DPD Director at Benedictine University on the Lisle main campus.

To have transcripts evaluated and accepted, the prospective student must first apply to the Enrollment Center at Benedictine University as a second degree candidate and submit an original copy of all college and university transcripts, along with his/her application materials. At the time of course acceptance, completed courses will be evaluated according to the current program Course Acceptance and Validation Policy, as stated in the Nutrition and Dietetics Major Guide, and with the assumption that the student is beginning his/her studies at our university the following term. Students accepted into this program are required to successfully complete at least 12 semester credit hours of 3000/4000 level classroom courses at Benedictine University within a seven-year time period; 12 hours is a minimum number and may not be adequate to meet requirements for completion of this major program, since this major is 72 credit hours (plus completion of skills). Typically, more than 12 semester credit hours are required for completion of the DPD. Upon successful completion of all of the requirements, the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement will be awarded. A second degree will be awarded to those completing the Second Baccalaureate Degree program.

Accreditation Information (Lisle Main Campus Only)

Those accepted into the Nutrition and Dietetics major on the Lisle main campus are enrolled in a Didactic Program in Dietetics, which is externally accredited by:

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
(800) 877-1600, ext. 5400

The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) curriculum meets the specific required knowledge and skills competencies as listed in the 2022 Standards for Didactic Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics, which can be found at eatrightacend.org/ACEND.

Affiliation with Graduate Programs (Lisle Main Campus Only)

With careful planning of the undergraduate course sequence, the Nutrition and Dietetics major program offers the student the possibility of completing select graduate courses to meet some of the requirements of nutrition and public health graduate programs while an undergraduate student. Space in these graduate courses is limited. Permission to enroll in and/or completion of graduate nutrition courses does not imply acceptance into the Nutrition and Dietetics major program or the graduate programs, including the Dietetic Internship program. Admission to the graduate program is not automatic; the student must meet program requirements, apply and receive acceptance into the respective graduate program in his/her junior year in order to have the opportunity to take select graduate courses during his/her undergraduate senior year.

4+1 with M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic Internship program

When students with a declared Nutrition and Dietetics major at Benedictine University have only two semesters of coursework to complete the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics (normally after Junior year), they can apply for pre-admit into the Benedictine University M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics/Track A with accredited Dietetic Internship program or pre-admit into Track B. Pre-admit into Track A requires application to both the graduate school and the Dietetic Internship program (see Dietetic Internship website for details). This acceptance is considered binding with the following conditions: the student remains in the Nutrition and Dietetics undergraduate major in good standing (academic, financial, etc.) and completes the undergraduate degree in two semesters or less. To complete this graduate degree Track A in a year (to 16 months) following completion of the Nutrition and Dietetics major program, students need to complete NUTR5491 Nutrition Assessment Lab in their undergraduate senior year.

Students in the BS Nutrition and Dietetics major will achieve the following student learning outcomes (SLO):

Student Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate knowledge, application and integration of principles of health promotion and disease prevention with normal nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and public health nutrition for varied populations.

Student Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate use of scientific information and research for evidence-based practice.

Student Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate an understanding of the beliefs, values, and behaviors for professional practice.

Student Learning Outcome 4: Demonstrate the development and delivery of information and services, including educational interventions and counseling techniques.

Student Learning Outcome 5: Apply principles of food science and techniques of food preparation and modification.

Student Learning Outcome 6: Demonstrate knowledge and strategic application of principles of food and nutrition management theories and systems.

Student Learning Outcome 7: Develop critical-thinking skills.