Nutrition – Major/Minor
Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DP)
For information contact Professor Martine Scannavino, miscanna@cedarcrest.edu, 610-606-4666, ext. 3486
Program Description
The Cedar Crest College Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics is fully accredited by the Accreditation Counsel for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312-899-0040, ext. 5400. Graduates of the nutrition program will receive a bachelor of science in nutrition, and those meeting the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics requirements and program requirements will receive a verification statement showing that they have attained the knowledge and competencies found in the ACEND Accreditation Standards for Didactic Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics Leading to Supervised Practice 2012.
The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DP) is designed to prepare students for a career in Nutrition and Dietetics and application to an accredited Internship Program (IP), graduate school, eligibility to sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered exam, or enter the job market. Students considering entrance to the profession of dietetics as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) through Cedar Crest College must complete these three components:
- A bachelor’s degree (it does not have to be in nutrition) and successful completion of academic coursework at an ACEND-approved/accredited institution with a minimum cumulative and didactic GPA of 3.0;
- Admission and successful completion of an ACEND-accredited Internship Program; and
- A passing score on the National Registration Examination for Dietitians.
Completion of the bachelor’s degree and didactic program (Step 1) may lead to, but does not guarantee, admission into an Internship Program.
Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (NDTR)
Students who successfully complete the Verification Statement track are eligible to apply to an accredited Dietetic Internship and/or sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (NDTR) Exam through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR).
Preselect to the Cedar Crest College Dietetic Internship
Ten positions in the competitive Cedar Crest College DI are reserved for eligible Cedar Crest College seniors through the preselect process.
Students who achieve a DP GPA of 3.3 or above at the midterm of their senior Fall Semester and have accumulated the recommended body of experiences are eligible to apply for one of the 10 positions available in the Cedar Crest College DI preselect process in October of their senior year.
A meeting with the DP Program Director prior to the start of the fall semester is required to begin this process.
A student who is offered and chooses to accept a position in the Cedar Crest College DI through the preselect process is not eligible to apply to other programs during the national Spring DI match.
Students who do not choose to or are not eligible to participate in the preselect process are eligible to apply to the Cedar Crest College DI (or any other Accredited DI program) during the national DI match in the spring. Cedar Crest College students who participate in the national Spring DI match enter into the regular pool of applicants at that time; positions in the Cedar Crest College DI will not be reserved for Cedar Crest College seniors or alumnae during the national Spring DI match.
Mission of the Nutrition Program
In concert with the philosophy of Cedar Crest College and the Standards of Practice of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the nutrition program is committed to developing competent dietetic professionals who serve the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition and act with integrity and respect for differences.
Mission of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics
In concert with the Mission and Values of Cedar Crest College, the mission of the Cedar Crest Didactic Program in Dietetics is to develop competent entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. With a foundation in the liberal arts, our Program’s commitment is to provide high quality education in accordance with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Knowledge Requirements for Dietitians with emphasis on scholarship, leadership, civic engagement, health and wellness and global connectivity. Total number of credits required by program: The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics has an 84 -credit requirement (20 of which count towards the LAC requirements for Math & Logic, Social Science, Natural Science, and Global Studies)
Program Requirements
In addition to meeting the general admission requirements of Cedar Crest College, it is recommended that high school students take two years of high school laboratory science. A departmental visit and interview with department faculty is strongly recommended for all applicants.
Adult students are encouraged to apply. A meeting with the Director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DP) is required to determine if prior coursework can be used to meet some of the Nutrition major and or DP requirements. At the time of admission, prior science coursework cannot be more than ten years old, and prior nutrition coursework cannot be more than five years old. In order to receive a Verification Statement, you must complete at least 20 credits of Nutrition DP courses at Cedar Crest College , have a minimum cumulative and didactic GPA of 3.0 and receive a grade of B- or better in all Nutrition DP course work, and C or better in all other didactic course requirements.
Expenses (in addition to comprehensive, special fees and transportation)
There will be a laboratory fee of $100 per course for NTR 220 and 320. Transportation to and from field experiences is the responsibility of the student. Students registered for NTR 340 will be a charged a $175 practicum fee.
Departmental Review for Field Placement
Students majoring in Education, Nuclear Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition or Social Work are required to complete a field practicum or clinical experience. Because this requirement necessitates working with the public in a professional setting, it is important that the student has advanced interpersonal skills, mature judgment, and appropriate professional demeanor. Thus faculty in these programs will review students prior to the practicum and make appropriate recommendations up to and including removal from placement.
Program Requirements
The program field placements require medical and background clearance. All clearances must be completed prior to the course start dates and must be updated every year. The following medical and background clearances are mandatory in order to participate in the following courses: NTR 327, 328, and 330.
- Report of Health Evaluation and Medical History
- Immunizations, Titers, and Current PPD
- Drug and Alcohol Screen
- Proof of Health Insurance
- FBI Criminal History Clearance
- Child Abuse History Clearance
- PA Criminal History Clearance
- Annual Flu Shot
- And all other clearances required by placement sites at time of field experience.
To declare nutrition as your major you must complete the following courses with a grade of C or better: CHE 111, CHE 112, MAT 110, CHE 203, BIO 117, SOC 100, PSY 100, & a grade of B- or better NTR 120, and receive a midterm grade of C or better in BIO 118, BIO 127, CHEM 217 and a grade of B- or better in NTR 210.
All Nutrition Majors must declare the major prior to registering for all 300 level courses.
The major in Nutrition requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a grade of C or better in all program required courses.
For those wishing to pursue a Verification Statement and eligibility to apply to a Dietetic Internship Program and sit the RDN registration exam, or seeking to sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (DTR) exam through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR), you must achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative and didactic GPA of 3.0, receive a grade of B- or better in all Nutrition (NTR) course work, and C or better in all other required DP courses.
Once the declaration of major form has been approved, you will be assigned an adviser from the Didactic Program. At this time, you must meet with your nutrition advisor to plan the remaining coursework needed according to the approved curriculum in place at that time. Upon declaration of the major you will be given the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics Student Handbook which provides a student with all of the requirements, policies and procedures of the program. Students are required to thoroughly read and sign a statement of acknowledgment and agreement of all policies for continuation in the program.
Students must maintain the cumulative and DP GPA of 3.0 and minimum grade requirement in all courses to remain on the Verification Statement track. If a student’s GPA should fall below 3.0, they have until the next grading period (final grade or midterm grade) to return to the 3.0 requirement. If the student’s GPA remains below 3.O at the next grading period, the student will be transitioned to the non-Verification Statement track.
Students can repeat one DP NTR and one science (BIO or CHE) course one time; after that they need department permission for the second repeat and/ or to continue on the Verification Statement Track. A withdrawal equals one attempt at the course.
Students not pursing the Verification Statement track are not required to complete field experiences for NTR 327, 328 and 330.
Course Requirements
CHE 111 Chemical Principles 4 credits
CHE 112 Chemical Equilibrium & Analysis (lecture only) 3 credits
SOC 100 Intro to Culture and Society 3 credits
PSY 100 General Psychology 3 credits
WRI 100 College Writing 3 credits
BIO 117 Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credits
BIO 118 Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credits
BIO 127 Clinical Microbiology (prerequisite CHE 103 or CHE 111) 4 credits
MAT 110 Probability and Statistics 3 credits
CHE 203 Survey of Organic Chemistry (prerequisite CHE 111 & CHE 112 lecture only) 3 credits
CHE 217 Principles of Biochemistry (prerequisite CHE 203 or CHE 206) 3 credits
NTR 130 Food and Culture 3 credits
NTR 120 Foundations of Dietetics 3 credits
NTR 210 Principles of Human Nutrition (prerequisite BIO 112 or BIO 117, or CHE 111 or CHE 103) 3 credits
NTR 212 Nutrition for Women and Children (prerequisite NTR 210) 3 credits
NTR 220 Principles of Foods (prerequisites NTR 210, BIO 127) 3 credits
NTR 217 Nutrition Education in the Community (prerequisite NTR 212) 3 credits
NTR 300 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism I (prerequisites NTR 210, CHEM 217/NTR 200, BIO 118) 3 credits (Declared Majors and Minors only)
NTR 301 Management in Dietetics (prerequisites Junior Standing, NTR 210) 3 credits (Declared Majors and Minors only)
NTR 305 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism II (prerequisite NTR 300) 3 credits (Declared Majors and Minors only)
NTR 320 Experimental Foods (prerequisites CHE 203, NTR 220) 3 credits (Declared Majors only)
NTR 327 Medical Nutrition Therapy I, Lecture and Clinical ( prerequisites NTR 305) 4 credits (Declared Majors only)
NTR 328 Medical Nutrition Therapy II, Lecture and Clinical (prerequisites NTR 327) 4 credits (Declared Majors only)
NTR 330 Food Systems Operations and Field experience (prerequisites NTR 301, NTR 220) 4 credits (Declared Majors only)
NTR 340 Nutrition Counseling (prerequisites NTR 217, NTR 327) 3 credits (Declared Majors only)
NTR 350 Seminar in Nutrition, Capstone (prerequisites Senior standing, NTR 327, 217, 320) 3 credits (Declared Majors only)
Fulfillment of LAC Requirements
Students majoring in Nutrition fulfill the Technology, Information Literacy and Oral Performance requirements with: NTR 130, NTR 217, NTR 305, NTR 320, NTR 327, NTR 328, NTR 330, NTR 340 and NTR 350
Nutrition Minor
Nutrition Minor Mission
The Cedar Crest College Nutrition minor is committed to integrating basic nutrition concepts and interventions that promote personal, community and global health and wellness into a student’s chosen major field of study
Program Requirements for the Nutrition Minor
All Nutrition minors must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
Course Requirements for the Nutrition Minor (18 credits)
All students in the nutrition minor must complete the following core of 9 credits and all associated prerequisites:
NTR 130 Food and Culture 3 credits
NTR 210 Principles of Human Nutrition 3 credits
NTR 212 Nutrition for Women and Children 3 credits
Then select nine additional credits in nutrition from the following:
NTR 113 Nutrition and Fitness 1 credit
NTR 114 Nutrition and the Elderly 1 credit
NTR 115 Eating Disorders and Weight Management 1 credit
NTR 201 Vegetarian Diets: Principles and Application 3 credits
NTR 217 Nutrition Education in the Community 3 credits
NTR 220 Principles of Foods (lecture & lab) 4 credits
NTR 300 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism I 3 credits
NTR 301 Management in Dietetics 3 credits
NTR 305 Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism II 3 credits
With their advisors permission, students may also apply applicable course work from other disciplines to complete the nine additional credits;.e.g. PSY 260: Feeding Behavior.
