Nutrition and Dietetics Program Highlights
McNeese’s bachelor degree program in agricultural sciences, with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics, prepares undergraduate students academically and professionally for the next phase of their dietetics journey and future career as a registered dietitian.
The program curriculum explores topics in life cycle nutrition, human metabolism, nutrition counseling and education, behavior modification, malnutrition identification, medical nutrition therapy, and the nutrition care process. Additional topics covered, but not limited to, are food safety, foodservice production and management, community nutrition, nutrition research, and evidenced based dietetic practice.
The McNeese State University Didactic Program of Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). ACEND serves and protects students and the public by assuring the quality and continued improvement of nutrition and dietetics education programs.
ACEND’s Contact Information:
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995
1-800-877-1600 ext. 5400
Our Didactic Program of Dietetics Mission Statement:
The mission of the McNeese State University Didactic Program of Dietetics is to prepare undergraduate students academically and professionally for entry into a post-baccalaureate program and supervised dietetic internship. We strive to increase individual and community knowledge of nutrition and dietetics and challenge our students in and out of the classroom to be self-directed learners, innovative thinkers, and community leaders in nutrition so that they are better prepared to be productive members of society, life-long learners, and future dietitians who inspire a healthier world one bite at a time.
With successful completion of this program, students will earn a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement allowing them to be eligible to apply for an ACEND-accredited graduate program and/or dietetic internship. Upon successful completion of a graduate program and dietetic internship, students are then eligible to sit for the national credentialing CDR exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.
Program goals include:
Goal 1: Prepare graduates for successful entry into a dietetic internship and graduate program.
Objective 1.1: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 150% of the program length.
Objective 1.2: At least 75% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
Objective 1.3: At least 75% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
Objective 1.4: At least 60% of graduates who do not apply or do not get accepted to a dietetic internship will apply to a graduate program or begin their career in nutrition and food sciences within 12 months of graduating.
Goal 2: Produce professionals who, upon completion of the dietetic internship in nutrition and dietetics, are skilled entry-level dietitians.
Objective 2.1: Over a three-year period, the program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
Objective 2.2: Over a three-year period, 90% of the preceptors of the dietetic internship who respond to the Director survey will rate program graduates as prepared or well prepared for their programs.
Objective 2.3: Over a three-year period, 90% of graduates who complete a dietetic internship and respond to the alumni survey will rate themselves as prepared or well prepared for their dietetic internship.
Program outcomes data is available upon request.
At McNeese, we offer a direct pathway to becoming a registered dietitian.
During their Senior year of undergraduate school, nutrition and dietetics students can apply to be selected for the university’s dietetic internship and master’s degree program in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Nutritional Sciences. Internship experience and a master’s degree in nutrition is required to be able to sit for the CDR national registered dietitian exam.
For more on our dietetic internship here at McNeese and other program information, see the Master of Agricultural Sciences, Concentration in Nutrition webpage and the DPD Student Handbook.
For more information on dietetic pathways to becoming a registered dietitian, see the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website at Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (eatright.org)
At a Glance
Degree Type: Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Degree Program: Agricultural Sciences
Program Length: 4 years (120 credit hours)
Availability: in person
What Can You Do with this Degree?
The nutrition and dietetics program prepares undergraduate students for the next steps of the dietetic pathway—graduate studies and a supervised dietetic internship. After successful completion of the dietetic pathway and the national registration exam with the Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR), students can then become registered dietitian nutritionists. With registration and licensure, RDs/RDNs can practice in clinical, community and management settings like hospitals, government agencies, outpatient care centers and nursing and residential care facilities.
Graduate Schools or Programs
- Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences
- Master of Public Health
Potential Job Titles or Employers
- Accenture
- Aramark Healthcare
- Clementine Adolescent Treatment Programs
- DaVita Kidney Care
- Fresenius
- Dietitians on Demand
- Lafayette General Health
- Lake Charles Memorial Health System
- Sodexo
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
For students who do not wish to pursue graduate studies and a dietetic internship, there are options to being successful with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences. Successful completion of a Dietetic Program of dietetics (DPD) program and Verification Statement allows a student to be eligible to take the national exam to become credentialed with the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR) or as a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR). Other career opportunities or pathways include that of health educator, sanitarian, foodservice manager, and more.
Student Activities
The Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (SAND) is one of more than 100 student organizations on campus. McNeese’s chapter of SAND makes it easy to meet other nutrition and dietetics majors, all while helping promote healthy eating and wellness in the community through a variety of events and service opportunities.
Nutritional Counseling
McNeese’s nutrition and dietetics program offers a number of ways to participate in opportunities to educate the local community on topics in nutrition. For example, undergraduate students have worked with local dietitians to present information at the Rouse’s Health Fair, at Second Harvest Food Bank’s Mobile Markets, and at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital’s annual Hearti Gras gala. We have also provided healthy snacks to the Westlake Senior Center and offered free health services and workshops to McNeese students, faculty, and staff throughout the years.
Meat Production and Processing Center
Housed in the Harold and Pearl Dripps School of Agricultural Sciences, the Center for Advancement of Meat Production and Processing (CAMPP) is one of McNeese’s satellite campuses. Located in Lacassine, this 7,350-square-foot facility is used to conduct applied research related to agricultural sciences and to support workforce development by preparing students for a wide variety of jobs in agriculture and food science.
Additional Details on the Nutrition and Dietetics Program
The McNeese State University Didactic Program of Dietetics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. ACEND can be contacted at:
Accreditation Counsel for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
1-800-877-1600 ext. 5400
www.eatrightpro.org/acend
To become a registered and licensed dietitian, a student must complete the following:
- Earn a minimum of a graduate degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college, as well as ACEND-approved course work.
- Complete a supervised practice requirement (dietetic internship).
- Pass a national exam for RDNS.
- Meet requirements to practice in the state of your choosing.
- Stay up-to-date with continuing education in dietetics.
By successfully completing the bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics and meeting the course requirements of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at McNeese, students are prepared to apply for and enter into our university’s combined graduate program and dietetic internship. Once both the Dietetic Internship and the Master of Science degree are completed, students will receive a verification statement and be eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians, administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. In the state of Louisiana, once an individual obtains the Registered Dietitian credential, they can apply for state licensure.
Programs Related to the Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Dietetics
Program Contact
Geneva Breaux Girard, MS, RDN, LDN, Director of Undergraduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics and Didactic Program of Dietetics (DPD)
gbreaux@mcneese.edu