concentration in

Nutrition and Dietetics

Agricultural Sciences

The Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural sciences, with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics, provides a well-rounded education with hands-on experience that will give you the knowledge and training you need to pursue a career as a dietitian.

Program Highlights

Nutrition and Dietetics Program Highlights

The mission of McNeese’s bachelor’s degree program in agricultural sciences, with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics, is to prepare undergraduate students academically and professionally for a career in dietetics through professional development and self-directed learning. Program curriculum explores topics in counseling education, behavior modification, malnutrition identification and how to use the nutrition care process to facilitate changes for an individual. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, this degree program prepares students for supervised postgraduate practice, a necessary component to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Program goals include:

Prepare graduates for successful entry into a dietetic internship and/or a graduate program.
Produce professionals who, upon completion of the dietetic internship in nutrition and dietetics, are skilled entry-level dietitians.

A direct pathway to becoming a registered dietitian

After graduation, nutrition and dietetics students can apply to be pre-selected for the university’s dietetic internship and master’s degree program in nutrition and wellness. Internship experience is required to be able to sit for the national registered dietitian exam.

While most nutrition and dietetics majors must wait until spring of their last semester to find out if they have been accepted into an internship, McNeese students can apply before their last semester for early acceptance.

For more on the dietetic internship and other program information, see the Student Handbook.

At a Glance

Degree Type: Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Degree Program: Agricultural Sciences

Program Length: 4 years (120 credit hours)

Availability:

Program Overview

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Program overview

Explore More for Nutrition and Dietetics Majors

With team-building exercises, class projects, community service and other educational and social opportunities, the nutrition and dietetics program provides numerous possibilities for personal and professional development.

State-Of-The-Art Facilities:

The Harold and Pearl Dripps School of Agricultural Sciences houses a commercial kitchen with advanced food technology equipment for creating and testing recipes. As a dietetics and nutrition major in McNeese’s agricultural degree program, you will learn how to adjust ingredients to make recipes healthier and mass produce delicious meals for large groups of people, such as schools and hospitals.

Applied Learning:

Many McNeese alumni practice in the area and continue to give back by providing additional opportunities for learning experiences outside the classroom. In this program, you’ll have the chance to observe registered dietitians in clinical and community settings.

Experienced Faculty:

Program faculty and staff include registered dietitians and knowledgeable instructors with years of experience in all areas of practice, including rehabilitation, critical care and community health and management. They offer first-hand insight into expectations and opportunities in the job market.

Excellence With a Personal Touch:

Program instructors are invested in you and your success. Through advising, support and guidance, they’ll help make sure you have what you need to get the most from your college experience.

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Careers and Opportunities

What Can You Do with this Degree?

The nutrition and dietetics program prepares undergraduate students for graduate school programs to become registered dieticians and nutritionists in clinical, community and management settings, such as 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
Dietitians on Demand
Lafayette General Health
Lake Charles Memorial Health System
Sodexo
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Take their word for it

My Story, #MyMcNeese

“I started college at LSU and had classes that were so large that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of asking a question during class. I don’t remember any of my teachers’ names or the students in my classes. I had to come back home for health reasons and enrolled at McNeese State University, where I felt more connected to the faculty. I would sometimes struggle with life and academics but felt that my advisor provided the support that I needed to get through. I don’t know where I would be today if I wouldn’t have had McNeese and the support that it provided. I am forever grateful, and it inspired me to want to teach so that I could give back to the school that gave me my future. I also wanted to help students like me who are sometimes unsure of what they want to do. I want to be that advisor who they feel comfortable talking to about school and also about whatever else that they need. I love McNeese.”

- Elizabeth Moore, R.D.

Student Activities

The Students’ 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 dietetics and nutrition 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 Rouses Health Fair, provided healthy snacks to the Westlake Senior Center and offered free health services and workshops to McNeese students, faculty and staff.

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

Student Handbook

The Combined Master of Science/Internship Program (MS/IP) 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 Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
312/899-0040 ext. 5400
eatrightpro.org/acend

To become a Registered Dietician, a student must complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college, as well as ACEND-approved course work. Students must also complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency or food service corporation, or as part of undergraduate or graduate student study. Once both criteria are satisfied, students are 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.

McNeese’s Master of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics fulfills the required bachelor’s degree with ACEND-approved coursework component, and prepares students for post-graduate supervised practice.

Program outcome measures are available to the public and prospective students upon request.