Dietitian-Nutritionist Program

Prospective students with earned verification statement from ACEND-accredited program:

Interested persons who possess a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition/dietetics from an ACEND-accredited program and who have earned a verification statement, prior to the program’s June start, are eligible to apply, after reviewing the required criteria below. Those prospective students who obtained a bachelor’s degree in a related field, as well as completed the necessary requirements to obtain a verification statement from an ACEND-accredited program may also apply, after reviewing the required criteria below.

• Minimum final GPA from bachelor’s degree being used for this admissions process of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
• C’s or better in all dietetics-focused coursework (note: IUP does not recognize +/- on grades, therefore C- is not accepted)
• C’s or better in all science, math (statistics), management, and humanities (psychology, sociology, English) courses (note: IUP does not recognize +/- on grades, therefore C- is not accepted)
• Meet the Required by All Prospective Students criteria below.

Prospective students without an ACEND-approved verification statement:

Prospective students who do not possess an ACEND-approved verification statement, but completed a bachelor’s degree in nutrition or closely related field, must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum final GPA from bachelor's degree of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in a closely related field to nutrition.
• C’s or better in the following required coursework – no more than 5 years old, preferred (note: IUP does not recognize +/- on grades, therefore C- is not accepted):
  • Science minimum (no substitutions):
    • 4 cr. of organic chemistry (lecture and lab)
    • 3 cr. of biochemistry (lecture only required)
    • 3 cr. of microbiology (lecture and lab)
    • 3 cr. of anatomy (lecture and lab)
    • 3 cr. of physiology (lecture and lab)
  • Nutrition
    • 6 cr. of nutrition coursework
      • 3 cr. must be comparable IUP’s FDNT 145 or 212
  • Math minimum
    • 3 cr. of statistics
  • Management
    • 3 cr. of management
  • Humanities and Social Sciences minimum
    • 3 cr. of psychology
    • 3 cr. of sociology
    • 6 cr. of English (one must specifically be in writing)
    • 3 cr. of culture-related course
• Recommended, but not required:
  • Communications course
  • Instructional design course/experience
• Meet the Required by All Prospective Students below.

Per professional site agreements (those sites outside of IUP, who take students for experiential learning), students must be able to successfully complete the following minimum requirements, at their cost (IUP uses CastleBranch to manage and store this information—CastleBranch charges students a fee for signing up):

• PA Department of Human Services (ACT 114 FBI background check with fingerprinting)
• ACT 34 Criminal History (PA State Background Check)
• ACT 151 Child Abuse Clearance
• 17-panel Drug Screen (throughout professional site practice)
• For those students completing experiential learning at sites in Pennsylvania, who have not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the past two years, the FBI background check through the Department of Aging must also be completed.

Per professional site agreements, students must also be able to complete, at their cost, a physical, vaccinations/titers/boosters, flu vaccine, liability insurance, ServSafe Managers Certification, provide proof of valid health and automobile insurance, valid driver’s license, attendance at one state or national nutrition conference, and purchase the required uniform components for practica experiences.

Applying for the program

The successful student must meet the following criteria:

• Submission of Transcript showing degree completion.

Experience – recent

• Volunteer work (Nutrition-related or other) in community settings, required.
• Nutrition-related volunteer work in clinical and food service settings, recommended.
• Nutrition-related work experience in community, clinical, food service, other, recommended.

Goal Statement, Résumé, and Self-evaluation of Vital Standards

• Up-to-date résumé that reflects experiences referenced in the goal statement.
• Goal statement must include:
  • Which track you are applying for (in-residence, distance, or do you want to be considered for both)?
  • How did you gain interest in the field of nutrition?
  • What experiences have prepared you for the coursework and supervised practice required in the Master of Science in Food and Nutrition Dietitian-Nutritionist Program?
  • What makes you a competitive candidate for this program (strengths)?
  • What areas will you continue to work on through the program (areas for improvement)?
  • What are your two-year and five-year goals?
  • What strategies do you plan to use during the program to remain organized, to actively and effectively communicate, to maintain positivity, and for self-care?
  • What do you hope to gain from the program, and what will you contribute to the program and your cohort?
  • Why do you want to become a registered dietitian-nutritionist?
• Self-evaluation of Vital Standards:
  • Prospective students must review the Vital Standards. Students must meet these standards upon admission to the program, and enrolled students sustain them throughout the program. By applying, students are agreeing that they meet and can demonstrate the Vital Standards needed for the field of nutrition.
    • Emotional Intelligence – Students must always be aware of the world around them to drive communication, decision-making, work ethic, and manage situational stress. The recognition of self, through studying one’s beliefs and experiences, must be developed before recognizing and understanding emotions and reactions in others. While this is a work in progress for most everyone, students must have a foundation of emotional intelligence to allow embracing a variety of populations, beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.
    • Effective Communication – It is imperative that the successful student understand and demonstrate effective and appropriate communication throughout the DNP. This vital standard is a necessity for overall professionalism and building professional relationships and networks.
    • Professional and Ethical Behavior – The prospective and enrolled student upholds the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Code of Ethics throughout coursework and practica experiences and aligns decision-making with similar standards. Further, the prospective and enrolled students follow the scope of practice and standards of professional performance. These areas, as well as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are reviewed throughout coursework as well.
    • Strong work ethic – Prospective and enrolled students must demonstrate detail-oriented and timely work throughout the program. Some curriculum and requirements involve completing individual and independent work. Other curriculum and requirements involve teamwork. Teamwork requires leadership, compromise, ability to meeting set expectations, and effective communication. These attributes are also required as a professional.
    • Stress Management – Life does not stop just because a prospective or enrolled student is embarking on education goals. Earning a master’s while completing supervised experiential learning can be stressful at times. The prospective and enrolled student must have healthy coping mechanisms in place to remain positive, open-minded, and to persevere in order to develop as a future practitioner.
    • Learning Mindset – in the DNP, prospective and enrolled students are learning and growing. There are many skills students bring to the table. There are many skills that still need to be developed and fine-tuned. Therefore, as a profession of lifelong learners, no one can know everything. Prospective and enrolled students must be learning-oriented through this process. This process includes being open and willing to accept constructive feedback from faculty, field preceptors, peers, and others as opportunities present. Feedback creates a stronger person and professional.
    • Physical demands – from lifting boxes during food service receiving and inventory to palpating a patient as part of the nutrition-focused physical exam, applicants must have the physical strength to complete the required tasks associated with performance indicators and competent ices. Prospective and enrolled students must be able to lift and carry a maximum of 50 pounds.

Letters of Recommendation

A minimum of three letters of recommendation are required from academic, professional, and/or volunteerism contacts (recommended: professors/instructors from your bachelor’s program, manager/boss, volunteering supervisor). Recommenders must use and submit the related DNP Letter of Recommendation form. Applicants can download the form and send to recommenders.

• No character-only references (from family, friends, acquaintances) are accepted.

Skills

Identify your proficiency in the following, or related, programs on your résumé:

• Microsoft Office Products—required.
• Infographic programs (e.g., Piktochart) and video editing software (e.g., Adobe Spark)—recommended, but not required.

Interview and Nutrition-related Skills Assessment

Qualified Applicants (from criteria above) must complete a behavior-focused interview (Zoom or in person).

Applying to the Distance Track: Those choosing to apply to the distance track of the DNP must meet all of the above requirements, as well as:

• Submit a list of professional worksites verbally agreeing to host you during supervised experiential learning practica courses.
  • For Long-term Care
    • One long-term care site, with a registered dietitian-nutritionist (RDN) present.
  • For Acute Care:
    • One acute care site, with at least one RDN present. Size of site must be at least 30 beds.
  • For Food Service:
    • One food service management site at a long-term care facility, hospital, Aging Services facility also producing meals for home-bound participants, school, or organization producing meals for a summer food service program.
  • For Community Nutrition (all required):
    • One WIC site (either overseen by a RDN or nutritionist)
    • One Power Up Nutrition Education site (either overseen by a RDN or nutritionist), or one school district, who also instruct students with developmental and intellectual disabilities (oversight by administrator or health-related teacher)
    • One YMCA or like site (health and wellness director/oversight person)

Dietitian-Nutritionist Program appointments are awarded without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability, or military service. Marital status, age, and geographic area of the applicant are not considered.

See Admissions Requirements and How to Apply for more information.