Nutrition and Food Science, Dietetics and Nutrition Management Concentration

The Dietetics and Nutrition Management concentration provides a broad background in clinical nutrition, health promotion, and food service management. The science-based curriculum includes nutritional assessment, application of food theory, nutrition metabolism, and course work focusing on nutritional counseling and medical nutrition therapy. This concentration is open to all students interested in becoming registered dietitians by preparing students for an accredited dietetic internship (see note below) and a professional career in medical nutrition therapy or community-based nutrition programs.

This program is an Accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Students must qualify to continue in the Accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) by meeting the prerequisites for the Dietetic Practice Seminar course (FSHN 392) in their junior year. These prerequisites are an overall GPA of 3.000 and grades of "B" or better in FSHN 150, FSHN 300, FSHN 301, CHEM 107/CHEM 108, CHEM 111/CHEM 112/CHEM 113, CHEM 245, CHEM 246, LIFE 102, BZ 110/BZ 111, BMS 300, and BMS 302. Students who do not meet these requirements are encouraged to exercise their repeat/repair options in those courses which are lower than a "B" grade if they wish to be considered for the DPD option or seek other nutrition-related concentration options. Students may also choose to focus their education toward specific populations by taking specific courses related to childhood nutrition or gerontology nutrition, in addition to the required courses for the DPD.

The Childhood Nutrition option prepares students for supervisory positions in the school nutrition program. The Gerontology Nutrition option prepares students for supervisory positions in food service management for long-term care and rehabilitation, or for working with community programs providing nutrition services to older individuals. 

Please note: To become a registered dietitian, one must: 1) complete the required coursework and obtain the B.S. degree in Dietetics and Nutrition Management; 2) complete an 8-12 month accredited dietetic internship AFTER finishing the B.S. degree; and 3) earn a master's degree (effective January 2024). Internships are facilitated separately from obtaining the B.S. degree, and all internships require a vigorous application process. Earning the B.S. degree in the Dietetics and Nutrition Management concentration at CSU is one step toward becoming a registered dietitian, but it is insufficient without then completing the internship and earning a master's degree. After completion of a the internship and master's degree, one is then eligible to take the registration exam, the final step toward becoming a registered dietitian. The registered dietitian credential is awarded after successfully passing the registration exam and is facilitated by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

• Accredited Didactic Program Option
• Childhood Nutrition Option
• Gerontology Nutrition Option

Learn more about the Dietetics and Nutrition Management concentration on the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition website.

Application Materials

All applicants for admission must submit an online application, $50 application fee or fee waiver request, and academic transcripts. Freshman/first-year applicants are required to submit a personal statement. The application includes an optional Academic Explanation section for applicants to provide more context for their performance and/or enrollment history. Recommendations and ACT/SAT scores are not required. The Office of Admissions may request additional information before completing a full review of an applicant’s application file.

Refer to the appropriate application guides for details.

Application Fee or Fee Waiver

An application fee is required as part of a complete application; a decision cannot be rendered without it. If payment of the application fee presents a financial hardship, applicants can request a fee waiver.

Refer to the Office of Admissions website for the application fee refund policy.

High School Transcript and proof of graduation (or equivalent)

High school performance, as reflected on a student's transcript(s), is an essential component of the admission decision for all freshman/first-year applicants and for transfer applicants with fewer than 30 post-high school credits.

High school transcripts for transfer applicants with more than 30 post-high school credits are considered only when needed to satisfy the admission requirement in mathematics.

All freshman/first year applicants and all transfers with fewer than 60 post-high school college credits must submit proof of high school graduation or equivalent prior to the start of their first semester of enrollment.

ACT/SAT results

ACT or SAT test scores are not required. Our review process is individualized, includes a range of academic and personal factors and emphasizes students’ efforts and achievement demonstrated over 3-4 years. Test scores are not given much weight in the admission decision and are not considered at all for scholarships. Students who wish to have their scores considered in the admission decision should email [email protected] with this request.

ACT or SAT results can be used for composition placement purposes and thus can be helpful to submit by any incoming student before orientation/registration.

College Transcript(s)

Freshman/first-year applicants typically are required to submit an official college transcript at the point of application only if college enrollment is being used as their full-time high school curriculum (such as early college, ASCENT and fifth-year programs, and some homeschool curricula). Refer to College-Level Courses Completed by High School Students for additional information.

Transfer applicants must submit an official college transcript from each college attended, regardless of the type of institution, amount or type of credit earned, and age of the credential, even if the work will be reflected in transfer on another transcript. No part of the previous collegiate record may be disregarded. Failure to include all institutions previously attended may result in the rescinding of admission, loss of credit, or disenrollment. Transcripts reflecting courses taken at vocational-technical institutes or colleges that are not regionally accredited can be helpful documentation and may be required, though they do not qualify an applicant for transfer applicant status or advanced-standing credit. 

Second Bachelor applicants are only required to submit an official transcript from the college/university from which they earned their first (or most recent) bachelor's degree. Official transcripts from other colleges/universities attended (if applicable) are encouraged if an applicant is seeking a competitive major or to demonstrate explicit pre-requisites for their new degree program.

Advanced standing credit (transfer credit) is only awarded from an official transcript.

International Applicants: Additional Requirements

In addition to the documents outlined above, applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the US also may be prompted to submit the following:

• A certified English translation of any academic credentials not in English
• Evidence of English Proficiency to be considered for direct admission
• An Immigration Information Form, financial support documentation and a copy of the passport identification page for immigration documentation

Application Timelines 

Students can begin their enrollment during fall semester (August start), spring semester (January start) or summer term (May/June start; not recommended for freshman/first-year students).

Applicants are encouraged to apply 6-12 months prior to the start of the term. Freshman/first-year applicants must have completed at least 75% of their high school curriculum (through junior year equivalent) before a decision can be rendered; transfer applicants must have no more than one academic term in progress when a decision is rendered. Second bachelor’s/post-bachelor candidates must be finished with their first degree or in their final term of enrollment with degree pending for a decision to be rendered.

Refer to the appropriate application guides for more detail about application dates and timelines.