Dietetics

The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) at the University of Wyoming is housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) at the University of Wyoming is housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Entrance into the DPND is gained only through an application process. Applicants must follow the admission protocol outlined in Appendix A. Each prospective DPND student will initially enter the Human Nutrition and Food option. Students will be eligible to apply to the DPND at the end of the spring semester of their sophomore year if they have completed the required list of prerequisite courses and meet both the established minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and minimum GPA in the specific prerequisite courses (see Appendix A). Once admitted to the program, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and receive a minimum grade of C in every course in the program including those taken in the semester of entry in order to earn a Verification Statement. Courses with grades of less than C must be repeated within one year for the student to remain in the program. If your GPA falls below 3.0, you will be considered to be on probation from the DPND. If your GPA does not increase the following semester, you could be removed from the program and placed back in the Human Nutrition and Food concentration. The DPND application for admission can be found in Appendix B. The DPND is structured to have four remaining semesters after acceptance with the upper division courses designed as professional dietetics courses.

If you have an existing bachelor’s degree from another institution and are interested in completing the necessary coursework to obtain a DPND Verification Statement from the University of Wyoming, you must first meet all UW general admission requirements. The DPND Director will evaluate your previous academic preparation and identify the remaining coursework needed to earn the Verification Statement. When you begin this coursework at UW, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 will be required in your first semester and a grade of B or better must be earned in your first two required science courses for acceptance into the DPND. For students requesting course substitutions, the Office of the Registrar first determines if prior coursework meets the university’s transfer credit acceptance criteria and course equivalency. For DPND professional classes, the Program Director may request to see course syllabi and/or textbooks. Although some course substitutions may be made, please note that in order to obtain a Verification Statement from the UW DPND, the following courses must be taken from UW: FCSC 4145 Advanced Nutrition, FCSC 4150 Experimental Foods, FCSC 4210 Therapeutic Nutrition I, FCSC 4220 Therapeutic Nutrition II, and FCSC 4230 Therapeutic Nutrition Counseling. All courses required for a Verification Statement must be completed with a grade of C or better.

If your existing bachelor’s is from UW, you must meet the criteria for returning students. When you begin the coursework for your Verification Statement, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 will be required in your first semester and a grade of B or better must be earned in your first two required sciences courses for acceptance into the DPND. Although some course substitutions may be made, please note that in order to obtain a Verification Statement from the UW DPND, the following courses must be taken from UW: FCSC 4145 Advanced Nutrition, FCSC 4150 Experimental Foods, FCSC 4210 Therapeutic Nutrition I, FCSC 4220 Therapeutic Nutrition II, and FCSC 4230 Therapeutic Nutrition Counseling. All courses required for a Verification Statement must be completed with a grade of C or better.

The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) requires 120 overall credit hours that include University Studies courses (general education requirements also known as USP), Family and Consumer Sciences core courses, and specific dietetics courses as described in the University of Wyoming Catalog.

The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) requires 120 overall credit hours that include University Studies courses (general education requirements also known as USP), Family and Consumer Sciences core courses, and specific dietetics courses as described in the University of Wyoming Catalog. Of the total, a minimum of 42 credit hours must be upper division (3000 level and above). Thirty (30) of the upper division credit hours must be from UW. The program is structured for eight consecutive semesters – four before application to the DPND and four after admission to the program. The DPND coursework ranges from human nutrition and food science to sociology, psychology, mathematics, management, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, and microbiology. Proper course sequencing is critical to the successful completion of your degree within the desired time frame. Planning your class schedule using the program check sheet is done with your academic adviser each semester during advising week.

DPND students should be prepared for the following program expenses:

DPND students should be prepared for the following program expenses:

• Tuition and fees; financial aid; books and course packets; room and board for attending the University http://www.uwyo.edu/sfa/cost_of_attendance
• Local transportation to off-campus facilities approximately $50
• Lab coat $20.00 to $40.00
• Slip resistant shoes $50 to $100
• Health insurance as per the University requirements
• Immunizations (university requirements: MMR, Hepatitis B) and current TB screening
• Student membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) $50.00
• Dietetic Internship Computer Application Service (DICAS) $45.00 minimum
• D & D Digital computer matching fee $50.00
• ServSafe Online Test Voucher $36.00
• Nutrition Terminology Reference Manual (eNCPT): Dietetics Language for Nutrition Care $50
• Additional optional costs (eg, attendance at the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) ($400-$600)

Accreditation is necessary because dietetics is a unique profession that requires a defined educational process based on established national standards.

Accreditation is necessary because dietetics is a unique profession that requires a defined educational process based on established national standards. The accreditation process requires a detailed description of how a specific DPND meets the national educational standards and an on-site evaluation by accreditation reviewers. The process is completed every seven years and is undertaken by:

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Phone: (800) 877-1600 ext. 5400 or (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400

ACEND is responsible for setting the national standards and for evaluating, recognizing, and publishing the list of programs that meet these standards. The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Wyoming is fully accredited.

The ACEND Verification Statement is an official document that indicates the completion of course requirements for the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) at the University of Wyoming.

The ACEND Verification Statement is an official document that indicates the completion of course requirements for the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) at the University of Wyoming. Prior to graduation, all DPND seniors should complete the Verification Statement Request Form, which is available either from the DPND Director or in Appendix C of the handbook, and submit it to the DPND Director. Students must make a request through the Office of the Registrar to have an official transcript sent to the Program Director after graduation. Preparation of the Verification Statement is done after the Office of the Registrar posts your degree with passing grades in all courses and your official final transcript has been received. Each graduate will be given six signed Verification Statements. An original signature from the DPND Director must appear on the Verification Statement in colored ink. Copies of this form are not acceptable for official verification. Graduates accepted into a Dietetic Internship (DI), Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) or Coordinated Master’s Program will be required to provide a Verification Statement with the DPND Director’s original signature in blue ink. A Verification Statement is also required to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians. Therefore, it is a good idea to file these in a safe place. A permanent record of your academic program along with a Verification Statement is kept in the department files. If in the future you need additional Verification Statements for application to an internship, employment, or licensure, please make a request in a timely manner to the DPND Director at the University of Wyoming.