Nutrition & Dietetics

The Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics

The Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in dietetics in the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences is currently being moved to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) and renamed the Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics. The BS in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics will be fully implemented in the COPHS in the Fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. This change is expected to improve the quality of the Dietetics program. There will be no changes made to the degree plan. All students currently in the program will continue to take courses according to the current degree plan.

Didactic Program And Dietetics

The Didactic Program in Dietetics at Texas Southern has Full Accreditation from The Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) until July 24, 2023. ACEND is located at 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400. http://www.eatright.org/ACEND.

Upon completion of the program, you will be eligible to apply for admission into an ACEND accredited supervised practice program (dietetic internship - DI). After successfully completing a DI, students/interns are eligible to take the registration exam for dietitians/nutritionists to become a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RD/RDN). The DPD at Texas Southern University (TSU) admits students into the program who are seeking a Bachelor's degree. Post-baccalaureate students who are interested in completing only the didactic courses (DPD) are also admitted. Registered dietitian nutritionists are food and nutrition experts who translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living, disease prevention, and management. They work throughout the community in hospitals, schools, public health clinics, nursing homes, fitness centers, food management, food industry, universities, research, and private practice. RDNs are advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: http://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree.

In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics at Texas Southern University are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program.

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here.

Admissions 

Program Mission, Goals & Objectives

In alignment with the University’s mission, the mission and goals of the COPHS, the Dietetics program at Texas Southern University seeks to provide comprehensive experiences designed to prepare students from diverse ethnic and academic backgrounds, especially African Americans and underrepresented minorities, for entry into supervised practice programs leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing examination to become a registered dietitian nutritionist by providing a series of carefully planned curriculum experiences embracing the academic knowledge/concepts and professional experiences prescribed by ACEND.

Goal 1:  The program will prepare competent graduates for supervised practice to become entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist, graduate programs, or entry-level dietetics-related careers.

 Objectives

1. At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 3 years (150%) of the program length.  
2. At least eighty percent (80%) percent of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation. 
3. At least fifty percent (50%) percent of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation. 
4. The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%”. 
5. At least eighty percent (80%) of graduates who enter Dietetic Internships (DIs) will receive ratings of satisfactory or better for acceptable preparation for supervised practice. 
6. Fifty percent (50%) of graduates will rate their Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) preparation as “somewhat agree” or better in the following domains: quality of education in dietetics, clinical nutrition practice skills, community nutrition practice skills, food service practice skills. 

Goal 2: The program will prepare graduates that will add to the diversity within the dietetics profession.

Objectives

1. At least fifty percent (50%) of the graduates will identify themselves as individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the dietetics profession.

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes information is available upon request from the program director:

Dr. Ellis A. Morrow, DCN, MS, RD, LD
Assistant Professor and Director of Dietetics
Texas Southern University,
3100 Cleburne Houston, Texas 77004
713-313-7647