WHAT’S THE CONNECTION between food, nutrition and health? What does it take to identify nutrition-related problems? How do we find solutions? Our Dietetics and Applied Nutrition bachelor’s degree explores these questions and more, giving you the tools you need to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
You’ll focus on subjects ranging from culinary fundamentals, nutrition, science and food service systems management. And find answers to the whys behind nutrition principles by taking classes such as microbiology, chemistry and human physiology. Plus, as you create nutrition care plans and refine sensory evaluation techniques, you’ll develop your nutritional diagnostic skills.
Our Didactic Program in Dietetics and Applied Nutrition (DPD) will provide you with the academic framework to prepare for the national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Individual states may require specific licensing or professional certification in addition to earning a degree in order to practice in the field. For more information, visit the Licensure & Professional Certification Disclosures page of the catalog.
My continuous goal as an educator is to inspire my students to incorporate the principles of nutrition into their career aspirations, as well as their personal lives.
DEPT. CHAIR KARA CUCINOTTA, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, '06
This program is available in Providence. To view a full course listing, see the JWU Catalog link below. Admissions is contingent upon you meeting the technical standards for this program. To learn more, please visit the JWU Catalog's technical standards page.
Sign up to learn more about the programs you are interested in. Talk to current students, professors and deans to get an inside look of how your life at JWU will look.
Some professions may require additional study, background checks, certifications, licenses, exams and/or experience as required qualifications for employment. Students are responsible for verifying that they can meet the employment requirements of potential employers.
Occupation
Growth
Median Salary
Agricultural and Food Scientists
7%
$64,020
Community Health Workers
12%
$39,540
Dietetic Technicians
6%
$27,140
Dietitians and Nutritionists
11%
$60,370
Health Educators
10%
$54,220
Health Educators and Community Health Workers
11%
$46,080
Health Specialties Teachers, postsecondary
23%
$97,370
Home Economics Teachers, postsecondary
4%
$71,380
Self-enrichment Education Teachers
12%
$38,720
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Job outlook: 2018-2028. Median salary: 2018.
Profile: Jen Welper '06 of Mayo Clinic
Jennifer Welper’s interest in culinary nutrition was sparked by a tragic event — the death of her beloved grandfather. “I was raised on a dairy farm in Minnesota,” the 180th Distinguished Visiting Chef (DVC) told a packed auditorium full of culinary students, many of them on the culinary nutrition/dietetics track. “Meat and potatoes country. My grandfather was only 68, and he died of complications from diabetes and heart failure. Once I arrived at Johnson & Wales, it was a revelation to learn that these diseases are preventable through proper nutrition.”
This profound lesson set Welper on a path to make a difference to others through nutrition, teaching and an unfailingly positive attitude.
As Executive Wellness Chef at the Mayo Clinic, Welper wears many hats, but much of her time is spent teaching cooking classes to give clients the tools to cook healthy food for themselves at home. “I’m very practical — I always try to make these dishes relatable and replicable in a home kitchen.”
At the clinic, Welper prioritizes the idea of mindful eating: “Be aware of what you’re eating, and really take the time to enjoy it.”
About the DPD Handbook
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) & Applied Nutrition Handbook, linked below, contains the following required information:
Accreditation status
Program mission, goals and outcomes
Program admission requirements
Cost to the student
Graduation completion requirements
Program outcomes data
Requirements to become a registered dietitian and dietetics technician, registered
In addition to classes, free elective credit can be applied to a number of options such as Directed Experiential Education (DEE), internship, minor or study abroad. You are encouraged to contact an advisor before scheduling free elective credits.
2024 Graduate Degree Requirement
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).
To explore more graduate degree programs at JWU, visit JWU.edu/Majors.
Denver Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Program Mission, Goals & Objectives** The Dietetics & Applied Nutrition bachelor of science degree program is to prepare the student for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist while upholding the philosophy and mission of Johnson & Wales University, which is to provide students an exceptional education that inspires professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth and through these guiding principles:
Undertake continuous improvement and planning for a sustainable future
Foster a teaching-focused university that encourages appropriate scholarship and offers relevant programs that maximize student potential
Enrich our academic programs with experiential and work-integrated learning
Be cost-conscious in our endeavor to provide an affordable private university education and be a good steward of our resources
Embrace diversity for a richly inclusive community
Model ethical behavior and local, national and global citizenship
Value our faculty and staff by investing in their quality of life and professional development
Provide facilities, technology and other resources to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff
Goal 1: The program will prepare graduates for professional competency integrating culinary skills with nutrition knowledge in their career and prepare them for supervised practice in order to be eligible and better prepared for the RD examination.
Objectives:
The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
70% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation
60% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
At least 75% of dietetic internship directors responding will rate program graduates as exceed expectations in culinary skills and nutrition academic knowledge
After completion of the dietetic internship, 85% of CN graduates responding will rate themselves as prepared satisfactorily for a dietetic internship.
Goal 2: To prepare graduates to be globally aware, capable of working with ethnically diverse populations including their food and culture and who also are prepared to be lifelong learners pursuing personal and intellectual growth and participating in community service.
Objectives:
At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 3 years/9 trimesters (150% of the program length).
At least 75% of dietetic internship directors responding will rate program graduates as exceed expectations in abilities to work with and understand ethnically diverse populations
After one year of graduation from a dietetic internship, graduates will indicate on their survey that they are involved in community service and are planning additional education such as graduate school
This handbook is for students who entered JWU between the academic years 2012-13 to 2016-17 and were accepted into the Culinary Nutrition Program.
*NOTE:
This program is no longer being offered and is currently being taught out at the Denver Campus. The information here is for accreditation purposes only.
Program Accreditation
The Dietetics and Applied Nutrition program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 Chicago, IL 60606-6995 ACEND@eatright.org 800-877-1600 Ext. 5400 Eatrightpro.org/acend
Accreditation Status: Accredited Date of Initial Accreditation: 6/1/2000 Accreditation Term Ends: 6/30/2023
“Culinary medicine is applied nutrition. It’s looking at evidence — a study that says ‘these foods are likely to have X result’ — and saying, ‘Here’s how we create a menu that can hopefully prevent or manage disease.’”
CHEF TODD SEYFARTH
Associate Professor
It’s all about who you are as a person. Are you able to communicate with kitchen staff as well as the athletes?
Your job is to give the athlete good food, so you need to take care of everything behind the scenes to make sure that happens.
DONNA MCCAIN '15
