Nutrition, Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics/Nutritional Sciences (BSNtr/MSNS)
The Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) is an accelerated program including both the coursework and the supervised practice necessary to be eligible to write the examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) within five years.
Upon completing the program, graduates will simultaneously attain both a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (BSNtr) and a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences (MSNS).
Admission
Students interested in the Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics must apply for admission after completing 60 semester hours of prerequisite coursework. Applicants to the ICPD must meet the requirements for admission to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Accreditation
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago IL 60606, (800) 877-1600.
Licensure
Completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) qualifies graduates to apply for a dietetic internship or to practice as a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR).
Students who complete the DPD or ICPD with at least four upper-division nutrition courses completed in residence will receive a verification statement that qualifies them to apply for an accredited supervised practice program. DPD and ICPD graduates who complete an accredited supervised practice program and a master’s degree (as of January 1, 2024) may become active members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and are eligible to write the examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Total Hours Required: 150
Undergraduate: 120
Graduate: 30
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 104M | Introduction to Chemical Practice I | 1 |
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| SDS 302F | Foundations of Data Analysis | 3 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 104N | Introduction to Chemical Practice II | 1 |
| NTR 312 | Introduction to Nutritional Sciences | 3 |
| NTR 126L | Nutritional Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
| BIO 311D | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| PSY 301 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| BIO 325 | Genetics | 3 |
| CH 320M | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| NTR 307 | Introductory Food Science | 3 |
| NTR 107L | Introductory Food Science Laboratory | 1 |
| NTR 317L | Introduction to Nutrition Assessment and Education | 3 |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| BCH 369 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 3 |
| NTR 315 | Nutrition through the Life Cycle | 3 |
| NTR 326 | Intermediate Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 |
| NTR 330L | Advanced Nutrition Assessment and Counseling | 3 |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| INB 365S | Human Systems Physiology | 3 |
| MAN 320F | Foundations of Management and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| NTR 334 | Foodservice Systems Management | 3 |
| NTR 234L | Laboratory in Foodservice Systems | 2 |
| NTR 370 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| NTR 342 | Advanced Nutritional Sciences | 3 |
| NTR 332 | Community Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 371 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
| NTR 327L | Advanced Food Science Laboratory | 3 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| NTR 343 | Vitamins and Minerals | 3 |
| NTR 245C | Clinical Practice in Medical Nutrition Therapy I (must be taken Year 4, fall) | 2 |
| NTR 380K.3 | Experimental Design and Statistics (instead of NTR 339L) | 3 |
| NTR 394.6 | Study Design and Research Methods (instead of NTR 338W) | 3 |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| NTR 345M | Clinical Practice in Medical Nutrition Therapy II (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 372C | Practicum in Clinical Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 372F | Practicum in Food Services Systems Management (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 373S | Practicum in Dietetic Administration (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| NTR 374C | Practicum in Community Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, summer) | 3 |
| NTR 374P | Advanced Practicum in Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, summer) | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Year 5 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: MSNS graduate-level coursework | 9 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: MSNS graduate-level coursework | 9 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| Hours chosen from: MSNS graduate-level coursework | 6 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 152 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Society | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Macroeconomics | ||
OR Choose a sequence below: | ||
Sequence 1: | ||
| Child Development | ||
| Child Development Laboratory | ||
Sequence 2: | ||
| Child Development: Honors | ||
| Child Development Laboratory | ||
| MAN 320F | Foundations of Management and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| NTR 327L | Advanced Food Science Laboratory | 3 |
| Behavioral and Clinical Nutrition: | ||
| NTR 315 | Nutrition through the Life Cycle | 3 |
| NTR 330L | Advanced Nutrition Assessment and Counseling | 3 |
| NTR 332 | Community Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 370 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I | 3 |
| NTR 371 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II | 3 |
| Food Systems Management: | ||
| NTR 334 | Foodservice Systems Management | 3 |
| NTR 234L | Laboratory in Foodservice Systems | 2 |
| Research: | ||
| NTR 373S | Practicum in Dietetic Administration (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| Professional Development: | ||
| NTR 245C | Clinical Practice in Medical Nutrition Therapy I (must be taken Year 4, fall) | 2 |
| Supervised practice: | ||
| NTR 345M | Clinical Practice in Medical Nutrition Therapy II (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 372C | Practicum in Clinical Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 372F | Practicum in Food Services Systems Management (must be taken Year 4, spring) | 3 |
| NTR 374C | Practicum in Community Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, summer) | 3 |
| NTR 374P | Advanced Practicum in Dietetics (must be taken Year 4, summer) | 3 |
| Choose a sequence below: | 12 | |
| Sequence 1: Honors | ||
| Students pursuing the honors thesis (HANS) must take six hours of each of the following: | ||
| Honors Research (taken twice for total of 6 hours) | ||
| Honors Tutorial Course (taken twice for total of 6 hours) | ||
| Sequence 2: Non-honors | ||
Free Elective | ||
| Subtotal | 61 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 55 | |
| Experimental Design and Statistics (with at least a grade of B instead of NTR 339L; must be taken 4th year, fall semester) | ||
| Study Design and Research Methods (With at least a grade of B instead of NTR 338W; must be taken 4th year, fall semester) | ||
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 55 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 10 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 10 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Subtotal | ||
| Remaining graduate coursework | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 150 | |
Degree - Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (BSNtr)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| Students must complete each course with a grade of at least C- | ||
| Basic Nutrition | ||
| NTR 312 | Introduction to Nutritional Sciences | 3 |
| or NTR 312H | Introduction to Nutritional Sciences: Honors | |
| Biochemistry | ||
| NTR 126L | Nutritional Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
| NTR 326 | Intermediate Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 |
| NTR 342 | Advanced Nutritional Sciences | 3 |
| NTR 343 | Vitamins and Minerals | 3 |
| Food Science | ||
| NTR 307 | Introductory Food Science | 3 |
| NTR 107L | Introductory Food Science Laboratory | 1 |
| Nutrition Application | ||
| NTR 317L | Introduction to Nutrition Assessment and Education | 3 |
| Critical Thinking | ||
| NTR 339L | Experimental Methods and Design in Nutritional Sciences | 3 |
| NTR 338W | Issues in Nutrition and Health | 3 |
| or NTR 338H | Issues in Nutrition and Health: Honors | |
| Subtotal | 26 | |
| Degree | ||
| Biology | ||
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| BIO 311D | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| Choose a sequence below: | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Non-honors | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Sequence 2: Honors | ||
| Advanced Introduction to Genetics: Honors | ||
| Genetics: Honors | ||
| INB 365S | Human Systems Physiology | 3 |
| Chemistry | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 6 | |
| Sequence 1: Non-honors | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II | ||
| Sequence 2: Honors | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry I | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry II | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 2 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice I | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice II | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice | ||
| CH 320M | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| Biochemistry | ||
| BCH 369 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 3 |
| Statistics | ||
| SDS 302F | Foundations of Data Analysis | 3 |
| or SDS 320E | Elements of Statistics | |
| Subtotal | 29 | |
| Total Hours | 55 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students must earn a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course required for the program, and a grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00.
Majors must complete at least 36 upper-division hours, including least 24 hours in nutrition. Majors must complete at least 21 hours in residence at the University, including at least 18 in-residence hours in nutrition.
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students must be admitted to the ICPD program.
Undergraduate ICPD students must earn at least a B in graduate coursework or they will be removed from this program and moved to the standalone Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).
Admitted ICPD students should consult the faculty advisor each semester regarding order and choice of work. ICPD students begin taking graduate courses as undergraduates during their fourth year. Students admitted to the ICPD will take and reserve for graduate credit NTR 380K.3 and NTR 392.6, replacing undergraduate courses NTR 339L and NTR 338W in the standalone DPD requirements.
As indicated in the plan of study and requirements sections on this page, some fourth year undergraduate courses are taught only once a year and must be taken in the indicated term or the ICPD student may be unable to complete the program.
Graduate Degree - Nutritional Sciences (MSNS)
Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD)
The Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) is an accelerated program that offers undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework, as well as the supervised practice hours required for professional certification to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Total hours required: 150
Undergraduate: 120
Graduate: 30
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Degree | 120 | |
| Subtotal | 120 | |
| Graduate Degree | ||
| Nutrition Core | ||
| NTR 390.1 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences I | 3 |
| NTR 390.7 | Advances in Nutritional Sciences II | 3 |
| NTR 380K.3 | Experimental Design and Statistics (taken as an ICPD undergraduate; reserved for graduate credit) | 3 |
| NTR 394.6 | Study Design and Research Methods (taken as an ICPD undergraduate; reserved for graduate credit) | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: nutrition | 3 | |
| Additional Nutrition | ||
| Hours chosen from: Areas of concentration (health promotion and disease prevention, biochemical and functional nutrition, community nutrition, lifecycle nutrition) | 9 | |
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic) | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 6 | |
| Sequence 1: Hours chosen from areas of concentration (health promotion and disease prevention, biochemical and functional nutrition, community nutrition, lifecycle nutrition) | ||
| Topics in Recent Advances in Nutritional Science (any topic) | ||
| Topics in Research Problems in Nutritional Sciences (any topic) | ||
| Sequence 2: Thesis option | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| Total Hours | 150 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students who complete a Master’s thesis are eligible to transition to the PhD program, while students who complete the Master’s Report are not eligible to transition to the PhD program.