Department of Nutrition & Dietetics

Undergraduate Program

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers two (2) Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics concentrations, one a Didactic Program in Dietetics and one in Community Nutrition and Food.

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is a rigorous undergraduate program culminating in a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics degree. The UNF Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995.

Program graduates are encouraged to pursue the registered dietitian (RD) credential (also called registered dietitian nutritionist, or RDN) which requires the completion of a post-baccalaureate ACEND accredited dietetic internship, Master's degree, and passage of the national RD examination. This credential is needed to fully practice nutrition and dietetics in Florida and in most other states. RD's work with diverse populations in a variety of settings including hospitals, out-patient and wellness centers, clinics, food and supplement companies, health agencies, nursing homes, supermarkets, school districts, universities, and mental health centers. Many RD's are business owners as well. To learn more about the nutrition profession and dietetic internships, visit the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. View the program requirements.

After earning the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics degree in the DPD concentration, graduates can sit for the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician (NDTR) examination and the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) examination and seek employment in a clinical, food service, or community setting. Other options are to seek advanced education or employment in nutrition education, food service, program management, sales, or health and fitness.

Beginning in the Fall of 2023, we will offer all our upper-level DPD courses online in addition to the face-to-face format. Junior level classes will be available online beginning in Fall 2023 and all upper-level classes will be available starting Fall of 2024. The online offering does not include the required prerequisites (except for FSS1202 and FSS1202L); only those listed as “Concentration Requirements” in the program of study will be offered online.

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics also offers an academic concentration in Community Nutrition and Food (CNF) within the Nutrition and Dietetics major. Students in the CNF concentration have opportunities to participate in a very active food recovery program, strengthen leadership skills, participate in research projects with faculty, attend professional nutrition and food conferences, join student clubs, write articles for a student-led monthly publication, and more. Students in this concentration can earn a Minor in Food Systems and Sustainability with just two additional classes. The CNF concentration prepares students to take the Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional Examination. Program graduates can seek jobs as Nutrition and Food Educators, Food Service Managers, Food and Nutrition Writers and Bloggers, Recipe Developers, and Program Directors. Graduates may pursue advanced academic degrees as well. View the program requirements.

Graduate Program

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers: 1) a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with three specialization options and 2) a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition (DCN). In addition, the Department offers an additional pathway to obtaining the supervised practice required to become a registered dietitian known as the ISPP program.

Option 1: Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic Internship

The Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic/Internship option enables graduates from ACEND approved didactic programs in dietetics to fulfill the requirement for a pre-professional supervised practice experience and become eligible to sit for the National Registered Dietitian (RD) Examination in addition to their program of study. This program of study is specifically designed for students who wish to simultaneously complete an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship and a Master of Science degree in nutrition that emphasizes the application of advanced nutrition knowledge in clinical, public health, and/or community settings, or for those who wish to advance studies toward a doctoral degree. Fifteen students are admitted each fall to this four-semester full-time program and students must complete both the master's degree and internship experience in order to receive a verification statement and sit for the Dietetic Registration (RD) Exam. This is a 35 credit hour program. View admission and degree requirements for the The MS/Dietetic Internship.

For students that have placed to free-standing dietetic internships (such as Pasco County Dietetic Internship, Advent Health Dietetic Internship, Tampa VA Dietetic Internship, NutritionInc Dietetic Internship, UNF ISPP program), the UNF Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers a compressed, online Master's of Nutrition and Dietetics that has been affiliated with your dietetic internship. The 35-hours of coursework begins in Summer B and completes in Summer A for completion in 12 months.

Option 2: The Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Professional Studies Option

The online Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Professional Studies option is for Registered Dietitians who wish to pursue graduate training. The program is 35 credit hours and is completely online. The concentration allows students to pursue an independent research project as a culminating experience in their master's program or 6 pre-approved credits through a series of projects, field experience, and independent study courses, respectively.

View admission and program of study degree requirements for the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics Professional Studies program

View graduate application deadlines.

Option 3 Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Future Education Model (FEM)

The Future Education Model Graduate Program is a 20-month program that prepares both nutrition major students and non-nutrition major students to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. The program integrates online didactic coursework with 1000 hours of onsite supervised experiential learning in a competency-based curriculum designed to prepare nutrition and dietetics practitioners for future practice. The program admits 15 students every Fall semester and once the student completes the 44-credit hour program, the student will earn a Master of Science degree and is eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. The FEM Graduate Program at the University of North Florida has been granted Accreditation by: The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Association: (Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; Phone: 312-899-0040 ext. 5400; Email: ACEND@eatright.org ; Website: ( https://www.eatrightpro.org/acen ).

Individualized Supervised Practice Program (ISPP)

The University of North Florida's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers an additional pathway to obtaining the supervised practice required to become a registered dietitian. It is a non-credit, non-degree program referred to as the Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP), made possible by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (Website: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend, Address:120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Phone: (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400 Email: ACEND@eatright.org). The UNF ISPP program is a distance dietetic internship track that allows motivated candidates the opportunity to find and utilize facilities/agencies in the candidate's community and other locations, and complete the required supervised practice competencies with supervision. Persons who wish to apply to the ISPP must have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) with a verification statement and did not match in the DICAS system. To apply, complete the ISPP application for consideration. View information and fees.

Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition

The Department of Nutrition & Dietetics now offers an online Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition (DCN). The DCN program is an advanced practice doctoral program with emphasis on leadership and translational research. In contrast to a PhD in Nutrition, which is generally focused on bench research, this degree focuses on practice and emphasizes production of applied scholarship and evidence-based outcomes in practice settings. The DCN will prepare practitioners for leadership roles in clinical, community or higher education settings through the course work, advanced practice residency, and dissertation.

Graduates will gain expertise and skills in leadership and public policy, medical nutrition therapy, and outcomes research to become advanced level nutrition and dietetics practitioners and researchers. The curriculum will integrate evidence-based practice in nutrition and dietetics to provide the foundation for completion of an outcomes-based research project. The significance of developing an advanced practice Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition is evident from the increasing prevalence of dietary-related chronic diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, certain cancers, and renal disease). Graduates of the program will be rigorously trained to provide leadership in dietary prevention, intervention, and treatment of chronic disease at the individual and population level.

View admission and degree requirements for the DCN Program.

Department of Nutrition & Dietetics Faculty

Andrea Arikawa, PhD, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Associate Professor & Department Chair

Program Directors

Jamisha Leftwich, DCN, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Director of the FEM Program
Casey Colin, DCN, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Assistant Professor and Director of the Didactic Undergraduate Program in Dietetics
Jill Snyder, MS, RDN, LD/N Instructor and M.S.D.I. & I.S.P.P. Director
Jenifer Ross, DCN, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Assistant Professor, Graduate Studies Program Director (DCN & MS)

Faculty

Andrea Altice, MS, RDN, LD/N, Instructor and Food Lab Coordinator
Melissa Baron, MS, RDN, Instructor
Kristin Berg, DCN, MS, RDN, Visiting Instructor
Catherine Christie, PhD, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Associate Dean
Casey Colin, DCN, RDN, Assistant Professor
Claudia Rivero, DCN, MS, RDN, Visiting Instructor
Alireza Jahan-Mihan, PhD, RDN, Associate Professor
Corinne Labyak, PhD, RDN, Associate Professor
Jill Snyder, MSH, RDN, Instructor and HUN2201 Coordinator
Zhiping Yu, PhD, RDN, LD/N, FAND, Associate Professor