Nutrition and Dietetics Study Area

The Nutrition and Dietetics Study Area is initially accredited as a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE).  Completion of a DPD is the first component to achieve eligibility to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians.  After completion of the DPD, students must complete an accredited dietetic internship.  Placement in dietetic internships is competitive and is managed through a national matching process that occurs in the fall and the spring.  We will assist you with identifying internships and with preparing your application packet for internships.  Since 2007,  Clemson University has a 42% matching rate for dietetic internships; the national average ranges from 55-61%.

   After completing the DPD and a dietetic internship, people are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians, administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.  The pass rate for first time takers of the exam is 80% nationally; the first time pass rate for Clemson graduates is 89% for the past 5 years.

   CADE exists to serve the public by establishing and enforcing quality standards for the educational preparation of dietetics professionals, and by recognizing dietetics education programs that meet these standards.  CADE is the only accrediting agency for dietetics education recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  If you have questions about program accreditation, you may contact CADE at:

Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
    American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL  60606-6995
(312) 899-0040, ext. 5400
education@eatright.org
www.eatright.org/cade

   Dr. Kunkel is the program director for the DPD and will be happy to answer any questions you have about the Clemson DPD and to share data related to our accreditation process or status.  Her office is 214 Poole Agricultural Center (P&A) and her e-mail is bkunkel@clemson.edu

Program Mission, Goals, and Outcome Measures

  The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics is to produce graduates prepared to complete dietetic internships and become entry-level dietitians, to become food and nutrition professionals, or to pursue additional educational opportunities. Graduates will be prepared to focus on service to their clients in South Carolina, the nation and the world, to utilize evidence-based guidelines in their practices; and to contribute to the generation of knowledge.

   To determine whether we are achieving that mission, faculty members identified program goals and outcomes to assess those goals.  The three overall program goals and the associated outcomes are listed below.

  • Provide and maintain a high-quality didactic program through continual review and revision
    • Learning experiences will be facilitated by faculty members who serve as role models.
      • The departmental mean score on course evaluations will be 4 or higher (out of 5) in response to the question “Overall, the instructor is an effective teacher.”
    • The overall comprehensiveness of program will have a mean rating of 2 or higher (commendable to outstanding) by graduates.
      • Graduates evaluate the program upon completion of the program.
      • Graduates evaluate the program 1 and 3 years after graduation.
    • 85% of dietetic internship directors with which graduates are placed will favorably rate the didactic program in preparing them for internships.
    • 85% of students will graduate within 6 long semesters of beginning junior year course work.
  • Produce competent graduates who are prepared for supervised practice programs.
    • 85% of students will complete the courses as outlined in the didactic program with a grade point average of 2.8 or better.
    • 100% of students will complete an electronic portfolio describing how they met each of the skill statements specified by CADE.
    • 80% of graduates over a 5-year period who take the Registration Examination for Dietitians will pass on the first attempt.
    • Scaled scores on the Registration Examination for Dietitians will at least equal the national average in at least one domain for at least three of the previous five years.
  • Produce competent graduates who will obtain careers in food, nutrition, and dietetics or who will pursue post-graduate education.
    • 80% of graduates who choose to apply to dietetic internship programs will be accepted within one year of graduation.
    • 80% of graduates who respond to a survey and who chose not to apply to dietetic internship will be accepted to post-graduate studies or obtain degree-related employment within one year of graduation.

   There are several aspects of this program assessment plan that you directly influence.  For example, we rely on you to complete evaluations in each of your courses in the department and to complete an overall program evaluation to address the goal “Provide and maintain a high-quality didactic program through continual review and revision.”  Dr. Kunkel will also review your portfolio as part of the assessment for the goal “Produce competent graduates who are prepared for supervised practice programs.”

Didactic Program in Dietetics Policies

   Students enrolled in the DPD are expected to comply with all Clemson University policies and procedures outlined in the Undergraduate Announcements and the Student Handbook.  There are a few policies that we have developed specifically for DPD students, in recognition of the uniqueness of our program.

Issuance of a Verification Statement

   A Verification Statement is an official CADE document used to verify that the graduate has completed all requirements of either the DPD program or the dietetic internship.  Verification Statements are issued and signed by the DPD Director after graduation and review of the portfolio.  A Verification Statement will not be issued without completion of the portfolio.

Travel

   The Department will purchase special risk accident insurance for students traveling in University vehicles.  Whenever students are traveling in their personal vehicles, they are covered by their individual insurance policies.

Illness/Injury while Traveling

   The Department has affiliation agreements with various facilities to which we travel that make provisions for appropriate care should a student become ill or be injured while in that facility.