General Program Information
The Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health (B.S.) prepares students to qualify as contributing members of the Allied Health team dedicated to the conservation of life and the maintenance of health. The B.S. degree offers concentrations in Allied Health Leadership, Cardiopulmonary Science, Nutrition, and Radiography. The program correlated classroom and clinical instruction enabling the student to be competent in a specific concentration area. This approach will enable graduates to competently perform tasks as identified in the respective scopes of practice as autonomous health care providers. Students admitted to the program must have a strong and diverse academic background that will facilitate individual judgment, critical thinking skills, and utilization of appropriate professional decision-making skills. Students must also possess psychomotor, cognitive, and affective skills demonstrating competence, flexibility, responsibility, and sensitivity to client populations.
The Allied Health Leadership concentration offers students that have previously graduated from an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) healthrelated program the opportunity to obtain a baccalaureate degree by using more of the A.A.S. credit hours than normally transfer to a four-year institution. The B.S. completion program is designed for health care providers in a medical field such as medical assisting, medical laboratory technology, cardiovascular technology, physical therapy assistant, and occupational therapy assistant. Students must complete 41 credit hours of general education requirements, 28 credit hours of allied health core courses, and 24 credit hours in the Allied Health Leadership concentration.
Cardiopulmonary Science and Radiography concentrations are designed for students who have completed one or two years of pre-professional college work (a minimum of 40 credit hours) that includes the prerequisite courses required by the major. The Allied Health core consists of 28 credit hours and the professional phase (composed of the concentration and clinical practice components) of the curriculum consists of 51 credit hours for both concentrations. The baccalaureate degree in Allied Health requires 120 credit hours.
ETSU Academic Proficiency Requirements:
Writing: Students must complete a minimum of four writing-intensive courses. At least two of these courses must be in the major field of study. At least two of the four courses must be at the 3000-4000 level.
Oral Communication: Students must complete a minimum of two oral communication-intensive courses. At least one of these courses must be in the major field of study.
Using Information Technology: Students must complete at least one using information technology-intensive course in the major field of study.
Transfer students may be subject to reduced number of intensives.
See ETSU Academic Proficiency Requirements for details.
Nutrition and Foods
The Nutrition and Foods concentration provides students with the foundation skills and knowledge necessary to provide general nutrition education to individuals as well as to community groups. The undergraduate program in dietetics is developmentally accredited as a didactic program in dietetics (DPD) by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of The American Dietetic Association (ADA).
To receive the baccalaureate of science degree in Allied Health with the Nutrition and Foods concentration, 120 credit hours must be completed. The degree program includes the general education core (41 credits) and allied health core (25 credits), nutrition and foods didactic and laboratory courses (51 credits), as well as a field experience (3 credits).
Students who successfully complete the DPD program will receive a CADE Verification of Completion Statement and are then eligible to apply for a supervised practice program (dietetic internship). Successful completion of an accredited dietetic internship will allow students to complete the national Registration Examination to become a registered dietitian. Another option for DPD graduates is to take the Registration Exam for Dietetic Technicians.
Admission Requirements
Applications will be accepted and reviewed in the semester following the accrual of 60 (sixty) credit hours. The application process will include a review of transcripts and evaluation of a written statement of personal and career goals. Requirements for admission and retention in the Nutrition and Foods concentration are as follows:
- Maintain a college GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale (developmental studies grades/quality points excluded);
- Complete science courses and all NTFD courses with a minimum grade of C or better in each course within the first two attempts.
Career Opportunities in Nutrition
Many exciting career opportunities await registered dietitians (RD). Students who choose not to apply for a dietetic internship also have several career options in education, sales, or public health.
Registered Dietitians have many career options:
- Clinical Dietetics: hospital inpatient and acute care
- Nutrition Support
- Intensive Care
- Pediatrics and Neonatology
- Diabetes
- Cardiology
- General Medicine
- Oncology
- Renal
- Surgery
- Obesity/Weight Management
- Consulting to Health Care Facilities
- Government Agencies and Programs
- Head Start
- School Food Service
- Coordinated School Health
- WIC
- Food and Nutrition in Industry
- Sales and Marketing
- Nutrition Education and Research
- Pharmaceutical and Food Companies
- Sports Nutrition
- Wellness
- Long-term Care
For those students who choose not to pursue a dietetic internship following completion of the DPD program, several career options exist:
- Dietetic Technician, Registered: Students will be eligible to take the DTR exam following completion of the undergraduate program.
- WIC Nutrition Educator
- Lactation Consultant
- Agricultural Extension Service
- Medical-Nutrition Sales
- Food Service Director
Academic Advising
Students interested in the B.S. degree with a major in Allied Health, Nutrition and Foods concentration, should make an advisement appointment by calling (423) 439-7468. Periodic advising is strongly recommended.
Expenses/Financial Aid
Tuition and fees can be found at http://www.etsu.edu/fa/fs/bursar/tuitioninfo/feeschedule.aspx. The student will incur the costs of tuition, room, board, and books. In addition, each student is responsible for all expenses related to clinical education including health and liability insurance, health screening, personal, and incidental expenses.
For more information:
Department of Allied Health Sciences:
(423) 547-4900
Fax: (423) 547-4921
ETSU Didactic Program in Dietetics web site: http://www.etsu.edu/ crhs/alliedhealth/nutrition
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