Department Information
Department of Rehabilitative Sciences
PO Box 70260
Phone: (423) 439-7405
Fax: (423) 439-4030
104 Hutcheson Hall
Web address: https://www.etsu.edu/chs/allied-health/dhyg/
Contact for more information:
Whitney Bignell, PhD, RDN, LD/N
Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
bignell@etsu.edu
(423) 439-7537
The Department of Rehabilitative Sciences offers a B.S. degree in nutrition. One cohort per year is admitted in the fall semester, and students must then attend designated consecutive semesters to complete the program. Dietetics professionals work in health care settings where they apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide effective nutritional care of patients and clients in clinical and community settings. The dietetics practitioner uses critical thinking skills in assessing nutritional status of patients and providing evidenced-based nutrition care and medical nutrition therapy. Skillfulness in implementing nutrition interventions and monitoring the effectiveness of nutrition therapy is required at all levels of dietetics practice. The interdisciplinary health care team utilizes the expertise of the registered dietitian in planning, implementing, and evaluating nutrition therapy for patients with various disease conditions or in disease prevention. Dietetics professionals provide nutrition education and counseling to patients and clients, health coaching in out-patient settings, diabetes education and training, monitoring tube feedings or nutrition support for patients in critical care units, management of clinical nutrition departments or health care food service operations.
Upon successful completion of the requirements for the nutrition program (didactic program in dietetics), students are eligible to apply for dietetic internships where they will perform 1000 hours of supervised practice in a variety of dietetics rotations. Once the supervised practice is successfully completed, the student will be eligible to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians (RD exam). Licensure requirements for registered dietitians vary according to state statutes, but all require a passing score on the RD exam. An option for students who delay or choose not to pursue the RD credential is taking the examination to become a registered dietetic technician upon completion of requirements for the BS degree in nutrition.
Admission: Students must be admitted both to the university and to the program, requiring separate application processes. Admission to the university does not ensure admission to the program. Application to the nutrition program requires submission of the online application form and submission of college transcripts if transferring from another college or university. Please refer to the program’s webpage for the online application form and instructions. A total college GPA of 2.8 or better on a 4.0 scale including all transferable credit is required for admissions.
Retention-Progression Policy: Nutrition students will be allowed to progress in the nutrition program as all nutrition courses are completed with a C or higher and all sciences courses are completed with a passing grade. Progression status will be evaluated at the close of each semester; students receiving less than a C in any of the classes listed above will be placed on probation. A student on probation who receives a second grade of less than C in one of the courses listed above will not be permitted to progress in the nutrition curriculum. Students earning failing grades in any nutrition or science course will be reviewed by faculty to determine feasibility of progression. Following the faculty review of student performance, an individual plan for curriculum completion will be presented for consideration for any student affected.
Accredited by ACEND: Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (800) 877-1600, ext. 5400.