Didactic Program in Dietetics Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

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About the Program

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Certificate provides students with the knowledge and skills required to pursue a dietetic internship to ultimately become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). This is an academic certificate only and not to be used for practice or for seeking employment. Successful completion of the certificate requirements will permit a student to earn a DPD Verification Statement to become eligible to pursue supervised practice toward becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist.

*Note that as of January 1, 2024, a master’s degree is also required to pursue the RDN credential. Please see the Department of Nutrition for guidance on the best program for you.

General Certificate Requirements

Certificate requirements for the university can be found on the page below. All students seeking a certificate at the undergraduate level must follow these requirements in addition to the specifc requirements related to the certificate declared.

Requirements for Certificates

Program Requirements

Students with a bachelor’s degree who have not already obtained a DPD verification statement are eligible to enroll in the Certificate Program.
To obtain a DPD verification statement through this Certificate Program, a total of 73 credits are required. 23 credits of coursework must be taken at MSU Denver (see “core courses”) and the remaining courses can be transferred from another institution.
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above with a minimum grade of C in all required courses for successful completion of the certificate.

Prerequisite Courses: 50 credits

These courses are required for the DPD certificate program but may be transferred from another institution.

BIO 1080 - General Biology I Credits: 3
BIO 1090 - General Biology Laboratory I Credits: 1
BIO 2310 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Credits: 4
BIO 2320 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Credits: 4
CHE 1100 - Principles of Chemistry Credits: 4
CHE 1150 - Principles of Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 1
CHE 2100 - Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry Credits: 4
CHE 2150 - Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 1
MTH 1210 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4
NUT 2040 - Introduction to Nutrition Credits: 3
NUT 3300 - Cultural Aspects of Nutrition Credits: 3
NUT 3400 - Nutrition and Weight Management Credits: 3
NUT 3500 - Food Safety Credits: 3
NUT 3700 - Nutrition Education and Counseling Credits: 3
PSY 1001 - Introductory Psychology Credits: 3
RST 1200 - Basic Cooking Skills Credits: 3
HCM 3150 - Health Care Organization and Management Credits: 3

Required Courses: 23 credits

These courses must be taken through MSU Denver to obtain the DPD verification statement.

NUT 1800 - Careers in Nutrition and Dietetics Credits: 1
NUT 3150 - Advanced Nutrition - Macronutrients Credits: 3
NUT 3160 - Advanced Nutrition - Micronutrients Credits: 3
NUT 4160 - Empowered Leadership in Nutrition Credits: 3
NUT 4200 - Lifecycle Nutrition for Majors Credits: 3
NUT 4210 - Community Nutrition Credits: 3
NUT 4720 - Nutrition Capstone Credits: 3
NUT 4800 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Credits: 4

Summary of Requirements

Prerequisite Courses	50 credits
Required Courses	23 credits
Total for the Didactic Program in Dietetics Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	73 credits