Nutrition and Dietetics

Go to Undergraduate NUTR Programs | Go to Graduate NUTR Programs | Go to Programs and Course Listings

Faculty

Suresh T. Mathews, Chair, Professor
Patricia Hart Terry, Professor
Katie C. Coate, Assistant Professor
Donna Seibels, Assistant Professor, Director, Didactic Program
Miriam J. Gaines, Assistant Professor, Director, Dietetic Internship

Mission

The mission of the Samford University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics is to provide a comprehensive study of all areas of food, nutrition, and dietetics. The nutrition and dietetics major, foods and nutrition major, and dietetic internship all offer students the opportunity to pursue knowledge and competency in a distinctive Christian environment. The faculty of the department is committed to the preparation of graduates who are well informed, scientifically and empirically competent, self-educated, and ethically responsible. Graduates are capable of entering successful careers in foods, nutrition, and dietetics, while also contributing to the needs of their community and society at large.

Undergraduate Programs and Requirements

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers majors in foods and nutrition and nutrition and dietetics, both leading to a bachelor of science degree. Foods and nutrition majors are also required to have a 20-credit minor or cognate outside the NUTR department. The department also offers a minor in nutrition and dietetics.

A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all KINE and NUTR prefix courses within each major and minor.

University Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements  are detailed in the individual degree tables, with some exceptions. In those cases where a requirement is not specified, consult the University Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements  and the Physical Activity Program  for a list of applicable activity courses.

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Certificate/Major

Dietetic Internship Certificate 

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers a graduate-level dietetic internship certificate.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to Samford’s dietetic internship program must complete the online centralized internship application, DICAS. The fee to use DICAS is $40 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional internship application. All applications become the property of the Dietetic Internship at Samford University and will not be returned. Digital Matching: Applicants must also register online at D & D Digital for computer matching and select dietetic internship priority choices. There is a $50.00 computer matching fee.

Additional requirements:

1. Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Possess an official Verification Statement of Completion or Declaration of Intent to Complete from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), with original signatures issued within the last 5 years.
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
   1. GRE minimum scores: Verbal: 153; Quantitative: 144; Analytical: 4.0.
   2. MAT minimum score: 402.
4. Have a minimum of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale of all major courses.
5. Have a minimum of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in all science courses.
6. Submit a résumé.
7. Submit three letters of reference submitted through the application system. Two references must be from a prior faculty member, academic advisor, or other professional who has supervised the applicant’s academic studies; the other professional reference may be from an employer or other who can provide a knowledgeable testament regarding character, ethics, responsibility, potential for success, and other attributes which predict an applicant’s favorable performance in an internship.
8. International applicants or American citizens who learned English as a second language must score at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 80 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
9. Submit a Kira video interview. A link will be provided upon submission of the application.
10. Possess 150 hours or more dietetics-related and/or food service work experience, volunteer or paid.
11. Exceptions to any admission requirements will be handled on an individual basis.
12. If accepted, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. This fee is applied to the first semester’s tuition.

To apply, go to https://portal.dicas.org.

Programs

• Foods and Nutrition Major, B.S.
• Nutrition and Dietetics Major, B.S.

• Nutrition and Dietetics Minor

• Dietetic Internship Certificate

Courses

NOTE: Beginning 2013-2014, all courses formerly designated with the KINS prefix now have the KINE or NUTR prefix. Old course numbers are noted in parentheses at the end of each course description. NUTR courses are listed below while KINE courses can be found in the catalog section for the Department of Kinesiology .

• NUTR 110 - Principles of Food Preparation (4)
• NUTR 210 - Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics (2)
• NUTR 216 - Personal Nutrition (4)
• NUTR 301 - Foundations of Nutrition (4)
• NUTR 310 - Lifecycle Nutrition (4)
• NUTR 312 - Food, Culture, and Society (4)
• NUTR 350 - Community Nutrition Education (4)
• NUTR 371 - Nutrition Externship (2-12)
• NUTR 410 - Medical Nutrition Therapy I (4)
• NUTR 411 - Medical Nutrition Therapy II (4)
• NUTR 412 - Quantity Food Production and Management (4)
• NUTR 413 - Food Service Organization and Management (4)
• NUTR 414 - Experimental Foods (4)
• NUTR 416 - Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism (4)
• NUTR 490 - Senior Seminar in Foods and Nutrition (4)
• NUTR 491 - Nutrition Seminar (2)
• NUTR 493 - Problems in Nutrition (1-4)

• NUTR 501 - Nutrition Counseling and Wellness Promotion (3)
• NUTR 502 - Cultivating Nutrition Health: Strategies for Reducing Chronic Disease (3)
• NUTR 503 - Management Leadership in Nutrition and Dietetics (3)
• NUTR 504 - Supervised Practice in Foodservice Systems Management (2)
• NUTR 505 - Supervised Practice in Community Nutrition (2)
• NUTR 506 - Supervised Practice in Medical Nutrition Therapy (4)
• NUTR 507 - Supervised Practice in Child Nutrition (1)
• NUTR 508 - Supervised Practice in Lifestyle MNT (1)
• NUTR 509 - Culminating Dietetic Internship Practicum: Community Nutrition/PH Concentration (3)
• NUTR 510 - Research Methods and Applications in Dietetics (3)