Nutrition and Food Science Major, Dietetics Concentration (B.S.)

Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science with a concentration in Dietetics prepares students for careers in a variety of clinical, community and wellness settings.  As part of the program, students complete a series of courses called the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and, when they graduate, receive, not only the baccalaureate degree, but also an ACEND Verification Statement which enables them to apply to a post-graduate Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Dietetic Internship, the completion of which is the final prerequisite to taking the Registration Examination to become a Registered Dietitian (RD).  

Incoming freshmen and transfer students who are interested in becoming Registered Dietitians must start their course of study in one of the other three concentrations in the B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science Program: 

• Applied Nutrition,
• Food Systems, or
• Food Science. 

Students in those concentrations who wish to be admitted to the Dietetics concentration must apply after having completed the following four courses: 

In order to be accepted into the Dietetics concentration, students must have obtained an overall GPA of at least 3.2 at Montclair State with no grades lower than a “C” (2.0).  Applications are accepted and evaluated every May, after grades from the Spring semester are posted.  Because of other General Education requirements they must complete, freshman may not be able to apply until the end of their sophomore year.  Students can apply for admittance to the Dietetics concentration as many times as they would like.

The Second Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a Concentration in Dietetics

Individuals who have already earned a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences, but who wish to become Registered Dietitians may complete a 2^nd Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Food Science with a concentration in Dietetics.  There are no prerequisites required, regardless of a student's previous field of study; however, incoming 2^nd Bachelor’s students will also have to begin their course of study in one of the other three concentrations in Nutrition and Food Science and then apply for admission to the Dietetics concentration (see above for Dietetics concentration admission requirements).  Students earning their 2^nd Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Food Science will not be required to complete the General Education or World Languages and Cultures requirements and will be given credit for equivalent major core, required, and collateral courses they have taken elsewhere.  They will, however, be required to meet the residency requirement, which demands that students complete a minimum of 32 credits at Montclair State University.  Because of this, students considering applying to earn a second Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science should weigh their options very carefully.  The Department also offers a post-graduate Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) certificate, through which students can take the same undergraduate courses required for completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and issuance of the ACEND Verification Statement.  Students in the 2^nd Bachelor’s program pay undergraduate tuition to take the DPD courses; students in the AND certificate program pay graduate tuition to take these same courses, but are not required to complete a minimum of 32 credits.  Students should determine whether to choose the 2^nd Bachelor’s in Nutrition or the post-graduate AND certificate based on the number of DPD courses they have left to complete and the cost of graduate vs. undergraduate tuition.  Those interested in applying to the AND Certificate program should contact The Graduate School.

Program Requirements

Students must complete 42 credits of General Education requirements and 3-9 credits of World Languages and Cultures Requirements.