Nutrition and Dietetics
Mission
The Viterbo University Coordinated Program in Dietetics
provides didactic and supervised practice experiences aligned with the Accreditation
Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. We prepare students to be
Registered Dietitians who serve as faithful and ethical leaders.
Goals
- Program
will provide professional/graduate education to a diverse student body in order
to prepare competent entry-level dietitian.
- Program
will prepare graduates who will engage in nutrition specific health promotion
activities in their first job.
- Program will provide experiences
to promote cultural competence.
Philosophy
Health
care is a dynamic, changing part of our society, and dietetics, as an integral
component of the health care system, is a changing profession. One of the
important changes that have taken place in the last few years is the growing
importance of prevention and not only treatment of disease. The hospital is now
viewed by the government and public alike as providing not only acute, but
preventive health care as well. There is an amazing growth of outpatient
clinics, public health agencies, and health education programs aimed at
prevention of problems and promotion of general “good health.”
There
is, therefore, a growing need to provide comprehensive nutritional care that
the community lacks. Nutritional care that continues over time, after a patient
has been released from the hospital; nutritional care that is close at hand;
nutritional care of a general nature aimed at large population groups; and
nutritional care provided by a dietitian who can bring personal support and science-based
expertise to bear on nutritional problems.
The
curriculum of community-medical dietetics combines knowledge and skills of both
the hospital and community dietitian to meet societal demands for comprehensive
nutritional care. A graduate of the program is a professional member of the
health care team, and as a professional person has been trained to make decisions
based upon a body of current scientific knowledge and acquired skills.
Community Medical Dietetics Program
The
community medical dietetics (CMD) program is currently granted accreditation by
the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and
Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600.
The program allows for the mastery of the foundation
knowledge and skills and the practitioner competencies for entry-level
dietitians, as set forth by the American Dietetic Association (ADA.) The
curriculum customarily consists of eight semesters and one summer session; a
five-year plan is available. The final two years of study, called the
professional phase, coordinate classroom learning with 1200 hours of supervised
practice experience in cooperating area health care facilities, including
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Hillview Care Center, and the La Crosse
County Health Department. To become eligible to write the Registration Exam for
Dietitians, both classroom and supervised practice components must be
completed.
Admission
Applicants
with an Enhanced ACT (or equivalent) score below 20 cannot be admitted as a
major. High school chemistry is a prerequisite for freshman chemistry. A
working knowledge of basic math operations and high school algebra is
essential. All of the following are prerequisites for eligibility to enter the
professional phase of the Coordinated Program:
- completion
of all freshman and sophomore level courses set forth on the Suggested Course
Sequence form
- minimum
cumulative grade point average of 2.75
- minimum
grades of B in each of the following courses, CHEM 106; NUTR 273, 340, 341; a
minimum grade of BC in BIOL 305.
Students must apply
to enter the professional phase during May of the spring semester
(traditionally the sophomore year) which immediately precedes their anticipated
entry.
The number of
eligible students accepted into the coordinated phase is limited by the number
of opportunities for placement in supervised practice facilities. In the event
applications from eligible students outnumber placement opportunities, all
eligible applicants cannot be accepted. In this situation, eligible students
will be accepted according to the number of course credits previously taken at
Viterbo University, e.g., a student who has taken all course work at Viterbo
University since the first semester of the freshman year is given priority over
the student who has transferred the freshman year of credits from another
institution. If the number of previous credits taken at Viterbo University by
two eligible students is very similar, the cumulative grade point average (GPA)
may also be used in the admission decision.
Students receive
written verification (postmarked by June 15) of their acceptance status into
the professional phase of the Coordinated Program.
Students must also complete required
immunizations and successfully complete a Background Information Disclosure
form and a criminal history check that is in compliance with the Wisconsin
Caregiver Law. Those whose criminal history check identifies bars to clinical
placement or places restrictions on client contact may not be allowed to
progress in the program.
Policy
To
remain in the program, junior- and senior-level students must maintain a
cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75, and a minimum grade of
BC in each of the following courses, NUTR 351, 352, 370, 372, 400, 472, 476.
Students who do not meet these grade requirements will be placed on academic
probation within the program for a maximum of two semesters.
Dietetics Major (Bachelor of Science in
Community Medical Dietetics)
- core curriculum and mission seminars – see
the degree requirements section of this catalog
- dietetics requirements – NUTR
273, 340, 341, 351, 352, 355, 356, 368, 370, 371, 372, 373, 400, 401, 470, 471,
472, 473, 476
- support courses – BIOL
104, 114, 296, 305, CHEM 106 or 120, 140 or 240, MATH 130 or 230, PSYC 100 or 171,
270, 424
- final degree requirements – see
the degree requirements section of this catalog
The total credits of the major and support course
requirements are 100-105. The core curriculum and mission seminars require 38-52
credits. A total of 128 credits, 43 of which need to be at the 300/400 level,
are required to graduate. Transfer course and waivers and/or substitutions
could modify these credit totals.