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Post-Baccalaureate Program

This program is for students who have a bachelor's degree and wish to complete the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) coursework to earn their DPD Verification Statement.

Students interested in completing post-baccalaureate Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) coursework in order to obtain a Verification Statement must hold a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent. The DPD Verification Statement is required to enter many supervised practice programs, including dietetic internships. Obtaining supervised practice is a required step in order to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). For more information about pathways to becoming an RDN, visit: https://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/careers-in-dietetics.

FAQs

  • I have a bachelor’s degree from another university. Can I earn a Verification Statement from UGA?

    Yes. You have two options to complete the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) course requirements at the undergraduate level. You may also combine the DPD coursework with a non-thesis MS degree. You must be accepted as a student at the University of Georgia for all options. 

    Option 1. Complete a second bachelor’s degree in dietetics. If you have more than 16 credit hours of coursework for the DPD, you must complete a degree in dietetics.  Once admitted, your previous coursework will be evaluated and you will be advised of the courses needed to complete a degree in dietetics. A DPD Verification Statement will be issued to you upon successful completion of the dietetics degree. Visit this page to learn more (https://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/undergraduate/dietetics).

    Option 2. Apply as a post-baccalaureate, non-degree seeking, student and complete remaining coursework needed to meet dietetics knowledge requirements. This option is available only if you have 16 credit hours or less of DPD coursework to complete. A DPD Verification Statement will be issued to you upon successful completion of this coursework. To apply to the post-baccalaureate program, visit this page (https://www.admissions.uga.edu/admissions/other-students/post-baccalaureate/).

  • I am a graduate student at UGA. Can I take courses to earn my Verification Statement?

    Yes. You can take the DPD courses in addition to what is required for your graduate program. In some cases, courses can be used toward both the DPD verification and a graduate degree. 


    The following programs may also be combined with DPD coursework with your research advisor's approval.

  • I completed my degree at a university outside of the United States. Can I earn my Verification Statement from UGA?

    Yes. Before applying or upon acceptance to UGA, you will need to have your academic degree(s) validated as equivalent to the bachelor’s degree conferred by a U.S. regionally accredited college or university before your program of study can be determined. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a list of agencies that will perform this service: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/international-students/foreign-degree-evaluation-agencies. The report should be sent to you directly, and you must then forward this to the DPD director.

    For more information about education and RD credentialing requirements for those with foreign degrees, visit: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/international-students

    Additionally, UGA Admissions has a helpful site for international applicants: https://www.admissions.uga.edu/admissions/international/

  • I would like to complete courses online. Can I complete coursework remotely to earn my Verification Statement?

    The majority of the dietetics courses are seated, in-person courses offered during daytime hours on campus. 

  • What courses are required for the Verification Statement?

    You will need to complete the following courses with a minimum of a “C” grade in addition to meeting a set of specific knowledge requirements in order to receive a DPD Verification Statement from the University of Georgia:

    BIOL 1107-1107L, Biology I
    CHEM 1211-1211L, Freshman Chemistry I
    CHEM 1212-1212L, Freshman Chemistry II
    Course in statistics
    Course in psychology
    COMM 1110 or 1500
    CHEM 2211-2211L, Modern Organic Chemistry I (requires General Chemistry as prerequisite)
    CBIO 2200-2200L, Anatomy and Physiology I
    CBIO 2210-2210L, Anatomy and Physiology II
    MIBO 2500, Microbiology and Health Care or 3500, Introductory Applied Microbiology
    BCMB 3100, Introductory Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    NUTR 2100, Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
    NUTR 3100, Macronutrients and Energy Balance
    NUTR 3600-3600L, Food Principles
    NUTR 3610-3610L, Quantity Food Production
    NUTR 4070, Research Methodology in Human Foods and Nutrition
    NUTR 4100, Micronutrient Nutrition
    NUTR 4500, Medical Nutrition Therapy I
    NUTR 4510, Nutrition Related to the Human Life Cycle
    NUTR 4520, Clinical Nutrition Interventions
    NUTR 4530, Medical Nutrition Therapy II
    NUTR 4540, Public Health Nutrition
    NUTR 4600, Food and Nutrition Policy
    NUTR 4610, Foodservice Procurement and Financial Management
    NUTR 4620, Management of Foodservice Organizations
    NUTR 4660, Nutrition Education Methods
    NUTR 4645, Functional and Nutritional Properties of Foods
    NUTR 5900, Professional Development in Nutritional Sciences

    In order to use courses from a different university to meet DPD requirements, a course description and syllabus must be provided to the program director. If, upon review, the course is deemed to be equivalent to a UGA course in our DPD program and the grade for the course is a “C” or better, the course will be accepted as a substitution. If certain learning objectives or knowledge requirements for registered dietitians (KRDNs) are not covered in the substituted course, students will be assigned that material as an independent study to assure all KRDNs are met. Prior work or volunteer experience cannot be used for course credit. To receive a DPD Verification Statement from our program, a minimum of 15 credits must be taken in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UGA.

  • How do I apply for this program?

    You must first complete the Post-Baccalaureate DPD Application for preliminary consideration.

    Once your Post-Baccalaureate DPD Application has been reviewed, and you are notified that there is an available seat in the program, you must apply for admission to the University of Georgia. Visit the sites below to obtain application information and deadline dates specific to the program you are applying to:

    Second BS degree in dietetics (Required if you have more than 16 credit hours of NUTR coursework to complete. Coursework from your previous institutions will be transferred to UGA). https://www.admissions.uga.edu/admissions/ 

    Non-Degree Post-baccalaureate DPD coursework (Available if you have 16 or fewer credit hours of NUTR coursework to complete. Coursework from your previous institutions will NOT be transferred to UGA, as this is a non-degree path).
    https://www.admissions.uga.edu/admissions/other-students/post-baccalaureate/ 

    Graduate Degree + Post-baccalaureate DPD coursework (Available if you wish to obtain a DPD Verification Statement while earning your graduate degree).


    The following programs may also be combined with DPD coursework if approved by your research advisor.

Meet the DPD Director

Contact

Emma Laing

Post-Baccalaureate DPD Application
The Post-Baccalaureate DPD Application must be submitted for preliminary consideration to the program. Once it is reviewed, and you are informed of an opening in the program, you must apply for admission to the University of Georgia. See FAQ #6 for how to apply.

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