Dietetics Academy

Didactic Program in Dietetics

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is administered within the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. The dietetics undergraduate curriculum meets the academic requirements as the DPD. Additionally, the curriculum for concurrent Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Diet and Exercise meets the academic requirements of the DPD.

The Didactic Program in Dietetics at Iowa State University has been granted initial accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800/877-1600.

Graduates of the program are eligible to apply for admission to accredited/approved dietetic internships/supervised practice programs. Upon successful completion of the experience program, graduates are eligible to take the national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to become a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and to practice in the field of dietetics.

Mission Statement
Goals
Outcomes
Ongoing Assessment Process

Mission Statement

The mission of the Iowa State University Didactic Program in Dietetics is to prepare graduates to successfully enter dietetic internships, a variety of employment opportunities related to food and nutrition, or graduate school.

Goals and Measures

The goals and outcomes measures for the Didactic Program in Dietetics are:

1. Provide the foundation knowledge and skills for the didactic component of the entry level dietetic education for successful participation in supervised dietetics practice programs, employment related to foods and nutrition, and graduate study.
• 85% of students who have received verification statements of academic preparation from this program and take the registration exam will pass on the first attempt.
• 85% of students in the 3rd year of the dietetics baccalaureate degree will complete requirements to receive verification statements within three years
• 85% of students accepted into the BS/MS diet and exercise program will complete requirements to receive verification statements within four years
2. Provide academic and career related advisement for application to internships, graduate programs, or employment.
• 85% of students in this program will have an after graduation plan during the semester he/she graduates.
• 60% of students in this program will place into supervised practice programs the year of graduation.
3. Contribute to the pool of allied health and professionals to provide health care in Iowa and beyond its borders.
   • 85% of dietetics respondents to the departmental alumni survey will indicate that they are confident to perform successfully in a graduate program, supervised practice program, or entry-level professional position.
   • 85% of surveyed dietetic internship directors will rate ISU DPD graduates as average or above average in comparison to most interns in their program.

   • 60% of alumni survey respondents will indicate employment in a dietetics-related position.

Outcomes

The department faculty members have agreed upon a list of 11 student learning outcomes that all graduates should be able to accomplish successfully. In addition, dietetics students should be able to achieve the competencies as specified by the American Dietetic Association (listed below).

General Department Outcomes can be grouped into four categories:

Communication
C. 1. Communicate effectively with others in one-on-one, small-group, and large-group situations.
C. 2. Prepare and deliver effective presentations (orally and in writing) of technical information to food science and nutrition professionals.
C. 3. Prepare and deliver effective presentations (orally and in writing) of technical information to the general public.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
P. 1. Successfully solve multidisciplinary problems as part of a team.
P. 2. Successfully solve complex problems on your own.
P. 3. Locate and accurately interpret current research literature.
P. 4. Summarize and accurately interpret data generated by yourself or others.
P. 5. Critically evaluate information on food science and nutrition issues appearing in the popular press. This includes distinguishing facts from claims, detecting bias, identifying sources of conflict, and evaluating assumptions.

Social Concerns and Ethics
S. 1. Conscientiously apply your profession's code of ethics in your work.
S. 2. Discuss the social, multicultural, and environmental dimensions of issues facing professionals in your field.

Technical Skills
T. 1. Demonstrate a high level of technical competence in your field of study, so that you can perform successfully in a graduate program, supervised practice program, or entry-level professional position.

Program-Specific Outcomes include specific required technical skills for dietetics:

1. Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical evidence-based practice decisions.
2. Use current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols. 
3. Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation and use of current information technologies when communicating with individuals, groups and the public.
4. Demonstrate assertiveness, advocacy and negotiation skills appropriate to the situation.
5. Demonstrate counseling techniques to facilitate behavior change.
6. Locate, understand and apply established guidelines to a professional practice scenario.
7. Identify and describe the roles of others with whom the Registered Dietitian collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services.
8. Use the nutrition care process to make decisions, to identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions, including medical nutrition therapy, disease prevention and health promotion.
9. Apply knowledge of the role of environment, food and lifestyle choices to develop interventions to affect change and enhance wellness in diverse individuals and groups.
10. Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
11. Apply management and business theories and principles to the development, marketing and delivery of programs or services.
12. Determine costs of services or operations, prepare a budget and interpret financial data.
13. Apply the principles of human resource management to different situations.
14. Apply safety principles related to food, personnel and consumers.
15. Develop outcome measures, use informatics principles and technology to collect and analyze data for assessment and evaluate data to use in decision-making.
16. Explain the impact of a public policy position on dietetics practice.
17. Explain the impact of health care policy and administration, different health care delivery systems and current reimbursement issues, policies and regulations on food and nutrition services.

Ongoing Assessment Process

Faculty members are responsible for the curriculum and its associated learning experiences allowing a student to earn a degree. Therefore, faculty members assume the responsibility to assess the success of the curriculum by examining the degree to which learner outcomes are achieved. The departmental Outcomes Assessment Committee provides oversight for the ongoing outcomes assessment process.