
The Dietetics Program at Minnesota State Mankato provides students pursuing a dietetics career the highest quality advisory, academic and interactive opportunities and to develop their confidence and competency for advancement following graduation to supervised practice, graduate studies or related employment.
Dietetics majors study food science, food service management, nutrition and medical nutrition therapy. This major helps prepare men and women for careers as clinical, administrative/managerial and community dietitians. Career opportunities are described in detail at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics web site at www.eatright.org.
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The Dietetics Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato strives to provide students pursuing a dietetics career the highest quality advisory, academic, and interactive opportunities and to develop their confidence and competency for advancement following graduation to supervised practice, graduate studies or related employment.
Outcomes data are available upon request.
The philosophy of the Dietetics Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato is to provide opportunities for personal growth today and professional success tomorrow. Experienced faculty, challenging coursework, and a variety of extracurricular activities all contribute to the growth of well-rounded and grounded students. Students are guided to develop appreciation for diversity in peoples globally and to respect the dignity and integrity of each person they encounter.
Students are highly encouraged to:
Completion of the dietetics degree is the first step in becoming a nutrition professional, including a registered dietitian. Opportunities to interact with faculty, peers, registered dietitians (RD) and the community are abundant. All dietetic students complete an undergraduate internship with a registered dietitian (when possible), adding a valuable, real-world dimension to their experience. If they choose, students may also carry out a research project with a faculty mentor as part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Students receive assistance as seniors when applying to supervised practice programs (dietetic internship). The program strives to maximize the potential for acceptance into a dietetic internship for each student and prepare everyone for a smooth transition toward becoming a nutrition professional after graduation from Minnesota State Mankato.
Students who apply for graduation must meet all of the following:
In addition, to be eligible to receive a Verification Statement from the Dietetics Program Director and for eligibility for application to ACEND-accredited dietetic internships, students must have a grade of C or higher in all courses required for the Dietetics major.
The undergraduate Dietetics major is as demanding as it is rewarding. Approximately 100 majors are currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. Those who also successfully compete for and complete a dietetic internship nationally become eligible to take the national Registration Examination, ultimately becoming an RD. Please take into account when planning for the future that a master’s degree will be required by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) in order to take the Registration Exam and become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) after January 1, 2024.
Minnesota State Mankato provides the first of four steps toward becoming an RD, as follows:
Dietitians are licensed in the State of Minnesota. Graduates successfully passing the Registration Exam for Dietitians can apply for a Dietitian License from the State of Minnesota Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice.
Dietetic internships, also known as supervised practice programs, are highly competitive. A list of current ACEND-accredited dietetic internships can be found on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Placement of Minnesota State Mankato graduates on their first application has exceeded the national average of dietetic programs in five of the past six years. Also in the past five years, 100% of Minnesota State Mankato graduates have passed the national registration examination within one year of their first attempt, meeting the national goal for DPD programs. Alumna of our program are employed as clinical dietitians in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities, wellness counselors; school food service dietitians and directors, corporate wellness centers, and more.
Students choosing not to pursue a dietetic internship, or those who are not selected for one, may take the national examination to earn the credential of Diet Technician, Registered (DTR), without further training. Holders of the DTR are qualified for diet technician jobs in long term care facilities, hospitals and clinics, and food service organizations. Other options chosen by Dietetics majors after graduation are graduate studies or entry into the workforce as a non–RD nutritionist in community, public health, and corporate fitness settings or as members of foodservice management teams.
The Dietetics Program, a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, Telephone 1-800-877-1600.
Get information on applying to Minnesota State University, Mankato for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Learn about the Dietetics program, profession, and education.