Nutritional Science and Dietetics | Palm Desert Campus

General Information

The Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science and Dietetics (formerly Nutrition and Food Sciences) is appropriate for students preparing for careers working with foods, nutrition, or dietetics. Graduates with Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement (VS) are eligible to apply and complete an ACEND accredited dietetic supervised-practice program to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Graduates with VS-DPD are also eligible to take the Dietetic Technician Registration exam to become a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician Registered (NDTR) without additional supervised-practice experience. In addition, graduates may take the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) exam and work as a dietary manager to manage foodservice facilities.

Please contact Dr. Dorothy Chen-Maynard, RDN, FAND for any questions, concerns, or issues you may have regarding this program.

For more information about the program, visit the CSUSB Nutritional Science and Dietetics webpage.

The California State University, San Bernardino, Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited until June, 2028, by the:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040, ext. 5400, http://www.eatrightPRO.org/ACEND

Graduates, who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics at California State University, San Bernardino, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 and grades of B- or higher in the 3000 and 4000 level DPD courses are eligible to receive the Verification Statement in DPD, issued by the DPD Director. Graduates with VS-DPD are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program. These accredited programs are listed on the ACEND website. CSUSB’s Individualized Supervised-Practice Pathway (ISPP) Program is also accredited by ACEND. Graduates, who successfully complete the ISPP Program requirements, will receive a Verification Statement for ISPP (VS-ISPP) from the DPD Director and they are eligible to take the registration examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Information regarding ISPP is on the CSUSB-CEGE website: https://www.csusb.edu/pace/courses-programs/medical-health-care/individualized-supervised-practice-pathways-ispp-dietetic

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System* (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited DPD program at CSU San Bernardino are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program and upon completion of a supervised-practice program be apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

In most states, RDNs also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. California does not have a licensure requirement for the RDNs at this time.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN please visit: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/information-for-students

*only the DPD Director may submit the paperwork to CDR REPS.