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Program Completion Requirements

Completing the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) includes earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) in HNFE in the Nutrition and Dietetics major. To complete the BS degree and the program, students must:

  • Have earned 120 credit hours as defined by Virginia Tech policies.  
  • Completed all program curriculum requirements as outlined in the Virginia Tech Academic Catalog for the Nutrition and Dietetics major. 
    • Use the Roadmap tab to see the recommended courses to be taken in different years and semesters.
    • Completed the 39 required credits for the department core.  
  • Completed the 35 required credits in the NAD major such as Community Nutrition, Health Counseling, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Science of Food Preparation Lab, among others. 
    • *22 credits are required to be taken at Virginia Tech in the DPD curriculum to ensure program quality outcomes and preparation in the core knowledge (KRDN) for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. 
    • Credit is not granted for prior work experience.
  • **Completed required courses within a 5 or 10-year period of time. 
  • Earned a minimum of a 70% score, unless specified at a higher percentage on the syllabus, on all required KRDN tracked assessments throughout the entire curriculum as stated on course syllabi. 
  • Maintained a minimum GPA of 2.8 with a grade C or better in HNFE 1004 and C- or better in, CHEM 1035, CHEM 1036 and CHEM 2535 or 2514.

*See "Courses to Take at Virginia Tech" section below.

**See "Courses to Complete Within 5 or 10-Year Period of Verification" section below.

Click on the policy documents at the bottom of this page to see full specifics on DPD policies. 

The following requirements must be met for students who have graduated from the HNFE NAD major to be issued a DPD verification statement:

  1. Overall GPA ≥ 2.8
  2. Grade of C or better in HNFE 1004 and C- or better in, CHEM 1035, CHEM 1036 and CHEM 2535 or 2514.
  3. Earn a minimum of a 70% score, unless specified at a higher percentage on the syllabus, on all required KRDN tracked assessments throughout the entire curriculum as stated on course syllabi. If students do not meet the required assessment score, remediation will be managed by the course instructor. Remediation will include the student reattempting the KRDN assessment until the required score is achieved to demonstrate core knowledge attainment, but the first attempt grade will be used for the course grade. Remediation is required for the student to successfully complete the class. See Policy #3 for details on Student Performance Monitoring, Remediation and Retention.

The DPD curriculum is designed to ensure the breadth and depth of requisite knowledge needed for entry to supervised practice to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.  To ensure program quality outcomes and preparation of students in the core knowledge (KRDN) areas, the following courses must be taken at Virginia Tech. (22 total credits)

  • HNFE 2004 Professional Dietetics (1 credit)
  • HNFE 3034 Methods of Human Health Assessment (2 credits)
  • HNFE 3114 Foodservice and Meal Management (4 credits)
  • HNFE 4025 Metabolic Nutrition (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4026 Metabolic Nutrition (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4125 Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4126 Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4624 Community Nutrition (3 credits)

Students wishing to transfer other courses into Virginia Tech must follow the university course transfer protocol. Substitutions for any required DPD courses will be processed and approved or denied following the Virginia Tech, CALS, and HNFE course substitution policies. For a DPD course with KRDN tracking, no substitution would be made without the review and approval by the DPD director and course instructor. Students need to submit the course syllabus, graded assessment(s) showcasing the KRDN(s), and a statement of learning by email to the DPD Director.  The DPD director and course instructor then review the course syllabus and assessments for required KRDNs compared to the Virginia Tech course learning outcomes and activities and Virginia Tech assessments.  In the advent the DPD Director teaches the course, the HNFE Undergraduate Program Director serves as the second reviewer. Acceptance of the KRDN completion, an individualized plan to track the KRDN in another DPD course, or denial of the course substitutions are all possible outcomes of the course substitution request. The student is notified of the outcome via email. Substitutions are not granted for courses that are required to be taken at Virginia Tech.

See Policy #2 for additional details on prior learning assessment.

Due to the dynamic nature with which dietetics knowledge evolves and practice transforms and the expectation of life-long learning for dietetics professionals, the following college-level courses (or equivalent courses) must have been completed within a 10-year period before Verification Statement is earned:

  • HNFE 1004 Foods, Nutrition and Exercise (3 credits)
  • HNFE 2004 Professional Dietetics (1 credit)
  • HNFE 2014 Nutrition Across the Life Span (3 credits)
  • FST 2014 Introduction to Food Science (2 credits)
  • HNFE 3024 Science of Food Preparation Lab (2 credits)
  • HNFE 3034 Methods of Human Health Assessment (2 credits)
  • HNFE 3114 Foodservice and Meal Management (4 credits)
  • HNFE 3224 Communicating with Food (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4025 Metabolic Nutrition (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4026 Metabolic Nutrition (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4644 Health Counseling (3 credits)

The following courses must have been completed within a 5-year period before a Verification Statement is earned:

  • HNFE 4125 Medical Nutrition Therapy I  (3 credits)
  • HNFE 4126 Medical Nutrition Therapy II (3 credits)