Nutrition Sciences

Chair: Mark G. Kacerik, R.D.H., M.S., Associate Professor; Chair, Allied Health Department; Interim Chair, Nutrition Sciences Department

Director, Nutrition and Dietetics: Donald Stankus, M.S., R.D.N., University of New Haven; University of St. Joseph

Director, Nutrition Sciences Programs: Donald Stankus, M.S., R.D.N., University of New Haven; University of St. Joseph

Assistant Professor: Anisa Ramcharitar-Bourne, PhD, RDN, MB-EAT, University of the West Indies; Saint Louis University

Lecturer: Allison Arnett, MS, RD, CD-N, New York University; New York-Presbyterian Hospital Dietetic Internship Program

Our 5-year Accelerated Bachelor's + Master's program in Nutrition Sciences will give you the knowledge, training, and clinical experience to enter this dynamic and rewarding field as a Registered Dietitian or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Upon successful completion of the graduate program, a verification statement is granted and the graduate is eligible to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration exam. This program was developed in response to the credentialing changes that will take effect on January 1, 2024.

Our cutting-edge approach to nutrition education will give you an advantage in your job search, saving you time and money. The accelerated degree program allows students the opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelor's and master's degrees at an accelerated pace, to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in five years, versus a traditional path that would take between 6 to 7 years of full time academic work. All requirements for both the undergraduate and graduate degrees must be met, and students must meet all program requirements, to remain on this accelerated pathway.

Changes in the Nutrition & Dietetics Field

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 Master of Science in Nutrition Sciences program at the University of New Haven are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RD/RDN. Please note the B.S. in Nutrition Science alone is not ACEND accredited and is intended as a pathway for students interested in pursuing the ACEND accredited Master of Science in Nutrition Sciences and becoming a Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Professional Accreditation

As stated above, the undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics Program is accredited as a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.