2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R

Family and Consumer Sciences: Dietetics Concentration (1217), B.S.F.C.S.


Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (B.S.F.C.S.)


The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is to prepare professionals who help promote a better quality of life for individuals and families, enhancing the interrelationships of people and communities in diverse social, economic and physical environments. For graduates who wish further specialization, the curriculum prepares them for advanced training or degrees such as UT Martin’s Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences. 

All students completing this major receive the degree Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences. The major is called Family and Consumer Sciences, and students will select one of the following seven concentrations: 

Child and Family Studies 
Dietetics 
Family and Consumer Sciences Education 
Fashion Merchandising 
Food and Nutrition 
Gerontology 
Hospitality and Food Service Management 

For more information about the major in Family and Consumer Sciences, please contact: 

Keith Dooley 
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences 
wdooley@utm.edu 
731-881-7100 
utm.edu/fcs 

Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (B.S.F.C.S.) - Concentration in Dietetics


The Dietetics Concentration is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600, Ext. 5400, acend@eatright.org. A Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is the formal name for a nationally accredited dietetics program, and students must be formally accepted into the DPD program in order to graduate with the dietetics concentration at UT Martin. The mission of the DPD is to prepare graduates for accredited dietetics master’s degree programs, which are required to be eligible to take the registration examination. Grounded in adult education theory, the science-based curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, teamwork, and authentic application of information. Graduates will acquire the skills necessary for both dietetics-related professional practice and lifelong learning. The philosophy of the DPD is that graduates should contribute to an improved quality of life for the people of their communities while functioning effectively as individuals, family members, citizens, family and consumer scientists, and dietetic professionals. Program goals and student goals are listed in the DPD Student Handbook that is distributed to all students admitted to the dietetics concentration. 

Students who successfully complete the DPD will receive verification statements in addition to an undergraduate degree in family and consumer sciences. They are then qualified to complete an accredited graduate dietetics program that includes supervised practice. Upon successful completion of an accredited graduate program in dietetics, the individual is eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). RDNs primarily work in clinical settings such as hospitals or medical centers, providing medical nutrition therapy. RDNs may also work in community settings such as WIC, Extension, county health departments, administrative positions in state and federal government, as well as work as foodservice directors, sports dietitians, industry representatives, researchers, educators, and as private consultants. Detailed information is available from the dietetics program director about special costs and requirements of students in the program.  
 

General Education 

38 hours 

Family and Consumer Sciences Core Courses 

13 hours 

Family and Consumer Sciences Component Courses 

38 hours 

Biological and Physical Systems Component Courses 

24 hours 

Business Component Courses 

15 hours 

Professional Development Component Courses 

9 hours 

Minor  

Optional 

TOTAL 

137 hours 

 

For more information about the concentration in Dietetics, please contact: 

Amy Richards 
DPD Program Director 
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences 
aricha54@utm.edu 
731-881-7742 
utm.edu/fcs 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS


  

  • 120 credit hours are required 
  • Minimum 30 credit hours completed at The University of Tennessee at Martin 
  • 36 credits in Upper Division coursework (courses numbered 300-499) 
  • Minimum 60 credits earned at an accredited four-year institution required. 
  • A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 is required. 
  • A minimum institutional GPA of 2.0 is required. 
  • Must meet all General Education Requirements 
  • Must meet all Major Requirements 
  • If a Minor is required, must meet all Minor Requirements  
  • Must meet all Exit Exam Requirements 
    • General Education Exam 
    • Major Field Test / Exit Exam 
  • If a student is admitted to the University of Tennessee at Martin with documented entrance deficiencies OR is subject to mandatory placement requirements, then the student must meet those requirements.  

COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE


  

Guidance for choosing general education courses: CHEMISTRY SEQUENCE:  Students are strongly encouraged to take the CHEM 121 - CHEM 122 sequence in their freshmen or sophomore year to satisfy the Biological and Physical Systems part of the University-Wide General Education requirements. These courses must be taken in order to be admitted and to advance in the program, and failing to take them as General Education courses may result in additional time needed to complete the program. 

Note to students: The Dietetics Concentration requires specific courses be completed in order to meet national accreditation standards and to prepare students for accredited graduate dietetics programs.  Many of these required courses are also options within the University-Wide General Education requirements. However, if a student completes a course that meets a University-Wide General Education requirement but does not meet the requirements for the dietetics concentration, the student may need to complete additional coursework in order to meet requirements for the degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics. 

Concentration in Dietetics (82 credit hours)


Program-Specific Degree Requirements  

  • Students seeking to be admitted to the didactic program in dietetics (DPD) must meet the following requirements before applying:  
  • be enrolled in the Dietetics concentration  
  • have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better 
  • earn a grade of C or better in each of the following courses:  BIOL 140, CHEM 121, CHEM 122, FSCI 200, FSMG 312, and NUTR 100 
  • complete an application packet, which includes DPD admission application and current transcripts from UT Martin and any other relevant universities or colleges attended 
  • complete an interview with dietetics faculty 
  • If a student needs to carry more than 20 hours at one time, special permission of the dean of the college is required 
  • Family and Consumer Sciences majors minoring in another subject may count up to two courses that are common to both the major and the minor 
  • A minor is optional 

Course Requirements


Family and Consumer Sciences Core Courses (required for all Family and Consumer Sciences majors): 

Concentration in Dietetics


Family and Consumer Sciences Component Courses:


Biological and Physical Systems Component Courses:


Business Component Courses:


A minor is optional.


ADDITIONAL NOTES


  • Students must complete all required Dietetics concentration coursework and maintain a 3.0 GPA to earn a verification statement of eligibility for nationally accredited graduate programs in dietetics. Acceptance into and completion of a nationally accredited graduate program in dietetics is required to be able to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.  
  • DISCIPLINARY/TERMINATION PROCEDURES:  Students falling below the 3.0 cumulative GPA once being admitted to the DPD will be sent a letter and individually advised that their GPA is below the minimum requirement for retention and will be placed on probation for one semester. Students on probation will be allowed that semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above. If, by the end of the semester, their GPA is not at 3.0 or above, they will be dismissed from the DPD program and be advised on other possible programs of study. Students may re-apply to the DPD program one time following a dismissal. 
  • The concentration can be completed in 120 credit hours if students work with their advisor to select the correct sequence of courses.