Certificate in the Didactic Program in Dietetics
Description
The Certificate in the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) fulfills the didactic portion of the requirement to become Registered Dietitian. The Simmons DPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and is the first step in preparing to become a Registered Dietitian.
This Certificate, along with a Verification Statement signed by the DPD Director at Simmons and a previous bachelor’s degree, will confirm the successful completion of the didactic portion of the credentialing process for dietetics practitioners
Our Certificate in the Didactic Program in 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: (312) 899-5400.
In addition, to completing the DPD, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)requires completion of a supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and a Master’s degree (in any area) before sitting for the Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist examination. Graduates who complete the ACEND-accredited DPD program at Simmons University are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program as the next step to becoming an RDN.
In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements see https://www.cdrnet.org/state-licensure
For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN, see https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend /students-and-advancing-education/information-for-students.
Program Mission, Goals and Objectives
The mission of the Simmons University DPD is to educate students and foster an appreciation of lifelong learning in preparation for supervised practice, and success in the nutrition and dietetics profession. We aim to prepare students to be effective in a profession that improves the eating behaviors and subsequent health and quality of life of a multicultural and diverse population, a profession that adds to the scientific investigation of food and health, and one that fosters an appreciation of nutrition and dietetics' relationship to other sciences.
The Didactic Program in Dietetics' goals and corresponding program outcomes are shown below:
Goal 1: Simmons University DPD graduates will be prepared to become competent entry-level dietetics professionals.
Goal 2: Program graduates will be well prepared to succeed in one or more of the following: a nutrition-related graduate program or nutrition-related employment.
Corresponding Program objectives:
- At least 80% of students complete program requirements within 3 years (150% of planned program length).
- At least 50% of BS/70% of DPD of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program before or within 12 months of graduation.
- Of program graduates who apply to a supervised practice program, at least 55% of BS/80% of DPD students are admitted within 12 months of graduation.
- The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%
- At least 75% of graduates or better will agree to being prepared on 75% of the items (that pertain to the content they learned at Simmons) on the graduate survey.
- At least 75% of Directors of Supervised Practice will rate Simmons University DPD graduates as adequately prepared or better on 75% of items listed on the survey.
For graduates who applied to nutrition/public health-related graduate programs, 70% will be admitted within 12 months of application.
For graduates who sought nutrition/public health-related employment, 50% will be employed within 12 months of application.
Application Requirements
An applicant must hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. post-secondary institution or university abroad which is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country. GREs are not needed, but an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. Applicants to all Simmons programs represent a varied range of academic and experiential backgrounds. Prerequisites are not required to apply to the DPD program.
Review of courses completed prior to matriculation at Simmons
Review of courses and potential course waivers based on previous coursework at other institutions will be done by the academic department and communicated during academic advising.
All science courses (see the section on Program Requirements), except Biochemistry, must include labs and must have been completed at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, see below for recency requirements. These courses must be graded and may not be completed on a pass/fail basis or audited(*). CLEP or IB scores are not accepted for such required courses. The labs must be hands-on, in-person labs sessions on the campus of the college or university (not online*). The following nutrition courses must be taken at Simmons: Medical Nutrition Therapy, The Practice of Clinical Dietetics, and Dietetics Profession. A minimum of 6 courses must be taken at Simmons even if the student holds a nutrition degree from another institution.
For the DPD program, (BS or DPD Certificate) there is a recency requirement for courses (see below). If the student has been working in a field that uses the skills and knowledge taught in a specific course that was taken longer than the recency limit before beginning the program, the DPD director may waive this recency requirement for that specific course.
Recency limits for courses:
- 5 years: All nutrition courses, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, and Biochemistry. However, if a student took Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Biochemistry, or NUTR 111/NUTR 112 greater than 5 years but less than 10 years before beginning the DPD program, the student may choose to take a competency examination to place out of those courses.
- 10 years: All other courses.
*Some exceptions to grading requirements and in-person lab requirements were made during the COVID-19 pandemic; please check with the department for additional information.
Delivery Modes Available
The Simmons University DPD can be completed either full or part-time. All courses are offered on-campus at Simmons.
Additional Program Information
- Laboratory coat ($35).
- Individual course materials (e.g. books, access to professional electronic resources) should be expected.
- Membership fees recommended for the program may include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ($58, OPTIONAL but strongly recommended).
- Transportation to clinical and fieldwork sites ($40/semester).
- Transportation, meal costs, and registration fees to attend professional meetings and practical experiences should be expected.
- Most internships charge an application fee between $50 and $100. Additionally, there is a fee to register with the Centralized Application System (~$50 for the first application and $25 for each application after) . Note that these fees are subject to change.
Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Certificate Requirements
ACEND requires the completion of specific courses and competencies to fulfill the didactic requirements to apply for a Dietetic Internship program. Simmons students, who successfully complete the following courses (see below under DPD curriculum) in the DPD program meet ACEND requirements.
Science Requirements
Nutrition Requirements:
| NUTR 112 | Introduction to Nutrition Science | 4 |
| NUTR 201 | Advanced Food Science | 4 |
| NUTR 331 | The Practice of Clinical Dietetics | 4 |
| NUTR 237 | The Practice of Community Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 248 | Food Production and Service Systems | 4 |
| NUTR 249 | Leadership in Food Service Management | 4 |
| NUTR 301 | Dietetics Profession | 1 |
| NUTR 311 | Nutrient Metabolism | 4 |
| NUTR 334 | Medical Nutrition Therapy | 4 |
| NUTR 381 | Advanced Applications in Community Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 390 | Seminar: Selected Topics in Nutrition | 4 |
In addition, there are one required social science courses; a focus on human behavior is required, and often found in sociology or psychology courses.
Affiliation between Simmons University DPD and Tufts University
The Simmons DPD program has a joint arrangement with two programs at Tufts University: the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the Master's of Public Health program. The Simmons-administered DPD program allows master's students in those two programs to meet DPD requirements through a combination of courses at Simmons and Tufts. Many students can finish both programs within two years which is typical for the Tufts master's program and most within a total of three years. Tufts students interested in this arrangement should contact Dr. Lynne Ausman at lynne.ausman@tufts.edu.
Dual (and other) degree options: MS/DPD
Students can complete both the MS in Nutrition and Health Promotion (either concentration) and the DPD together. In this combination, specific courses in the MS program can replace these two DPD courses: Nutrition 390 (Seminar Topics in Nutrition) and Nutrition 381 (Advanced Applications in Community Nutrition). This not only provides students with the opportunity to meet the upcoming requirement (in 2024) of a Master's degree to become a Registered Dietitian, but it also reduces the total number of courses that would be required if the student did these separately.
Opportunities for Practicums and clinical experience
Research, internships, and clinical experience are essential to nutrition students. You’ll have opportunities to explore your interests, build your skills and develop mentoring relationships with leaders in the field. We take full advantage of our location in the heart of Boston, and more specifically the Longwood Medical Area. Our students have been placed at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Ethos, Women’s Lunch Place, Community Servings, Greater Boston Food Bank, a variety of local WIC programs, and a variety of local hospitals.
Licensure, Certification, etc. / Other Program Information
Upon graduation, completing an accredited Dietetic Internship Program is the next step in becoming a Registered Dietitian. This is a separate and competitive national application process, which must be completed before taking the RD credentialing exam. Our students are successful in internship programs nationwide – our placement rate consistently exceeds the national rate.
| Year |
Simmons |
National |
| 2024 |
100% |
86% |
| 2023 |
100% |
85% |