Graduation Requirements:

The basic requirements for a baccalaureate degree at Missouri State include the completion of at least 125 hours, of which 40 hours much be upper division work, with a minimum of 2.0 cumulative grade point average.  Students shall satisfy the general education requirements in effect upon first enrollment at Missouri State and the degree program requirements in effect at the time of admission to the degree program.  For additional information about Commencement see: http://www.missouristate.edu/commencement/.

Verification Statements:

Upon successful completion of the DPD, the program director will issue to the student a verification statement indicating that the student has completed all coursework requirements for a didactic degree in dietetics as dictated by the CADE accrediting body.  Verification of transcripts requires up to four weeks post-graduation and students must complete the verification statement request form and submit to the Program Director in order for the verification statement to be issued to the student. A copy of this form is available on the BMSDAV website and is provided in BMS 439.  Upon receipt of this form, students will receive their verification statement mailed to them or picked up in the Department within two weeks of the receipt of the form and AFTER transcript verification has been completed.  Requirements for students graduating from this program to receive a verification statement are a cumulative GPA of 2.9 with a “C” grade or higher in all courses required for the major. 

Copies of the verification statement with the original signature of the program director should be submitted along with applications to dietetic internships, to ADA as a part of the application to achieve active membership status, and may be requested by employers or graduate schools programs as applicable.

A Declaration of Intent form will be provided to students by the program director for those who apply for a dietetic internship prior to coursework officially being completed.  This form substitutes for the verification form and lists coursework the student is in the process of completing to fulfill didactic program requirements. A final verification statement will be awarded as previously described and must be submitted to the dietetic internship director.

Students with a prior degree seeking a verification statement:  

Students with a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field in which nutrition courses have been completed will provide the Program Director with an official transcript of all courses completed at another university to begin the transcript evaluation process.  If official transcripts are already on file with Missouri State, this requirement will be considered to be met.  Students are responsible for obtaining and/or providing any syllabi that might be required for further evaluation to accurately determine course content.  A $25 transcript evaluation fee will be charged to all students receiving a verification statement.  Transcripts and syllabi will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Program Director to determine how the Foundation Knowledge, Skills and Competencies (FKSC) required by CADE for all didactic students are met.  Courses or individualized work which is needed to meet the FKSC requirements will then be discussed with the student.  A written agreement between the Biomedical Sciences Department, Missouri State Dietetics Program and the student regarding requirements for receiving the verification statement without obtaining a BS in Dietetics from Missouri State will be signed and kept on file and outlined in the student’s advisement folder. A returning student may be asked to refresh skills or demonstrate competence at the level to which they are re-entering. 

In order to receive a verification statement from Missouri State, students not seeking a second degree must:

• Complete a minimum of 18 hours of upper level dietetics courses at Missouri State to include BMS 432, BMS 436, and BMS 446.
• Must have completed a minimum of a 300 level anatomy and physiology course(s) within the past 5 years
• Cumulative GPA of 2.9 or above
• Must have a C or better in all courses required to meet FKSC requirements

 

Recency of education requirements:  

It is the policy of the Missouri State Didactic Program in Dietetics that graduating students meet the most recent FKSC requirements set forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (see CADE handbook).  Therefore, generally, program courses not taken within the last five years or that have not met the most recent FKSC requirements must be retaken.  Significant professional work experience or graduate work in a closely related field may be considered meeting requirements for some or part of courses.     

International students with foreign degrees or foreign college credit:

An international student with a foreign degree or credit, who seeks either a verification statement from Missouri State or completion of a degree, will be interviewed by the program director as to experience and course content in their previous programs.  CADE’s “Fact Sheet for Individuals with Foreign Degrees” will be discussed with them.  Based on the information from the report, discussion with the student, and evaluation of the course information, a determination will be made by the program director as to what courses must be taken in order to complete the degree or to receive the verification statement.  In the case of verification statements, the minimum requirement of completion of courses as stated previously must be met.