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Group of students standing together in an atrium.

Students in the Dietitian Nutritionist program at orientation in 2024. 

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently granted the University of Pittsburgh Dietitian Nutritionist program with full reaccreditation for seven years! 

The ACEND application process for nutrition and dietetics programs includes self-analysis, a self-study report, an on-site evaluation and a peer review. The programs are evaluated by their ability to meet accreditation standards of quality education, namely providing foundational knowledge essential to the practice of dietetics.  

The ACEND evaluation found the Dietitian Nutritionist program at Pitt to uphold several strengths that showcase the success of the program, reflecting its coursework, structure and the connections built with faculty members. 

“The accreditation highlighted the dedicated and innovative approach taken by leadership, collegial faculty and preceptors who are supportive and foster teamwork,” said Trisha Cousins, program director and assistant professor for the Dietitian Nutritionist program. “The program has strong and abundant supervised experiential learning sites and preceptors as well as an organized process for programmatic data collection. Additionally, our low student-to-faculty ratio fosters an individualized learning environment for the students.” 

The Dietitian Nutritionist program is a graduate degree program that integrates experiential learning with didactic coursework, intended for students to eventually become registered dietitian nutritionists. The program at Pitt offers three points of entry for: qualified undergraduates; post-baccalaureate candidates who received a bachelor’s degree that was not from an ACEND-accredited didactic program in dietetics (DPD); and graduates of a DPD from a different accredited institution. 

Alongside the courses in its curriculum, the program offers students the opportunity to complete a 12-week rotation in a specialty area of nutrition through supervised experiential learning. These specialty areas include medical nutrition therapy, community/public health nutrition, eating disorders, food service management, maternal and pediatric nutrition, oncology nutrition and sports nutrition. 

The Dietitian Nutritionist program’s ability to secure such accreditation demonstrates its mission to prepare students for careers in nutrition and dietetics. The evaluations underscored the program’s focus on providing students with the ability to develop critical thinking and leadership skills through real-world applications, preparing them to enter the workforce and advance their profession. 

“The Dietitian Nutritionist program achieving reaccreditation for the next seven years was a huge milestone for the program and University of Pittsburgh,” Cousins said. “This was only possible because of the dedicated faculty, students and preceptors. As an ACEND Future Education Graduate Program, Pitt is a model of what excellence looks like in dietetics education.” 

During the next seven-year reaccreditation period, the Dietitian Nutritionist program will undergo frequent monitoring of outcome assessments and goal achievements. 

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For more information about the Dietitian Nutritionist program, visit our website, or speak with an enrollment specialist at enroll@shrs.pitt.edu today!