AT OUACHITA
NUTRITION MATTERS
Proper nutrition is a key factor in fighting the widespread, growing epidemics of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses affecting people throughout the country. At Ouachita, we believe nutritionists have an important role to play in being part of the solution.
Ouachita’s Department of Nutrition & Dietetics trains students to become leaders in solving this national crisis and to help those they serve establish habits for healthier lives. Ouachita nutrition & dietetics graduates are employed in diverse settings in which nutrition plays a vital role; they bring expertise in a variety of areas, including media, consulting, eating disorders, pediatric nutrition, sports nutrition, disease prevention and senior nutrition.
COME FOR UNDERGRAD, STAY FOR YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE
Students who enroll in Ouachita’s Department of Nutrition & Dietetics as freshmen can complete their bachelor’s and master’s nutrition & dietetics degrees in just 5 years. With the guidance of caring professors, their transition from undergraduate to MS/DI is seamless. Undergrads are also assured priority admission to the MS/DI program. Ouachita’s nutrition & dietetics programs fully prepare students with practical experience in clinical, community and administrative settings for the Registered Dietitian examination.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NUTRITION & DIETETICS
• Residential undergraduate program
• ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
• 4-year program
• 123 credit hours
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NUTRITION & DIETETIC INTERNSHIP (MS/DI)
• ACEND-accredited Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship (MS/DI)
• 12-month program (includes 9-month DI)
• 36 credit hours (30 hours are online)
• Low-residency program - one day a week on campus only during the DI
• Grads qualify to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national RDN exam
PURSUE A CAREER IN A GROWING PROFESSION
There’s a national shortage of dietitians that will only increase as the field grows a projected 11% during the next 10 years. A career as an RDN can provide especially meaningful work that will impact the lives of people of all ages. Ouachita’s program equips students with expertise in human nutrition, food systems management, medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition and experimental methods in food science. Upon completion of the MS/DI, students will be ready to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam, which is required in order to become an RDN.
COMBINE YOUR FAITH WITH YOUR WORK
At Ouachita, we believe all people are created in God’s image; caring for our bodies matters because health impacts every facet of our lives. As one of only a few faith-based universities in the nation offering an MS/DI program, Ouachita invites you to integrate career preparedness with your faith and passion for serving others in both our bachelor’s and master’s degree pathways.
GAIN PROFESSIONAL MENTORSHIP
In the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, you’ll receive instruction from caring, engaging professors who have significant academic expertise and professional experience. They’ll offer personal feedback and encourage you as your career develops. You’ll have opportunities to learn from leaders in the field, as well: Dietetic interns can choose from more than 100 rotation sites and more than 150 preceptors to suit their interests, gaining professional training in clinical, community and administrative settings.
STUDY WHAT YOU LOVE
You’re interested in nutrition and dietetics because you want to help people, and people are at the heart of our program. Our department invests in your academic success and takes your passion beyond the classroom. Our active Student Dietetic Association chapter connects students to peers and experts nationwide. Undergrads serve our local community through Meals on Wheels, World Food Day and more. MS/DI students study compelling topics online – eating disorders, weight management, sports nutrition and pediatric nutrition, to name a few – allowing them to better understand the people they’ll serve while earning their degrees.
Ouachita has been so helpful with achieving my dreams to be an RD! The faculty, preceptors and other interns have been an absolute joy to work with and truly have supported me through everything. — Anna Polo ’23, dietetic intern from Whippany, N.J.
The program at Ouachita has immensely prepared me to continue my education to become a Registered Dietitian. In each course you get real life experience, either from hands-on activities or from our professors’ knowledge of treating a wide range of patients. All the courses build on each other, which allows you to truly learn the information and apply it in different scenarios. You get a well-rounded education in all areas such as basic nutrition, community and life cycle nutrition, medical nutrition, sports nutrition, human resources management, food science and many more!— Maria Urbina ’23, nutrition & dietetics graduate from Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Ouachita Baptist University p: 870.245.5543 • e: brechd@obu.edu
Ouachita Baptist University has a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and a Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Resources from the Academy can be found at eatright.org/acend. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 | Chicago, Ill. 60606-6995 | 800.877.1600, ext. 5400