Department of Nutrition

Autumn C. Marshall, Professor and Chair; Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
Nancy H. Hunt, Associate Professor
Anne M. Lowery, Associate Professor and Director, Dietetic Internship Program
Tracy Noerper, Assistant Professor and Director, Master of Science in Nutrition
Ann Toy, Assistant Professor

The Department of Nutrition has a mission to produce competent, caring, and compassionate nutrition professionals that exemplify a commitment to a Christian life of service. The department assists students with the ability to communicate effectively, to think critically, and to develop the breadth and depth of knowledge needed for participation in careers in the fields of nutrition therapy, food systems management, public health, and health and wellness promotion.

A student who wishes to become a Registered Dietitian may enter the accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) upon completion of the prerequisite courses in the sciences and nutrition. The overall focus of the DPD is to train future dietitians who can serve in a wide variety of roles, from medical nutrition therapy to public health to health care food service management. The food systems management program of study includes concepts from the study of food and human nutrition, food safety, financial and human resource management, marketing, and legal aspects of food service; food systems management majors earn a built-in minor in business. Students in the Nutrition major may choose a career path in public health, community nutrition, or wellness and health coaching. The knowledge base of the discipline of nutrition includes concepts from the study of food and human nutrition, biology, chemistry, human development and social interaction, and resource management.

Distinctives of the Nutrition Department

Accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics

Lipscomb has a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Students who seek to become Registered Dietitians/Nutritionists must complete a master’s degree and an accredited supervised practice program beyond graduation from Lipscomb. The undergraduate program’s acceptance rate into supervised practice programs is above 90 percent, much higher than the national average. Students in the DPD program study food science, normal nutrition at all stages of life, nutrition in the treatment of disease, management of food systems, and the biochemistry of nutrition. Students desiring to major in dietetics must complete an application and be accepted prior to completing the major/minor declaration form. Students have the opportunity to gain experience in the field at the undergraduate level in nutrition education for all ages, community nutrition and food systems management. An automatic minor in distributive science is built into the dietetics major. Details are provided by the director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Lipscomb.

Undergraduate DPD Certificate Program

The Undergraduate DPD Certificate Program provides the course work necessary for gaining the foundation knowledge and skills needed in a supervised practice program in dietetics. Unlike the traditional Didactic Program in Dietetics, this program provides only the major courses for the Didactic Program in Dietetics and does not grant a second baccalaureate degree. The program is designed to meet the needs of students who already have a bachelor’s degree, and provides the course work necessary to receive a certificate (Verification Statement) from Lipscomb’s accredited DPD program. The verification statement grants the eligibility to apply to and enroll in an accredited Dietetic Internship program or other accredited supervised practice program. Successful completion of supervised practice and a master’s degree is necessary to be eligible to write the Registration Examination for Dietitians as of January 1, 2024. Students are welcome to transfer hours into the certificate program, and the DPD Director will complete a transcript evaluation to determine a plan of coursework for the certificate. A minimum of 18 hours must be completed at Lipscomb University in order to earn the certificate.

Students desiring to enroll in the Certificate Program must complete an application and be accepted prior to completing the certificate program declaration form.

Accredited Dietetic Internship Program

Completion of a master’s degree and an accredited Dietetic Internship Program or other supervised practice program is required to become a Registered Dietitian. Lipscomb is the first among the Christian colleges in the Southeast to house a Dietetic Internship (DI) Program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The Dietetic Internship program began in 2002 and is a post-baccalaureate, supervised practice program in which interns complete more than 1,000 hours of supervised practice in addition to a Master of Science in Nutrition. Eligibility for the combined Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Program requires a completed bachelor’s degree and a Verification Statement from an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD.) Students who are matched to the combined MS/DI Program will complete both the graduate degree and the supervised practice required to become a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. Students in the combined program complete a year of graduate coursework followed by a year of rotations in a wide variety of settings, including the clinical, community and food service areas of dietetics. Upon completion of the master’s degree and dietetic internship, students are eligible to write the Registration Examination for Dietitians. Lipscomb’s pass rate on the exam is higher than 80 percent, a requirement to maintain accreditation. Program goals, objectives, and program outcomes data are available upon request from the DPD Director.

Food Systems Management

The food systems management major combines the study of food and nutrition with the study of management for students interested in restaurant management and the culinary arts. Students study food, marketing and consumer behavior, the management of financial and human resources, and legal aspects of business. Students have the opportunity to gain experience in the field, learning about human resource management, purchasing, inventory, and event planning and management. Students in this major earn an automatic minor in distributive business and have the necessary background to succeed in both culinary training and graduate school in business management.

Career Opportunities

Dietetics

Clinical nutrition
Community nutrition
Corporate Wellness
Food journalism
Food marketing
Food systems management
Education
Health coaching
Nutrition research
Public health
Private practice nutrition therapy
Sports nutrition
Wellness centers

Food Systems Management

Culinary school
Food journalism
Food marketing
Food systems management
Hospitality management
Institutional management
Research and consultation

Nutrition

Community Nutrition
Health Coaching
Public Health
Wellness centers

Program of Study Requirements

Major

Minor

Department of Nutrition

Distinctives of the Nutrition Department

Accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics

Undergraduate DPD Certificate Program

Accredited Dietetic Internship Program

Food Systems Management

Career Opportunities

Dietetics

Food Systems Management

Nutrition

Program of Study Requirements

Courses