Access to the Didactic Program in Dietetics Student Handbook in PDF form.
- The CWRU DPD has a current three-year rolling (2023-Spring 2026) supervised practice program applicant acceptance rate of 100%.
- The CWRU DPD has a three-year rolling (2023-2025) average RDN exam pass rate of 97.4%.
Overview of DPD
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at CWRU is often the initial step in the education and training of dietetics professionals. Dietitians are the health professionals who translate the science and art of nutrition and food in the service of people. They can do this best if they are confidently grounded in their foundational knowledge and skill development. The DPD is intended to provide this firm foundation and to prepare the student for entry into the next step of the educational requirement - that of the supervised practice program. The DPD will provide courses and educational experiences in the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, and microbiology, and also nutrition sciences - including introductory nutrition, food science, advanced human nutrition, community nutrition, foodservice systems management, and nutrition in the prevention and management of diseases, as part of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and the Nutrition Care Process - as well as statistics and the social sciences, such as sociology, behavioral change, and educational psychology. DPD courses as part of a curriculum plan are shown at the DPD Courses-Curriculum Plan page.
Graduates of the DPD Program will successfully complete the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-Required Core Knowledge and related competencies. Graduates who complete the DPD program and Department of Nutrition's degree requirements will be eligible to apply to and, upon acceptance, enter into a supervised practice program in dietetics (e.g. Dietetic Internship (DI), combined Master's+DI, or other post-baccalaureate supervised experiential learning (SEL) program); subsequently completing a supervised practice program and Master's degree* leads to eligibility for the national Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
*PLEASE NOTE: As of January 1st, 2024 a Master's degree will be required in order to be eligible to take the CDR credentialing exam for registered dietitian nutritionists.
Description of Process - From DPD to RDN
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has a long history in nutrition education. Our nutrition programs have been ongoing for more than a century; the Department of Nutrition was established in 1913. Our first student identified as a “dietitian” graduated in 1918. The DPD program in the Department of Nutrition is situated within the School of Medicine at CWRU. Our DPD covers a variety of nutrition and dietetics core knowledge and skill development, especially clinical nutrition and the application of the science of nutrition to health maintenance and improvement.
Upon completing the DPD Program, students will receive a document called the “DPD Verification of Completion Statement” (DPD Verification Statement). The DPD Verification Statement is required by dietetic internships (both stand-alone and combined Master's+DI programs) and many post-baccalaureate supervised experiential learning (SEL) programs, upon acceptance, for progression. The maximum amount of time allowed for completing the CWRU DPD program requirements for undergraduate students is three years as an active-status DPD student from the point of junior year status (the max DPD completion time may also be expressed as 36 months).
Application to a supervised practice program is done via the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS); more information at: https://www.eatrightpro.
Completion of the DPD program does not guarantee acceptance into a supervised practice program. Further, after the DPD and in addition to the supervised practice program, the student must also coordinate completion of a minimum of a Master's degree to become eligible for the national Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN); more information at: https://www.cdrnet.org/
DPD Mission
The mission of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at Case Western Reserve University is to provide quality dietetics education and didactic learning experiences that prepare graduates with the knowledge, competencies, and skills necessary to successfully enter supervised practice programs, pursue graduate education, and subsequently, lead to eligibility for the national Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and/or obtain employment in a health-related field.
DPD Philosophy
The philosophy of the DPD program at Case Western Reserve University is to educate individuals through high quality dietetic coursework and didactic learning experiences, to develop professionals who will translate the science and art of nutrition and food into application through the practice of dietetics, and to develop competent and visionary practitioners and leaders capable of identifying and solving complex problems encountered by nutrition professionals.
DPD Program Goals and Objectives**
Goal 1: Prepare graduates for success by providing a high-quality education in dietetics.
- At least 80% of students complete program requirements within 3 years (150% of planned program length).
- At least 90% of DPD students will participate in academic advising at least three times per academic year.
- At least 80 percent of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
- At least 90% of graduates will rate the quality of advising and educational support provided by the DPD Director and Nutrition faculty as satisfactory or higher.
Goal 2: Prepare graduates to successfully enter and perform competently in a supervised practice program in preparation to be an entry-level dietitian.
- Of program graduates who apply to a supervised practice program, at least 80 percent are admitted within 12 months of graduation.
- At least 90% of graduates will rate their preparation for supervised practice as satisfactory or higher.
- At least 90% of graduates will receive a satisfactory or higher rating on their overall knowledge and performance in their supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
Goal 3: Prepare graduates for work as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and/or in a health-related field.
- The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- At least 80% of graduates who did not apply to a supervised practice program will enter a post-baccalaureate educational program or be employed in a health-related field within six months of completing the DPD.
- At least 90% of graduates who did not apply to a supervised practice program will rate as satisfactory or higher that the DPD program prepared them for work in a health-related field.
Accreditation Status
The CWRU Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Accreditation by ACEND ensures that DPD graduates are eligible to apply to and, upon acceptance, enter into a supervised practice program in dietetics (e.g. Dietetic Internship (DI), combined Master's+DI, or other post-baccalaureate supervised experiential learning (SEL) program).
ACEND® can be contacted by:
- Email: ACEND@eatright.org
- Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
- Mail: 120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995 - https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend
Applying to the DPD
Students seeking to apply to the DPD Program and thereby, pursue the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) license should contact the DPD Director (James Swain, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND) at james.swain@case.edu.
Office location: School of Medicine | Nutrition Department | Rm. W-G48
Phone: 216.368.8554
The DPD Admission Criteria and Application form are located in Appendix A of the DPD Student Handbook.
CWRU students seeking to take a course to be counted towards completion of the DPD at another institution and/or including internationally (i.e. during a study abroad program), must submit the course's full description to the DPD Director for review for DPD-equivalency and pre-approval.