DPD Admissions / Application

Nondiscrimination Policy

“In compliance with national, state and university requirements, the SDSU Didactic Program in Dietetics does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity or expression or sexual orientation.”

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate Students

For admission to the DPD program, undergraduate students must have:

• advanced to the BS in Foods & Nutrition major;
• an overall GPA of at least a 3.1;
• a DPD course GPA of at least 3.1, with no grade in a DPD course lower than a C

Graduate Students

In order to be granted permission to pursue the course work leading to completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, students admitted to the MS degree program in nutritional sciences must have completed the following courses and must have a DPD course GPA of 3.1 or better:

• General Chemistry (CHEM 100)
• Organic Chemistry (CHEM 130)
• Biochemistry (CHEM 160)
• General Biology plus lab (BIOL 100 and 100L)
• Microbiology (BIOL 211 and 211L)
• Human Anatomy (BIOL 212)
• Human Physiology (BIOL 336)
• Statistics (STAT 119 OR 250 OR ENS 601)
• Fundamentals of Nutrition (NUTR 201)

Upon acceptance, any missing prerequisites for DPD classes, as well as the complete DPD curriculum, would be taken in addition to the coursework required for the MS in Nutritional Science degree.

Application Procedure

Undergraduate Students

You are encouraged to apply to the DPD as soon as you have been advanced to the major as long as you meet the GPA requirements.  You MUST apply to the DPD no later than the deadlines listed below. Be sure the transcripts you submit include the grades from your most recent semester.  Unofficial transcripts are acceptable with your DPD application.

• If you are planning to graduate at the end of Spring or Summer semester, the application deadline is June 1 the prior year.
• If you are planning to graduate at the end of Fall semester, the application deadline is January 1 of that year. 
• Applications after those deadlines will NOT be accepted.   Spaces in DPD-only courses are limited to due availability of field placements, interviewing and counseling and group education experiences and must be scheduled well in advance of the semester.

Graduate Students

Apply to the DPD after entering the MS in Nutritional Sciences program, and after completing the required courses (listed above).

Students with degrees from institutions not located in the United States of America must have their transcripts reviewed by one of the Independent Foreign Degree Evaluation Agencies listed here.  An Official Review Document must be obtained before verification review will commence.

DPD Application Packet

Assemble a single application packet, to include:

• the completed DPD Application Form (pdf) *only the third page needs to be submitted*
• an unofficial SDSU transcript
• unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended prior to SDSU

Please submit your DPD application packet to Cathy Chavez via e-mail at [email protected] or drop off to:

Attn: Cathy Chavez
School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-7251

Allow at least two weeks for processing, during the academic year (September-May).  Allow up to a month for processing over winter break (January) and in the summer (June-August).  If the information you provide is incomplete or transcripts are not available, your evaluation will be delayed.

When the initial evaluation is complete, you will receive a letter stating what additional course work you need to complete for verification.

Policy for Prior Learning Assessment

Students who wish to request assessment of prior learning for exemption from SDSU DPD courses are required to contact the DPD Director for evaluation. Documentation may include academic transcripts, course descriptions, course syllabi, certificates, position descriptions, projects, and other such materials to sufficiently establish that DPD competencies for a specific course or specific courses have been fully met.

If it is determined that such competencies have been met, a course waiver will be completed as needed in accordance with university policy. Copies of documentation will be retained to substantiate eligibility for issuance of DPD Verification Statement at program completion.