LMDP track students are eligible for the Dietitian Education Graduate Certificate Program (DEP-C) after completion of 29 specific credit hours of LMDP coursework before the DEP-C start date. DEP-C cohorts begin in the fall term annually, with a supplemental application due to the Department of Nutrition Sciences by January 5th of the preceding spring term. All current LMDP track students will be contacted with the supplemental application and instructions prior to this deadline.

The DEP-C comprises 37 credit hours of graduate coursework, including 24 credit hours of practicum requirements. Combined, the LMDP track and DEP-C comprise 73 credit hours of graduate coursework.

The DEP-C curriculum is taught completely online to allow flexibility and convenience for students who reside out of state and for the integration of practicum requirements. Though the curriculum is entirely online, practicum requirements are completed in person within facilities that meet supervised practice requirements. The LMDP track and DEP-C requirements, including practicums, can be completed wherever you are located. Students do not have to relocate to Birmingham, but three campus visits are required throughout the DEP-C.

This is a full-time program with courses offered in a specific sequence of study. Courses or supervised practice hours taken at any other institution cannot fulfill requirements of the DEP as there is no policy to evaluate equivalencies. Pre-requisites for admission to the program are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the program.

Fall (DEP-C Year 1) – 12 credit hours

• NTR 600: Principles of Food Science Operations and Menu planning (3 hours)
• NTR 604: Principles and Practice of Nutrition Support (3 hours)
• NTR 670: Practicum in Wellness (3 hours)*
• NTR 671: Practicum in Community Nutrition (3 hours)*

Spring (DEP-C Year 1) – 12 credit hours

• NTR 501: RDN Certification Review (0 hours)**
• NTR 601: Advanced Medical Nutrition (3 hours)
• NTR 611: Advanced Food Systems and Resource Management (3 hours)
• NTR 672: Practicum in Food Systems Management (3 hours)*
• NTR 673: Practicum in Medical Nutrition Therapy I (3 hours)*

Summer (DEP-C Year 1) – 9 credit hours

• NTR 500: Communications in Nutrition (1 hour)
• NTR 674: Practicum in Medical Nutrition Therapy II (4 hours)*
• NTR 675: Practicum in Dietetic Administration (4 hours)*

Fall (DEP-C Year 2) – 11 credit hours

• NTR 609: Applied Nutrition for Physical Activity and Disease Prevention (3 hours)***
• CDS 605: Survival Spanish for Health Professionals (1 hour)***
• KIN 644: Application of Exercise Physiology to Fitness and Performance (3 hours)***
• NTR 676: Advanced Practicum in Dietetics (4 hours)*

*Denotes practicum course. These courses are considered in-person experiences and therefore are subject to tuition charge based on state residency classification (resident or nonresident).

**NTR 501 is a non-credit hour review course for the RDN credentialing exam and includes a one-year subscription to eatrightPREP. Students will pay a non-refundable fee of $550.

***NTR609, CDS605, KIN644 are degree requirements of the LMDP track. Therefore, upon completion of these final LMDP track and DEP-C requirements, students may earn their degree.

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA to maintain good Academic Standing. Graduates receive their Verification Certificate and are eligible to take the national exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) once they have completed all degree requirements of the MS in Nutrition Sciences, Lifestyle Management and Disease Prevention track and the Dietitian Education Graduate Certificate Program. The maximum time allowed for completion of the Dietitian Education Graduate Certificate Program is 2.25 years.