General Information

The Food and Nutrition Program at Bowling Green State University is committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from diverse backgrounds. We provide undergraduate and graduate students with an innovative, science-based educational foundation within a learning community that encourages and respects the viewpoint and lived experience of each person. Students are engaged in addressing the food and nutrition needs of diverse communities, families, and individuals across the lifespan (​including but not limited to race, ethnicity, age, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, religion, and sexual orientation). The Program successfully transitions graduates into a variety of professional settings, such as accredited supervised practice programs, graduate/professional programs, and the workforce, congruent with their professional goals. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Beth Williams, MPH, RDN, LD
Director, Undergraduate Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics

135 Health and Human Services Building

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0283

Office: 419.372.2195
Fax: 419.372.2881

Email: wbeth@bgsu.edu

ADVISING

Faculty and professional advisors are committed to helping all students succeed. Students in the dietetics program receive advising from Food & Nutrition faculty and from the College of Health and Human Services’ Undergraduate Student Services office, which provides a variety of services to assist students in meeting their personal and professional goals. Once enrolled in the program, students are given an Undergraduate Dietetics Program Student Handbook, which provides information on such things as the curriculum, volunteer opportunities, internship placement, and careers in dietetics.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To apply to the dietetics program, please click here for admission information and application.  Admission to the university, in addition to declaring dietetics as your major, grants you acceptance into the program.

DEGREES

The undergraduate dietetics program is a four-year program and will result in a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics.

TUITION AND FEES

For current information, please click here to review details about tuition and fees. Additional costs for books and lab fees are available to students at the time of registration

FINANCIAL AID

Approximately 60 percent of BGSU students receive financial aid.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Please click here for the University Academic Calendar.

GRADUATION/PROGRAM COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for degrees in the College of Health and Human Services must complete a minimum of 122 undergraduate semester hours of coursework with a BGSU cumulative GPA of “C”, or 2.00 on a 4.00 scale. The College of Health and Human Services also requires all students to have proficiency in writing (“C” or better in GSW 1120) and communication (“C” or better in COMM 1020). Students must also meet the BG Perspective requirements. Students must also meet the BG Perspective requirements. Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor and consult their program checksheets for program-specific suggestions and requirements.

Please click here to access the requirements for graduation and program completion.

LICENSURE

After graduation from BGSU with a B.S. in Dietetics, completion of an internship, and successfully passing the national registration examination, you will be a registered dietitian, eligible for licensure in most states. Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

SERVICES AND RESOURCES

Laboratory experiences are an integral part of the dietetics major. A new 14-unit food preparation laboratory and a new chemistry lab for physical and chemical analysis of foods are located in the Health and Human Services building. Students also have the opportunity to use various software for nutritional analysis, menu planning, and food service management.

Opportunities are available for students to interact and conduct research with food and nutrition faculty and professionals in related disciplines, such as faculty in the departments of biology and chemistry at BGSU, and professionals working in community/public/clinical nutrition and the food industry. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain paid and/or volunteer experience in the food and nutrition field. Students often complete service at the Wood Haven Health Care, Wood County Hospital, Wood County Public Health Department, the Wood County Senior Center, and other regional healthcare facilities. Students have also interacted with community agencies through partnership grants awarded to faculty.

STUDENTS

Approximately 30 new students each year enter into the undergraduate dietetics program at BGSU. Students have the opportunity to join the Student Nutrition Association. The purpose of the Student Nutrition Association is to promote an interest in the field of dietetics, nutrition and food; aid students in learning about professional opportunities and inform students of current issues within the field of food and nutrition. Students are encouraged to join the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which automatically gives them membership in the Ohio Dietetic Association. Students also have the opportunity to join the Northwest Ohio Dietetic Association and attend local meetings.