The Marshall University Didactic Program in dietetics received continuing accreditation May 3 from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.
The didactic program has been offered at the undergraduate level since 1923 and currently has more than 60 students enrolled. Jana Hovland, director of the program at Marshall, said Marshall’s program and West Virginia University’s are the two accredited dietetics programs in West Virginia.
“With an increase in obesity rates across the region, dietitians are needed to work to prevent and manage the impact chronic disease has on our state,” Hovland said. “We are the food and nutrition experts in today’s society.”
Accreditation was also continued for the non-degree dietetic internship, which enrolls 10 full-time interns annually. Dr. Kelli Williams, chair of the department of dietetics, said Marshall has had an accredited supervised practice program since 1993.
“In order to become a registered dietitian you must go through an accredited undergraduate program and then complete the dietetic internship to sit for the national exam,” Williams said. “Most of our graduates stay within the Tri-state area, which is great because it allows them to serve the needs of the rural population in a localized and affordable setting.”
According to its website, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics is responsible for setting the national standards for what dietetics students are taught as well as evaluating, recognizing and publishing a list of education programs that meet these standards.
The Marshall Didactic Program in Dietetics and the Dietetic Internship will participate in an on-site visit in 2017 to continue to meet accreditation standards.
