Program Structure

The fourth year of the CP consists of 27 credit hours, 24 credits of practicum and 3 credits of didactic courses (these are included in the total of 123 credits). The practicum component is comprised of three rotations: Medical Nutrition Therapy (22 weeks), Food Service Management (8 weeks) and Community Nutrition (8 weeks). The practicum experience typically begins in the last week of August and ends beginning of June; thus, ensuring a minimum of 1350 hours of supervised practice experience.

Program graduates will not be eligible to sit for the US registration exam to practice in the United States unless graduates meet the additional requirements for all US competencies. CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). If they wish to become credentialed in the US, program graduates will be eligible to enter the computer matching for US-based ACEND®-accredited dietetic internships. 

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). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR’s website.

Mission

The mission of the Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP) is to prepare qualified entry-level licensed dietitians by providing them with the ability to integrate didactic, practical, and interprofessional education in order to improve the health and well-being of individuals and groups while upholding the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences education.

Program Objectives

The B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program seeks to:

1. prepare qualified graduates for entry-level dietetic careers.

• Objective 1a: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within six years (150% of the program length)
• Objective 1b: At least 80% of program graduates take the country’s dietitian credentialing exam within 12 months of program completion
• Objective 1c: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the country’s dietitian credentialing exam is at least 80%
• Objective 1d: At least 80% of employers indicate that they are satisfied* with the performance and competencies of the program graduates

2. produce competent graduates with interprofessional competencies engaged in the health profession and the improvement of human well-being.

• Objective 2a: Of graduates who seek employment, 75% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation
• Objective 2b: At least 80% of employers indicate that program graduates demonstrate adequate* interprofessional skills

3. produce life-long learner graduates who are able to incorporate new evidence-based technology and knowledge into practice.

• Domain 1: At least 80% of the program graduates applying to graduate studies are accepted to at least one.

*By selecting agree/strongly agree on the pertinent questions of the employer’s survey.

Note: Lebanon’s dietitian credentialing exam is the colloquium exam offered by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE).

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program, graduates will demonstrate knowledge and competencies in the following domains:

• Domain 1.Scientific and Evidence Base of Practice: Integration of scientific information and translation of research into practice.
• Domain 2.Professional Practice Expectations: Beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors for the professional dietitian nutritionist level of practice.
• Domain 3.Clinical and Customer Services: Development and delivery of information, products and services to individuals, groups, and populations.
• Domain 4.Practice Management and Use of Resources: Strategic application of principles of management and systems in the provision of services to individuals and organizations.

Admission & Progression Requirements

• Candidates for admission may apply to any of the two campuses (Beirut or Byblos) by sending an application to the campus they choose to join.
• An SAT score of 1050 is required for newly admitted students. Subsequently, you need to maintain a cumulative GPA (CGPA) & major GPA (MGPA) of 3.0 as a progression criterion. Prior to starting the supervised practice, if the CGPA and/or MGPA fall below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, you will be asked to change your major.
• Every semester, CP students should meet with the program coordinator, Dr. Maya Bassil, for advising.
• Applicants may apply as regular (sophomore) or transfer students for the fall semester, spring semester, or summer term. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office.
• Current LAU students in their junior or senior year with a CGPA & MGPA of 3.0 wishing to join the BS in CP are requested to petition for a change of major to the Registrar’s Office.
• The maximum enrollment for the program is 15 students per academic year.

Curriculum

Students must complete a total number of 123 credits, distributed as follows:

• Major Courses (71 cr.)
• School Requirements (24 cr.) - including 19 credits that are also counted as electives in the Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) Curriculum A – electives from the Natural Sciences and Mathematics category
• LAS Curriculum A Core (6 cr.)
• LAS Curriculum A Electives (21 cr.) - Arts and Humanities: 12 credits; Social Sciences: 6 credits, including PSY201 OR PSY202; Free LAS: 3 credits
• LAS Curriculum
  • Curriculum A, for students who joined prior to Fall 2022-2023: Arts & Humanities: 12 credits; Social Sciences: 3 credits PSY 201 OR PSY 202 + any LAS courses: 6 credits
  • Curriculum Z, for students who joined as of Fall 2022-2023: Arts & Humanities: 3 credits; Digital Cultures: 3 credits; Change Makers: 6 credits; Social Sciences: 3 credits PSY 201 OR PSY 202; Any LAS courses: 6 credits
  • As of Fall 2022-2023, students can no longer take LAS202 Sustainable Food Systems as it overlaps with the material of major nutrition courses
• Computer Skills (1 cr.)

Note that the requirements of the first three years are the same as those of the BS in Nutrition.

Year Four (27 credits)

Fall (13 credits)

• NUT580 Dietetic Practice Seminar I (1 cr.)
• NUT597 Dietetic Practicum I (12 cr.)

Spring (14 credits)

• NUT570 Ethics for Dietetic Practice (1 cr.)
• NUT585 Dietetic Practice Seminar II (1 cr.)
• NUT598 Dietetic Practicum II (12 cr.)