Nutrition and Food Studies
Photo of pot on stove in cooking lab.

Policies and Procedures

Welcome to dietetics! The Nutrition and Food Studies Faculty are pleased that you have selected dietetics as your area of study. The Student Handbook has been put together in order to help you have a good understanding of what the expectations are for you as a student and what our concentration has to offer. If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to see your advisor.

Insurance Requirements for Dietetics Students

The dietetics program follows the university health insurance policy. All full-time students are required to have health insurance coverage to cover illness or injury experienced on or off campus and/or during experiential learning.

Students are not required to have professional liability insurance.

In addition to the University Immunization requirement, students in NUFD 450 Quantity Food Applications and NUFD 550 Advanced Quantity Food Applications are required to have proof of current medical insurance coverage before the scheduled second class meeting of the semester. Adherence to this schedule is required for full credit of completion.

Dietetics Program Grievance Policy

Most student complaints can be resolved on an informal basis by communication between the student and faculty members. Students who believe they are subject to unfair policies or practices should first discuss their concerns with the instructor directly.  If students have complaints directly related to the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Program at Montclair State University, a written letter documenting a description of the issues can be submitted to the DPD Director. If the issue is not resolved within the program and the department, the next step is to follow the University Student Concerns and Grievances Policy. A record of students’ complaints and their resolutions are maintained for a period of seven years by the DPD Director.

If the complaint relates to the program’s noncompliance with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accreditation standards, and all other options with the program and University have been exhausted, then students should contact the ACEND of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606, (312) 899-0040, ext. 5400. For further details regarding complaints to ACEND, you can visit the ACEND website.

Issuance of ACEND Verification Statement

The Verification Statement is very important for professional advancement in the field of nutrition and dietetics.  Verification of completion of dietetics programs is the method used by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to ensure that qualifications for membership or requirements set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to determine eligibility for the Registration Examination for Dietitians has been met. At various times in preparing for professional membership or registration, an individual will be asked to supply verification of both academic and supervised practice qualifications.

What is the Verification Statement Used For?

  • Admission to many graduate schools and all dietetic internships
  • Employment in positions which require verification of completion of a didactic program in dietetics
  • Active membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Documentation of credentials for taking the Registered Dietitian exam 

Procedures for ACEND Verification Statement

Students who are graduating under Nutrition and Food Science — Dietetics and post-baccalaureate students who have successfully completed DPD courses should apply for a verification statement.  To obtain an ACEND Verification Statement, a grade of “C” or better must be attained in all DPD coursework.

  1. Obtain an application form for ACEND Verification Statement  from the Dietetic Coordinator, Donna Verney (verneyd@montclair.edu)
  2. During the last semester on campus (after the official graduation date), arrange with the Office of the Registrar to have a final transcript WHICH STATES THE DATE THE DEGREE WAS EARNED sent to the Dietetics Coordinator, Donna Verney. Original transcripts from all colleges or universities attended must be submitted to Donna Verney for final review and preparation of the Verification Statements. NOTE: A grade of “C” or better is required for all Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) coursework to obtain an ACEND Verification Statement.
  3. Submit the following to Donna Verney:
    1. A completed application  for the ACEND Verification Statement
    2. Original transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended

Note: If you submitted previous college transcripts with your Declaration of Intent application, you only need to submit the Montclair State University final transcript with your degree indicated, and all grades.

  1. Upon request of these materials, your transcript will be evaluated and signed by the DPD Director. Six copies of the Verification Statement will be provided free of charge OR a letter stating deficiencies will be sent to you. Additional packets of six copies of the verification statement will require a fee of $50 payable to Montclair State University.

Procedures for the Declaration of Intent

Students who still have DPD courses in progress and plan to apply for a Dietetic Internship should complete the Declaration of Intent. Obtain the Declaration of Intent form from Donna Verney. On the form, indicate all courses left to be completed during the following semester, date of anticipated completion of courses, signature in blue ink to denote original copy.

Please note that students requesting an evaluation of their “Declaration of Intent” on DICAS (Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System) need to submit the following to the Dietetics Coordinator, Donna Verney:

  1. OFFICIAL transcripts from all colleges you attended other than Montclair State
  2. UNOFFICIAL transcripts from Montclair State
  3. Submit a completed hard copy of the Declaration of Intent
  4. A $30 fee is required to complete this review process. Cash or checks made payable to Montclair State University are acceptable.
  5. Submit all materials in a sealed envelope to the department mailbox of Donna Verney, Univ Hall, Room 2154.

Note: Hard copy Declaration of Intent is separate from your application on DICAS. This hard copy is needed so that we can verify your Declaration of Intent on DICAS.

On DICAS under DPD contact information write

Dr. Lauren Dinour: dinourl@montclair.edu

Assessment for Prior Learning

Course credits for prior learning can be obtained in two ways, transcript review and/or the successful completion of a Challenge Exam. Transfer students, Second Bachelor and AND Certificate students may be considered.

To be considered for prior learning course credit, student transcript/s are carefully reviewed to determine course equivalency. Course content must be deemed comparable to receive prior learning credit. For procedures for the Challenge Exam, refer to the Student Handbook.

Distance Education Components within the Dietetics Curriculum

Courses in the dietetics curriculum are offered in various modalities: In-person, Asynchronous online, and Hybrid modality. Students are required to have a computer (own or loaner) and internet connection for the courses that have distance education components. The university provides various IT services to students. For more information, please visit the Quick IT Guide (Students) page.