The University of Northern Colorado now offers its Didactic Program in Dietetics as an on-line distance program called the Distance Dietetic Program. It is the same program as our CADE accredited on-campus program however it is designed to be more accessible for students particularly those who have employment and/or family commitments that preclude participating in a full-time on-campus experience. Because it is on-line, students do not need to come to campus to take courses. You may desire to complete your bachelor’s degree in dietetics or, if you already have a bachelor’s degree, you may choose just to complete the requirements of the Didactic Program in Dietetics to enable you to apply for dietetic internships on your path to becoming a registered dietitian. Either way this program can meet your needs.

There are several options for completing the Distance Dietetic Program. You may:

• take general education and supporting courses at a university or college in your locale and finish the program in two summers through the UNC Distance Dietetic Program
• you may take one or more dietetic courses through the Office of Extended Studies at UNC in addition to taking courses online during the summer.
• you may take one or more general education or supporting courses on the UNC campus and complete the dietetic courses on-line during the summers.

The UNC Dietetic faculty will advise you regarding which courses you may have taken or are planning to take will transfer for credit toward completion of the Distance Dietetic Program. They will help you design your schedule of pre-requisite courses to take in preparation for enrollment in the summer on-line courses (see Course Schedule). You may begin taking courses in the Distance Dietetic Program during summer if you have had the appropriate pre-requisites, you have been advised by your advisor, and there is space available in the courses. If you desire a bachelor's degree in dietetics, you can complete your first three year's of coursework at a campus close to you and the last 30 credits on-line with UNC.

The faculty will also provide advising to enhance your opportunities for obtaining a dietetic internship. The on-campus Didactic Program in Dietetics has an internship placement rate for its graduates that greatly surpasses the national average as does the registration exam pass rate for program graduates. Additionally, UNC offers a distance based dietetic internship (see Dietetic Internship) and selection preference is given to UNC graduates.

The summer on-line classes are limited to 20 students per course with registration preference given to those students currently enrolled in the Distance Dietetic Program. In order to maintain regular offerings of each course, a minimum number of students must be enrolled each session. Thus, we encourage you to plan your program with enrollment in consecutive sessions. The on-line courses utilize a variety of teaching methods including involvement in your community. For those courses with labs you will be required to identify resources in your community for completing the assignments.

Prior to registering for any courses in the Distance Dietetic Program you must have completed the following four courses or their equivalents:

• BIO 110 Principles of Biology (an equivalent course must have a lab included)
• CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry (an equivalent course must have a lab included)
• PSY 120 Principles of Psychology (an equivalent course must be a general psychology course)
• FND 250 Principles of Nutrition (a general, basic nutrition course)

The four courses are in addition to any specific pre-requisite courses needed for a course in the Distance Dietetic Program.

Once you have read through the pages on this web site and you are interested in being in the program, collect official transcripts, keep them sealed, and send them along with complete contact information on August 1, 2008 to the Administrative Assistant, Amy Baird, University of Northern Colorado, Distance Dietetic Program, Campus Box 93, Greeley, CO 80639.  For questions about the process, you can contact Amy Baird at amy.baird@unco.edu or (970) 351-1769.  In August, Amy will receive your transcripts and assign a faculty advisor to review your transcripts for credit that can be transferred toward completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics. Be sure to include the following contact information with your transcripts: your full name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number.

Is distance education for you?

You must have access to a computer with e-mail and Internet capabilities. The courses are offered using Blackboard however if you are unfamiliar with Blackboard, tutorials are available. As a potential student, you should analyze your learning style to see if this format will work for you. You will need to consider your need for face-to-face discussion and interaction. In the distance delivery format, discussion and interaction most often takes place via e-mail or discussion groups on-line therefore there may be a lapse of time between when you send your communication and when you receive a reply. Discussion will take place on electronic discussion and chat rooms where students and/or faculty will post a question or comment that can be viewed and reacted to by everyone in the class, but everyone will not necessarily be on-line at the same time. This makes the interaction asynchronous.

This format is convenient for students who work, have families, or are unable to relocate, but don’t make the assumption that it is easier than taking courses on campus. The off-campus program is the same program delivered to on-campus students. Students working off-campus do not have to be in class at a particular time; however, time required to complete the class assignments is comparable to that of the on-campus students.

The student who elects to study at a distance must be an independent learner. As a student, you will be expected to take more responsibility for your learning than you would in the traditional classroom. As with any class, deadlines must be kept to achieve a successful grade in class.

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