About the Program
The Nutrition Science Department at Purdue has a unique and popular double major offering in Nutrition, Fitness, and Health (NFHL) and the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND). This combination allows students to fulfill the requirements for obtaining the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential together with the first step in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), as well as gain a comprehensive approach to human health and fitness. This double major can be completed in four years.
The Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) part of the double major provides a foundation for students to pursue a required advanced degree (master’s degree), complete a supervised practice (commonly referred to as “internship”), and become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) by passing the National Registration Exam for Dietitians (RD exam). In addition to our undergraduate program, Purdue offers a professional master’s degree in Dietetics which incorporates the necessary supervised practice hours. The undergraduate and graduate programs are fully ACEND accredited, and the Purdue Nutrition Science Department offers all of the required steps to be eligible to sit for the RDN exam. Scores on the national RDN exam by Purdue graduates are consistently well above the national average.
The Nutrition, Fitness, and Health (NFHL) part is designed for students interested in careers in nutrition, fitness, or wellness programs in hospitals, colleges, or industry. The Purdue NFHL major has formal recognition from the National Strength and Conditioning Association for its excellence in undergraduate strength and conditioning education and one is eligible to sit for the credentialing exam upon graduation to earn the CSCS credential.
Department of Nutrition Science
Nutrition, Fitness, and Health Major Change (CODO) Requirements
World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.