Nutrition Programs at Southern Miss Receive Accreditation Renewal

Fri, 02/24/2023 - 09:59am | By: Karelia Pitts

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) Board granted full accreditation for The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Bachelor of Science in nutrition and dietetics and graduate Dietetic Internship (DI) program through June 30, 2030, the maximum period allowed.

Offered through the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition in the College of Education and Human Sciences, these educational opportunities provide undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on learning and experiential activities that help them build the skills needed for success in the workplace. In a challenging and supportive environment, students learn from nutrition and dietetics faculty with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience.

“ACEND® accreditation requires excellence across all facets of a program, so we are thrilled to have received their stamp of approval again,” said the School’s director, Dr. Scott Piland. “We have exceptional faculty members in nutrition and state-of-the-art facilities for our students to learn and perfect their craft. With renewed accreditation, our team is poised to continue making a difference by helping the dietetics professionals of tomorrow develop competence in all areas of nutrition and dietetics practice.”

ACEND® is an autonomous accrediting agency for education programs preparing students to begin careers as registered dietitian nutritionists or nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered. The Council ensures the quality of nutrition and dietetics education to advance the practice of the profession. They value collaboration, accountability, respect and ethics while working to:

• Elevate the quality of nutrition and dietetics education across the globe.
• Promote opportunities for increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and access in nutrition and dietetics education.
• Focus communication and collaboration to cultivate excellence in nutrition and dietetics.

Southern Miss has a rich history of providing educational offerings to meet the need for professionally trained dietitians in the state of Mississippi and surrounding region. Dating back to 1963, USM launched the institution’s first degree in dietetics approved by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

“2023 marks 60 years since ADA approved dietetics and nutrition programming began at USM, and we are pleased to continue the tradition of excellence in this area with renewed ACEND® accreditation,” said Dr. Holly Huye, associate professor of nutrition and food systems.

The bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at USM offers students a foundation in the sciences to understand how nutrients impact the body and how microorganisms are related to food. Undergraduates learn how food relates to the development and treatment of disease, how to assess and educate individuals, and how to manage food service operations. They graduate with a deep understanding of how food and nutrition impact the overall health and wellness of communities and how the physical and chemical properties of food are affected by preparation.

“Being reaccredited enhances our program’s credibility and assures students they will learn all of the knowledge required to be a registered dietitian. When one of our students graduates from USM with their bachelor’s degree, you can be sure that we will have effectively prepared them to pursue a dietetic internship program and begin their career with confidence,” said Dr. Huye.

As the first program of its kind to receive accreditation in the state of Mississippi in 1997, the DI Program at USM is a 21-month experience combined with and a 30-credit master’s degree that integrates graduate-level education and research with supervised practice activities to prepare entry-level registered dietitians to improve the health of individuals.

“Our Southern Miss DI students are extremely bright and passionate about using their education to help others live happier and healthier lives. During this program, they spend over a thousand hours working and learning out in the community to gain experience in a diverse variety of settings,” said Molly Edwards, director of the Dietetic Internship Program at Southern Miss. “We are proud to share that our program’s one-year pass rate for the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is an impressive 81 percent. Of our graduates who seek employment, 100 percent are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.”

Throughout the course of the DI program, students participate in a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice. Rotations cover general and advanced clinical, renal, nutrition support, long-term care, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), child nutrition programs, food service management, food banks, and a two-week special interest rotation at the end of the internship. Each intern is assigned to a primary supervised practice facility or group of facilities in Jackson, Meridian, the greater Hattiesburg area, or along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“It is wonderful to hear from ACEND® regarding how they value our commitment to students and the continued improvement of dietetics education we demonstrated during the accreditation process,” said Dr. Trent Gould, dean of USM’s College of Education and Human Sciences. “We take pride in the high-quality education students gain from our challenging but rewarding programs in nutrition and dietetics. This achievement confirms that our faculty, staff and students are among the best in the field.”

There are currently 53 students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics and 20 students enrolled in the DI program at USM. For more information, visit usm.edu/nutrition.