DPD Prerequisites
Prerequisite courses must have been completed within the last 10 years with a C- or better grade. An overall GPA of at least 3.0 is required.
Prerequisite courses:
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry - must be a 2000 level course or higher
- Introduction to Human Nutrition
- Human Physiology or Human Anatomy
- Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle
- Principles of Statistics
- General Psychology
- Food Literacy / Culinary Basics
- Medical Terminology
Coursework can be completed at USU or through a different academic institution. If taken from a different university, you can refer to the USU transfer guide to verify that the courses will transfer to USU. If your course isn’t in the transfer guide, you can refer to the USU catalog to compare courses descriptions. If a course does not transfer to USU but you feel the course is comparable, email the course description and syllabus to maryann.schneider@usu.edu for additional review.
Applicants can be in the process of completing prerequisites when applying to the program, but the coursework must be completed prior to beginning program coursework.
Chemistry Prerequisites
The chemistry prerequisites prepare students for the concepts discussed in the certificate program coursework. If all chemistry courses need to be taken, it will take at least 3 semesters to complete the courses. At USU the chemistry courses must be taken in sequence and require each as the prerequisite to be able to take the next course in the sequence. If transferring chemistry coursework from a different institution, you will want to verify that the coursework is comparable to USU CHEM 1210, CHEM 2300 (or 2310), and CHEM 3700.
The following shows the sequence of chemistry courses offered at USU.
Prerequisites Through USU
Completing the prerequisites through USU is a great option. Most of the prerequisite courses are available online, although some are only offered in a face-to-face format. The table below goes through which courses have been offered online in the past at USU. The information is subject to change, but can be used as a general guide.
| Prerequisite | Course at USU | Available Online at USU |
|---|---|---|
| General Chemistry | CHEM 1210 | Yes - Spring and Summer only Available in person during Fall and Spring |
Organic Chemistry |
CHEM 2300 or CHEM 2310 |
No Yes - Spring (Prerequisite CHEM 1220) |
| Biochemistry | CHEM 3700 | Yes - Summer only Available in person during Spring |
| Intro to Human Nutrition | NDFS 1020 | Yes |
| Human Anatomy or Human Physiology |
BIOL 2320 (Anatomy) BIOL 2420 (Physiology) |
No |
| Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle |
NDFS 2020 | Yes - Spring only |
| Principles of Statistics | STAT 1040 | Yes |
| General Psychology | PSY 1010 | Yes |
| Food Literacy | NDFS 1240 | No |
| Medical Terminology | NDFS 1600 | Yes |
Food Literacy/Culinary Basics
Food literacy teaches important food preparation skills that will be utilized in future coursework. We recognize that this course might not be available at all universities and/or available in a format that will work for all students. Because of this, courses from non-academic sources or technical colleges can be completed to fulfill this requirement.
Completing one of the following options would fulfill the NDFS 1240: Food Literacy prerequisite. Proof of completion will need to be shown.
| Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|
| Rouxbe Online Course The Cook's Roadmap |
America's Test Kitchen
|
