In addition to fulfilling the requirements for a major in the College, students may elect to complete ACEND accredited academic requirements of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which are listed below. 

The DPD program at Cornell University is not a standalone major. The DPD prepares students for careers as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Many of the courses are required by the Nutritional Sciences major and may overlap with major requirements for DNS students, but any student accepted to Cornell University may apply for the DPD program. 

Students typically apply to the DPD program fall semester of their junior year, Completion of DPD requirements is verified by the Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (Savage Hall 214) and results in a DPD Verification Statement for the student. Students in the DPD must also complete their university, college, and major/program requirements to graduate from Cornell University.

More information about the Didactic Program in Dietetic can be found on the Division of Nutritional Sciences website.

The requirements listed below pertain to all students matriculating in August 2025 and January 2026. All of the following sections are required to be completed to receive a DPD Verification Statement.

Courses in areas 1-11 must be taken for a Letter Grade. 

Physical and Biological Sciences

1. Inorganic Chemistry (8 credits)

Choose one of the following options:

  • CHEM 2070 General Chemistry I (4 cr) AND CHEM 2080 General Chemistry II (4 cr) 1
  • (AP Chemistry score of 5 or IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7) AND CHEM 2080 General Chemistry II (4 cr) 2
  • (AP Chemistry score of 5 or IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7) AND CHEM 2150 Honors General and Inorganic Chemistry (4 cr) 3

1 Recommended for nearly all students, especially those on or considering a pre-health (e.g. pre-med) track.

2 Students may use an AP Chemistry score of 5 or an IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7 to place out of CHEM 2070. Pre-health (e.g. pre-med) students should not use AP scores to fulfill chemistry requirements. Students who take CHEM 2070 forfeit AP or IB credit.

3 Students should only select option (c) if they are very strong in chemistry and are not considering a pre-health (e.g. pre-med) track. 

2. Organic Chemistry (5-10 credits)1

Choose one of the following labs:

  • CHEM 2510 Introduction to Experimental Organic Chemistry (2 cr) OR
  • CHEM 3010 Experimental Chemistry (4 cr) 

And one of the following lecture options:

  • CHEM 1570 Elementary Organic Chemistry (3 cr, not for pre-health) OR
  • CHEM 3570-3580 Introductory Organic Chemistry (3 cr each, must take both, CHEM 3570 alone will not fulfill the requirement)

1 Students interested in pre-health tracks should take a two-course sequence of organic chemistry lectures (option c above).

3. Microbiology (3 credits)

  • BIOMI 2900 General Microbiology Lecture (3-4 cr)

4. Introductory Biology (8-10 credits)

Choose one of the following labs:

  • BIOG 1500 Investigative Lab (2 cr) OR
  • BIOSM 1500 Investigative Marine Biology Lab (3 cr)

AND choose two out of the three following lecture options1:

  • BIOMG 1350 Cell and Developmental Biology (3 cr) OR
  • BIOG 1440 Comparative Physiology (3 cr) OR2
    BIOG 1445 Comparative Physiology (autotutorial) (4 cr)
  • BIOEE 1610 Ecology and the Environment (3 cr) OR2 
    BIOEE 1780 Evolution and Diversity (3 cr)

1 Students may use an AP Biology score of 5 to place out of one introductory biology lecture. Pre-health (e.g. pre-med) students should not use AP scores to fulfill biology requirements.

2 Cannot take both courses within one category to fulfill this requirement. 

5. Physiology (6 credits)

  • NS 3410 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr) AND
  • NS 3420 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory (2 cr)

6. Biochemistry (4-6 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  • NS 3200 Introduction to Human Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3300 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3310 Principles of Biochemistry (3 cr) AND BIOMG 3320 Principles of Biochemistry (2 cr)
  • BIOMG 3310 Principles of Biochemistry (3 cr) AND BIOMI 2900 General Microbiology (3 cr)
  • BIOMG 3330 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3350 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr) 

Behavioral Science

7. Psychology (3 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  •    HD 1130/PSYCH 1131 Introduction to Human Development OR
  •   HD 2170 Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood (3 cr) OR
  •   HD 2180 Human Development: Adulthood and Aging OR
  •   HD 2510 Social Gerontology (3 cr) OR
  •   PSYCH 1101 Introduction to Psychology (3 cr)  

Communication

8. First-Year Writing Seminars (6 credits)

The two required first-year writing seminar courses must be completed during the first two semesters at Cornell.

Quantitative and Analytical

9. Quantitative Analysis (3-4 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  • STSCI 2150 Introductory Statistics for Biology (4 cr) OR
  • PUBPOL 2100 Introduction to Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • AEM 2100 Introductory Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • BTRY 3010 Biological Statistics I (4 cr) OR
  • ILRST/STSCI 2100 Introductory Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • MATH 1710 Statistical Theory and Application in the Real World (4 cr) OR
  • PSYCH 2500 Statistics and Research Design (3-4 cr) OR
  • SOC 3010 Statistics for Sociological Research (4 cr) OR
  • A score of 4 or 5 on the Statistics AP Exam

Professional Sciences

10. Nutrition Core Courses (16 credits)

  • NS 1150 Nutrition, Health and Society (3 cr)
  • NS 2450 Social Science Perspective on Food and Nutrition (3 cr)
  • NS 3450 Introduction to Physiochemical and Biological Aspects of Food (3 cr)
  • NS 3310 Nutrient Metabolism (4 cr)
  • NS 3320 Methods in Nutritional Sciences (3 cr) 

11. Dietetic Courses (25 credits)

  • NS 1220 Nutrition and the Life Cycle (3 cr)
  • NS 2470 Food for Contemporary Living (2 cr)
  • HADM 1361 Food Service Management Essentials (4 cr) OR HADM 3365/5365 Foodservice Management Essentials (3 cr)
  • NS 4250 Nutrition Communications and Counseling (3 cr)
  • NS 4410 Nutrition and Disease (4 cr)
  • NS 4420 Implementation of Nutrition Care (3 cr)
  • NS 4500/6500 Public Health Nutrition (3 cr) OR NS 1600 Introduction to Public Health (3 cr)
  • NS 4880 Applied Dietetics in Food Service Management (4 cr)

 

College Policies 

TOTAL CREDITS TO GRADUATE = 120  

• Students must complete 120 credits toward graduation.  

• A maximum of 15 credits of AP credit and in absentia credit can count towards the 120 total credits.  

• A maximum of 15 credits of Study Abroad/Exchange, Cornell-In-Washington or Capital Semester can count towards total electives.  

45 HE credits:

Courses from: DEA, FSAD, HD, NS, PUBPOL at any level or HE above 1500 level 

• Students must complete a minimum of 45 Human Ecology credits.  

• HE non-departmental courses at the 1500-level and below do not count toward the 45 HE credits.  

• Students must enroll in a minimum of one 3-credit course each semester in HE for their first four semesters, excluding winter and summer sessions.  

11 credits HE credits outside the major:   

Courses must be from DEA, FSAD, HD, PUBPOL at any level or HE above 1500 level.  

•   Students must complete a minimum of 11 HE credits outside of the Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS). All DNS courses are listed under the course code “NS”.   

•   FWS, HE non-departmental courses below the 1500 level, Statistics and Research Methods courses (PUBPOL 2100, PUBPOL 3120, DEA 3550, or  
HD 2830), Special Studies (4000, 4010, 4020), and teaching assistantships (4030) do not count toward this requirement. 

•  These can be taken S/U only if course is NOT used to fulfill a curriculum requirement [Areas 1-18 on the following pages].  
 

HUMAN ECOLOGY CORE COURSES: Within these required 11 credits listed above, 5 credits will come from the following courses.   

  • HE 1800 Blazing Your Trail (1 credit) 
    Required in the first fall semester of matriculation to HE (first-year students only)
  • HE 1850 Introduction to Human (1 credit) 
    Required in the first spring semester of matriculation to HE Human Ecology (first-year, internal & external transfers)
  • HE 2000 Social Justice, Thriving, and the Human Experience (3 credits)  (updated course name effective Fall 2025)
    First-Year students will complete HE 2000 in their third semester.  
    Internal and external transfer students must complete HE 2000 in their first fall in Human Ecology.  

Pass/Fail Courses (S/U)

  • S/U grading option may not be used for any required course unless it is the only grade option offered for that course.
  • S/U may be used for the 9 HE credits outside the major and for electives.
  • Students may apply no more than 12 credits of S/U toward graduation requirements. If a required course is only offered S/U, it will not count toward this limit. Students may take more S/U courses if they choose, but the additional credit will not be applied toward graduation.
  • The deadline for changing grade options is the 57th calendar day of the semester, the same as the “drop” deadline. 

Special Study Courses (4000, 4010, 4020, 4030)

  • A maximum of 12 credits of special study course work from Human Ecology or other colleges will count toward the 120 overall credits. Courses will be indicated on the class roster with a Component of either IND or RSC. (Additional credits can be taken but will not be applied.)
  • A maximum of 12 credits of 4000-4030 may count toward the 43 HE credit requirement.
  • A maximum of 3 credits of 4000-4020 (not including 4030) may count toward the 9 credits outside the major requirement as long as the special study is in a department outside the student’s major.
  • Students cannot TA (4030) the same course for credit more than once or take and TA the same course simultaneously. 4030 does not fulfill any requirements toward the major. Registration for 4030 may not exceed 5 credit hours per semester. 
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