Nutritional Science Assessment SITE

Introduction to the Nutritional Science Program

The nutritional science degree program at Seaver College is designed to train students for graduate and professional schools, as well as for careers in health science and dietetics.

About the Nutritional Science Program

Our nutritional science program is approved as a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and prepares students for supervised practice programs (also known as Dietetic Internships), and Individual Supervised Practice Pathways (ISPP).

History of the Nutritional Science PrograM

The current Nutritional Science major was established in 1974 and is now housed in the Natural Science Division of Seaver College at Pepperdine University. In 1985, an endowed position, the Flora Laney Thornton Distinguished Professor of Nutritional Science was inaugurated with the hire of Dr. June Payne-Palacio, RD and the degree in Nutritional Science transitioned from a Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics to the contemporary Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science degree. From 1989-1998, a minor degree in Nutritional Science was offered, then discontinued as both faculty and the Nutritional Science Advisory committee deemed the minor degree provided inadequate background for the complexity of issues in dietetics and nutritional science to safeguard the public. The DPD program was awarded a 10-year in accreditation in 1992.  

Quality Assurance: Each degree program should employ sufficient faculty such that there is a capacity to design and deliver the curriculum (CFR 2.5). Curriculum design and implementation should involve evaluation, improvement, and promotion of student learning and success (CFR 2.5). Thus, faculty are responsible to exercise effective academic leadership on a consistent basis to ensure that the program's quality and educational purposes are upheld (CFR 2.6). Student support and co-curricular programs and services of sufficient nature, scope, and capacity go hand-in-hand with the degree programs for promoting students' academic, personal, and professional development (CFR 2.13).  - WSCUC 2023 Handbook, Standard 2