About Texas Christian University

A major teaching and research university, TCU was founded in 1873 and today continues to emphasize a liberal arts education. With an enrollment of more than 8,600, TCU provides students with the benefits of a major university: nearly 100 undergraduate majors, professors who are leaders in their fields, innovative academic programs, some 200 student organizations and big-time college athletics. With a 15:1 student-faculty ratio and a teacher-scholar model that results in close, mentoring relationships, TCU also offers many of the advantages of smaller liberal arts colleges. TCU is recognized in rankings as one of the top 100 national universities and is known for innovative programs.  With a global perspective that grows from its mission, TCU makes international education a priority. About one-third of its students study abroad.

Texas Christian University is located about five miles from downtown Fort Worth on 265 acres surrounded by major city parks, the Trinity River, and a museum/theater district.    Fort Worth, a progressive city with a population of over 650,000, retains its Southwestern heritage.  A myriad of education, recreational, and professional opportunities abound in the greater Fort Worth/Dallas area of about four and a half million people.

Tree-shaded lawns complement the eclectic architecture of TCU, which ranges from neo-Georgian to contemporary in style.   The library is the center of campus, and intentionally, the chapel spire rises above other campus buildings.  TCU is historically related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a Protestant denomination that encourages a reasoned faith, commitment to ecumenism and understanding among the world’s religions. Today, more than 45 religious groups are represented in the student body.


About the Department of Nutritional Sciences

The Department of Nutritional Sciences, a component of the College of Science and Engineering at TCU, offers three Bachelor of Science degree programs:  Option I - Coordinated Program in Dietetics; Option II - Nutrition (Didactic Program  in Dietetics); and Option III - Food Management. 

As early as 1922, the Department of Home Economics at TCU offered courses in Food and Nutrition. In 1963, the department began offering a degree in Foods and Nutrition. In 1965, the American Dietetic Association approved the Plan III Didactic Program in Dietetics at TCU, which offered students the option of completing a degree in Nutrition. Since that time, the Department of Nutritional Sciences (formerly the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics) has maintained a curriculum approved by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) for students majoring in Nutrition (Option II).  Currently, the Didactic Program in Dietetics at TCU holds accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association, recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accredidation and the United States Department of Education. 

When the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at TCU admitted its first class and was awarded developmental approval as a Coordinated Undergraduate Program in Dietetics in 1975, the program was partially funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.   The program is now completely funded by the University.  At its inception, the program was housed in the Department of Home Economics, Division of Food and Nutrition.   The program was granted approval status in 1977, accreditation status in 1979, and re-accredited in 1984 and 1999.  In 1985, an independent Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, within the AddRan College of Arts and Sciences, was formed.  

The Coordinated Program in Dietetics (Option I) at TCU is one of only four accredited dietetics programs in Texas and 53 in the entire United States that entitle the graduate to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians without additional post graduate supervised practice or a Dietetic Internship.   The Coordinated Program in Dietetics is currently accredited for a maximum of 16 students in each class by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association, recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.

Following two years of general TCU Core Curriculum Requirements and prerequisite courses, the Coordinated Program in Dietetics curriculum combines advanced course work and closely supervised practice with dietitians in various facilities including hospitals, community agencies, schools, private practice, and foodservice sites.   The professional phase of the program is comprehensive in all major areas of dietetics practice, including food systems management, nutrition education, medical nutrition therapy, community dietetics, research, and business/entrepreneurial.

A major in Food Management (Option III) was first offered through the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1985.  This program offers a four-year curriculum emphasizing coursework in the procurement, production, distribution, service, and management of foodservice systems and results in a baccalaureate degree.   Students majoring in Food Management culminate in a supervised practice experience within the food industry or a foodservice operation.  A minor in general business is recommended.

Since the inception of this degree option, the number of students electing to major in Food Management has progressively grown. Many students have graduated with this major and secured employment in food-related business and industry career.