Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics
University of Washington
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The Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (GCPD) is part of a continuing tradition of dietetic education at the University of Washington. Students in the UW’s GCPD have the opportunity to work simultaneously toward completion of both a graduate degree and the course work and practice experiences necessary to become a Registered Dietitian. Graduates of our program engage in client centered health promotion, disease prevention, medical nutrition therapy, public health best practices, and nutrition policy development. The University of Washington has outlined a vision of education that:
. . . promotes the capacity to make humane and informed decisions. The University fosters an environment in which its students can develop mature and independent judgment and an appreciation of the range and diversity of human achievement. The University cultivates in its students both critical thinking and the effective articulation of that thinking.
Introduction
What is a GCPD? A Graduate Coordinated Program in Didactics (GCPD) provides the coursework and supervised practice that is required to become a Registered Dietitian® (RD). Students who want to be an RD must also pass an examination offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Information on the credential of Registered Dietitian may be obtained from the American Dietetic Association.
The GCPD at the University of Washington is open to graduate students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences. Therefore prospective students will need to apply to the Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences for either a Master's in Science Degree, a Master's in Public Health Degree or a Doctoral Degree. In addition to the application to the Graduate Program in Dietetics students will complete an application to the GCPD.The University of Washington is the major public post-baccalaureate university in the state, with over 45,000 students enrolled at the Seattle campus. Associated with the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences, the Dietetic Program is administered through the Department of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine.
The GCPD admits 12 new students to the program each year. These students must also be accepted into the Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences. The first year of the program is primarily devoted to course work for both the graduate program and the GCPD. The second year of the program focuses on the practice experiences. We recommend that students begin their thesis efforts the first year of their graduate studies by working with their advisor to identify their thesis project and submit their graduate portfolio as described on the Nutritional Sciences web page. Students will not be eligible to sit for the examination to become an RD until the GCPD, the graduate degree and the thesis have been completed.
The mission of the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics is to develop competent professionals with a strong foundation in the applied science of nutrition and provide training to integrate research into practice, support leadership development and enable graduates to assume careers in dietetics.
GCPD Goals
Goal 1: Program outcomes
Provide an evidence-based curriculum and supervised practice to develop competent professionals.
Goal 2: Research and Technology
Integrate research related to nutrition as an applied science into the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in both coursework and experiences in a variety of practice settings. Integrate informatics and technology into the didactic courses and practice experiences
Goal 3: Leadership
Prepare student in the GCPD to assume roles in leadership and policy development
University of Washington
Nutritional Sciences Program
305 Raitt Hall, Box 353410
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-1730 voice
(206) 685-1696 FAX
For additional information please contact the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the UW: nutr@u.washington.edu
Last Updated: October 27, 2009