Dietetics Transfer Plan
No more than 65 semester credit hours earned at a two-year college can be applied to a baccalaureate degree from Iowa State University. Iowa State accepts up to 16 semester hours of credit earned in career-technical courses if the sending community college accepts such courses toward its Associate of Art or Associate of Science degrees. These plans are suggestions only and may need to be adapted to meet individual needs and commitments.
Use the Financial Aid Timeline to plan ahead for financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
Transfer plans are available for Iowa community colleges on the Iowa State Transfer Plan Portal.
For information on course requirements, sample four-year plan, and course sequence flow chart, refer to the dietetics major page.
Timing/Sequence
All courses on this plan do not need to be completed prior to transfer. Typically, transfer students complete 1 year of remaining prerequisites and then 2 years of upper-level coursework to earn the bachelor’s degree in dietetics.
An emphasis on completing science sequence courses and the prerequisites for the Didactic Program in Dietetics will best help students move through the program at the quickest pace after transfer. If you are a part-time student or cannot complete all of the suggested coursework on this plan, consider choosing the science coursework first since this begins the longest sequence of courses. (Begin the science sequence with General/College Chemistry equivalent[s] and Principles of Biology equivalents.)
First semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 177/177L or CHEM 163/163L, General Chemistry I or College Chemistry | 4 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Dietetics students at Iowa State must take an equivalent to either CHEM 163/163L or equivalents to both CHEM 177/177L and CHEM 178 at Iowa State to fulfill the College/General Chemistry requirement. |
| FSHN 167 | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Library 160, Library Instruction | 1 | Some schools have an equivalent to this course, and some do not. If an equivalent doesn’t exist, this course can easily be fit into a schedule at Iowa State after transfer |
Total credits: about 14-15 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Second semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 212/212L, Principles of Biology II | 3 (lecture), 1 (lab) | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 |
Total credits: about 16 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Third semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 231/231L, Elementary Organic Chemistry orCHEM 331/331L, Organic Chemistry II | 3 (lecture), 1 (lab) | |
| MICRO 201/201L | 2 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Microbiology courses that transfer as MICRO 2T** on the Course Equivalency Guides, are at least 3 credits, and include a laboratory, will fulfill the MICRO 201/201L requirement for Dietetics majors |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | Select this additional course based on your needs/ability to balance your course load this semester. |
Total credits: about 16 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Fourth semester
Typically, at this point in the sequence of courses, it is important that students have transferred to Iowa State. You should visit with the FSHN transfer advisor to determine the best time for you to transfer based on your specific situation. If possible, early planning is recommended to determine the transfer semester that will result in the timeliest completion of your degree requirements.
Interchangeable courses
Where the transfer plans says, “select an interchangeable course”, select one of the courses below. All courses must be taken to fulfill requirements for your degree program, but the order of these courses prior to transfer is typically less significant.
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Math 140, 142, 160, 165 or 181– College Algebra (140) or higher | 3 -4 | Take an equivalent to one course from this category |
| STAT 101, Principles of Statistics or STAT 104, Introduction to Statistics | 4,3 | Take an equivalent to one of these two courses |
| ENGL 150, Critical Thinking & Communication | 3 | |
| ENGL 250, Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Communication | 3 | Usually an equivalent to ENGL 150 is the prerequisite to an ENGL 250 equivalent |
| SP CM 212, Speech Communication | 3 | |
| FS HN 167, Intro. to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| PSYCH 101, Intro. to Psychology | 3 | |
| Humanities courses | 3-9 | Consult with the Iowa State FSHN advisor regarding how many credits of humanities classes you should take prior to transfer. Refer to the humanities requirements list for Iowa State courses that can fulfill this requirement. Additionally, classes listed on the Course Equivalency Guides as HUM 1T**, 2T**, 3T**, 4T** can also serve as humanities. |
FAQs
How do I know which Chemistry sequence to take: CHEM 163/L or CHEM 177/L &CHEM 178?
Consultation with an advisor at your current institution and at Iowa State is important to determine which chemistry sequence is appropriate for your skills, abilities, and goals. However, some general advice follows. At Iowa State, CHEM 163/L is a one semester look at college chemistry principles that prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry (CHEM 231/L at Iowa State). CHEM 177/L & 178 is a more in-depth look at general chemistry concepts for students with stronger math and chemistry backgrounds. The in-depth two part sequence typically better prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry.
Some schools only offer the equivalent to the CHEM 177/L & 178 sequence (see the course equivalency guides to check a community college). If you have the choice between CHEM 163/L and CHEM 177/L & 178, then you should visit with an advisor at your current institution to find out which you are most prepared for.
Also, many schools do not offer an Elementary Organic Chemistry course such as Iowa State’s CHEM 231/L, only a higher-level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to Iowa State’s CHEM 331/L). If this is the case and you plan to stay at your community college through organic chemistry, then you typically need to take the CHEM 177/L to 178 sequences to be most prepared for the higher level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to CHEM 331/L).
What if I have finished the Chemistry sequence on this plan?
It’s time to visit with the FSHN transfer advisor. It is likely time for you to transfer to Iowa State so that you can stay on track with your coursework. In a few circumstances it might be appropriate to take an equivalent to BBMB 301 (Survey of Biochemistry) if offered at your current institution, but it is very important to discuss if this is the best option with the FSHN advisor at this point or if you should transfer.
I see on the sample 4-year plan that it is recommended to take BIOL 255/255L, Human Anatomy during the Fall semester of the second year. Should I plan to take this course at my transfer institution instead of Microbiology (as listed on this transfer plan)?
Maybe. Some schools offer equivalents to BIOL 255/255L or courses that can be approved as substitutes, while other schools offer courses that are not close enough to be equivalents or substitutes. Visit with the FSHN transfer advisor about this situation for your specific school.
Do I need any electives for this major? What counts as an elective?
Students in this program must have completed 120 credits to graduate. Students usually need to take between 0 and 14 credits, minimum, of electives to get to 120 credit hours. You may need a few more or less as a transfer student depending on the number of credits that the courses are at your transfer institution. Any course that is accepted by Iowa State as a transfer course that isn’t already fulfilling a degree requirement can be considered an elective.
What if I have finished all (or most of the interchangeable courses on this list) and am now just working on the science coursework so I don’t have a full-time course load? Is there anything else that might transfer?
Maybe. If you haven’t already, it’s appropriate to be visiting with the FSHN advisor at this point. It might also be appropriate to discuss with the advisor if there is a minor that you could start working toward that would complement your degree program.