Nutrition and Health Science

A. Fly, Chairperson

bsu.edu/nutritionandhealth

The Department of Nutrition and Health Science offers majors in dietetics, public health, respiratory therapy, and radiography. The latter two programs are offered in cooperation with IU Health in Indianapolis. Interested students should contact the Department of Nutrition and Health Science or visit https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/nutrition-and-health-science/academic-programs to obtain a copy of the desired admission and retention policy and plan of study. In addition, the department houses the national office of Eta Sigma Gamma, the health education honorary.

Associate Degree

The Associate degree program prepares students for careers in radiography. Radiographers are highly skilled professionals qualified by education to perform x-ray procedures to assist in diagnosing and treating medical conditions. The prerequisite phase of the program takes place on the Ball State campus. The professional concentration phase is offered in Indianapolis, where medical, technical, and clinical courses are taught at IU Health Methodist Hospital and other clinical education sites. There are specific admission and retention requirements for the radiography program. Interested students should contact the Department of Nutrition and Health Science for more information.

General Information

• Students may complete the required radiography prerequisite courses upon admission to the university. Admission to the professional concentration phase requires a separate application and is competitive. Admission to the university, satisfactory completion of the radiography prerequisite courses and fulfillment of program admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the professional concentration phase of the program. The radiography program designates the number of students admitted to the professional concentration phase each year.

• Applicants to the professional concentration phase must disclose any termination from a health care facility, ticket, citation, summons, arrest, charge, or conviction for a misdemeanor or felony. Individuals who have been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony must preapply and receive clearance from the national certifying body by the professional concentration program application deadline.

• All accepted students to the professional concentration phase of the program must provide documentation of CPR and required immunization/tests and successfully complete a background check and mandatory drug testing performed by IU Health.

• In order to participate in the professional concentration phase of the program, no accepted student may appear on specific Federal exclusion lists.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Dietetics/Pre-Dietetics (four-year program). The Didactic Program in Dietetics prepares students for careers that maximize health through nutrition. The program provides academic preparation for a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). An RDN provides nutrition care in many settings, such as medical centers, community health programs, schools, athletic teams, and may also work in the foodservice or pharmaceutical industries. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Graduates of the program are required to complete an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship post-graduation, and obtain a Master’s degree, prior to the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

Public Health (four-year program). Public health is the science of protecting, as well as promoting, the health of people and their communities. It involves monitoring the health of populations; detecting and responding to disease outbreaks; and investigating the root causes of disease and disability—as well as identifying and evaluating methods of prevention and treatment. It entails educating people about healthy lifestyles; advocating for, and implementing, laws and policies that promote healthy communities and a healthy environment; and protecting them using regulation and legal action. Public health also requires a strong organizational infrastructure with a skilled, diverse workforce that can improve through innovation and enable equitable access for all people to the resources required for health. The field of public health works to improve our quality of life, reduce disparities, and lessen human suffering across the world. The major in public health prepares students to serve as public health professionals who work in settings that include, but are not limited to, governmental health agencies, community health agencies, clinical health settings, and in businesses and industries. In addition to the course work required in this major, students must also complete a semester-long internship. Graduates of this program are prepared for and eligible to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, a baccalaureate-level credential in public health prized or required by many employers in the field. The program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) as a stand-alone baccalaureate program.

Respiratory Therapy (four year program). Respiratory Therapy is a specialized health care field where practitioners are trained in pulmonary medicine in order to work therapeutically with people suffering from pulmonary disease. Respiratory therapists help diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and educate to prevent and manage cardiopulmonary diseases. They are skilled in airway maintenance, procurement and analysis of arterial blood gas samples, and performance of pulmonary function tests. Students may enter the general studies portion of the program upon admission to the university; however, admission to the program is competitive, and admission to the university does not guarantee acceptance to the professional studies/clinical phase of the program. The professional studies courses are taught at IU Health in Indianapolis. Students may apply for admission to the professional studies/clinical portion of this program when the following requirements are met: 28 credits of the required courses are completed; 10 of these completed credits are in the required math/science courses; all math/science courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher; 2.5 overall GPA; completion and documentation of at least three credits of clinical observation. Accepted students must provide documentation of CPR and required immunizations/tests. Once accepted, each must successfully complete a background check and mandatory drug testing performed by IU Health. Accepted students must not appear on specific Federal exclusion lists. Failing any of these requirements would make the applicant ineligible for the professional studies portion of the program.