Overview

Our program has limited seats for individuals with post-baccalaureate status or those with advanced degrees who are seeking a DPD Verification Statement. The post-baccalaureate DPD is for candidates seeking a second Bachelor's degree (BS in Nutrition & Food with Dietetics Concentration).

You may find it helpful to review our Advising Sheet to familiarize yourself with our program requirements.

Students will receive a DPD Verification Statement after successful completion of program requirements.

How to Apply to Open University

General Information:

• In a typical semester, individuals have to wait until the first week of the semester for registration. Check the Open University webpage for registration deadlines. See other detailed instructions by Open University program on how to register below.
• One week before the semester begins, complete the registration form for the specific classes you are seeking enrollment. Collect instructor and department chair’s signatures during the first week of classes. Check the class schedule here.
• Seats in the courses are not guaranteed; baccalaureate degree-seeking students are given priority. Individuals are enrolled based on seat availability and instructor permission and this might take up to 2 weeks after semester begins.

Enrollment Conditions*:

• There must be space available in the class and approval must be obtained from the instructor and the department chair.

• Open University students are required to complete all academic work assigned by the instructor unless they are registered as “audit.”
• Anyone with an outstanding university obligation (hold) will not be allowed to enroll in classes until that hold is cleared.
• Disqualified/Dismissed students are not eligible to take classes through Open University.
• Students who wish to take a course for Credit/No Credit instead of a letter grade must complete and submit a petition at the time of enrollment.  Changes to grading basis will not be allowed after enrollment.

How to Register*:

• If this is your first time taking Open University classes online at Sac State, fill out the Open University Intent to Enroll form 2 weeks before classes begin and submit to ccecreditreg@csus.edu for processing. 
• Once received by our registration reps, they will assign you a Sac State ID number and email you instructions on how to set up your SacLink account. The response may take up to 48 hours. 
• Choose your desired course(s) from the Sacramento State class schedule.
• Download the registration form.
• On the first day of class, ask for permission to add. If the course is an online course you may find the instructor’s email by going to CSUS.edu, clicking on the menu at the upper right hand side of your screen and choosing “Directory”.

• Obtain permission from the instructor and department chair via email or in-person. The instructor will be able to tell you who their department chair is and then you may locate them through the directory as well. 
• Submit the form and approvals electronically to ccecreditreg@csus.edu or in person at Napa Hall.
• You will be able to pay for the class through your Student Center. There is no fee to pay by credit card online and we will accept American Express, Mastercard, or Discover.
• You have 14 days from registration to pay or census date, which ever comes first. Adds submitted after census date must be paid within 3 days from enrollment.

Attention Graduate Students*

Those students using Open University to explore graduate school options who later apply to Sacramento State for graduate studies should be aware that only six eligible units earned prior to classification can be applied toward a subsequent master’s degree program.

Attention International Students*

If you are an international student, please be advised that you may not be eligible to take a course through Open University.

• If you are here on an F-1 visa, you need authorization from your school advisor.
• If you are here on an F-2 or J-2 visa, you will need to get clearance on the course you are taking when you submit your registration to CCE.

• If you are here on a B-1 or B-2 visa, you are NOT eligible to take courses through Open University.
• When submitting your registration, please have your visa with you because a photocopy will need to be made for your record. Please call (916) 278-6984 or email ccecreditreg@csus.edu for questions about your status.

Concurrent Enrollment (Masters and Postbaccalaureate DPD)

If you are interested in MS+DPD route and wish to complete the DPD coursework within 2 years while taking graduate courses, it is recommended to plan your course load accordingly.  Enrollment in graduate courses and DPD courses concurrently will require preplanning and time management. Review our advising sheet to understand course requirements and prerequisites.   

Acceptance in the Masters program is required for consideration into the postbaccalaureate DPD enrollment.

Minimum GPA for enrollment is 3.0. First complete the equivalent to Chem 1A, 1B, 20; Bio 10, 39; Psyc 2, Stat 1; NUFD 9, 10, and 11 at a Community or Junior College (JC) (see a full list of articulation at assist.org).   Before enrolling in a course at JC, check that the course you take at JC articulates, i.e., is transferrable at Sacramento State. Academic advisors use assist.org to review articulations between Sac State and other institutions.

These DPD prerequisite courses will lay the foundation for upper-division sciences and nutrition courses; a minimum of C grade is required in these courses. 

Apart from the above-mentioned prerequisites, complete Bio 131; NUFD 107, 110, 114, 115, 119, and 121 at Sacramento State before applying to the Master's program to ensure timely completion of DPD coursework.  One can enroll in these courses through our Open University program. Information about Open University enrollment is provided above.

NUFD 117 (Community Nutrition) and NUFD 100 (Research: Methods and Application in Nutrition and Food) courses are waived since MS students will enroll in graduate-level Community Nutrition (NUFD 222) and Research Methods (NUFD 200) courses. 

NUFD 118A, 116, 118B; Chem 161 will be taken concurrently with graduate courses.  Verification Statements will be granted after successful completion of DPD courses with the required grading (i.e., at least C in DPD prerequisites and at least C- in other DPD courses)