Dietary Manager Certificate

17 Semester Hours

The JWCC Dietary Manager Certificate program was developed in accordance with the Dietary Managers Association (DMA) standards. Designed to be completed within two semesters, the schedule combines 120 hours of theory with 408 hours of practical experience supervised by the instructor or a qualified preceptor.

Dietary managers are educated to understand the basic nutritional needs of their clientele. They often work in partnership with dietitians, who offer specialized nutritional expertise. Dietary managers may work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, correctional facilities, and many other settings. They are charged with balancing menu variety while appealing to client preferences; managing cost/profit objectives; purchasing goods, equipment and services used in the food service department; and hiring, motivating, training, and supervising their employees.

Desirable qualities for a prospective dietary manager include the ability to plan, organize and direct activities; to be professional; to communicate and work well with others; and to think clearly under stress and in emergency situations. The individual must also have the motivation to accomplish tasks required of a management position.

A career as a dietary manager can be very rewarding and the field is constantly expanding. The job market is expected to continue to increase as dietary managers are in demand nationwide.

Students are eligible for student DMA membership. After program completion, the dietary manager who successfully completes the certification examinations will become a Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) and Certified Food Protection Professional (CFFP). For more information, contact a JWCC counselor/advisor.

REQUIRED COURSES

Applied Food Service Sanitation (FSV 103) is required by state law in order to be employed as a food handler. This course may be taken at JWCC or through another source.