There is a large gap between minority representation in the field of dietetics and the United States population, and nutrition students need advanced cultural competence training in preparation for future work with diverse populations. Universal recommendations for delivering and evaluating cultural competence training in nutrition programs are non-existent, and students tend to lack understanding of how to develop this skill. Service-learning in underserved communities with reflective assignments have been used to develop cultural competence skills, but most reported results are anecdotal. This non-randomized mixed methods study sought to find out if a service-learning experience improves intercultural competence of nutrition students more than a self-guided approach. The intervention involved completing a pre-and-post IDI survey, a two-week service-learning experience in the city of New Orleans or self-guided approach with reflective assignments, and post-experience focus groups. Students were recruited through brief informational announcements during classes and via email. Wilcoxin Ranked Signs results indicated improved IDI scores for both the control and experimental groups and there was evidence of skill attainment when reflective assignments were compared to the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]