Metropolitan State University of Denver offers 4 dietetics credentials:
- B.S., Nutrition and Dietetics
- Didactic Program in Dietetics Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- M.S., Nutrition
- Coordinated Program in Dietetics
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $47.8K / $131.6K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
| DPD Certificate | $326/credit in-state | Not clearly stated | Varies with transfer credit |
| M.S. | $21.0K / $25.0K | About 1 year full time (3 terms, derived); part-time plans run 5 semesters | 30 |
| Coordinated Program | $29.5K / $34.9K | 2 years (M.S. year plus 33-week practice year) | 42 (derived) |
MSU Denver’s defining advantage is that it offers every entry point to the RDN in one department: a DPD bachelor’s, a DPD certificate for career changers, a 3+2 bachelor’s-to-master’s route, a hybrid graduate DPD, and a Coordinated Program whose supervised practice year also admits DPD graduates from other schools. The department’s B.S. degrees in Nutrition Science and Nutrition Studies are not ACEND programs and do not lead toward the RDN.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | DPD bachelor’s, post-bacc DPD certificate, hybrid M.S. with graduate DPD, Coordinated Program |
| Format | B.S. and certificate: Campus. M.S. and Coordinated Program: Hybrid |
| Credit Hours | 120 (B.S.); 30 (M.S.); about 42 (Coordinated Program, derived) |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes: undergraduate DPD, graduate DPD within the M.S., and the Coordinated Program |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes via the Coordinated Program. The DPD programs are coursework only |
| Supervised Practice | 33 weeks, more than 1,000 hours, mid-August to early May of year 2 |
| Practice-Only Entry | DPD graduates from other schools can apply for the practice year alone through DICAS |
| Delivery Model | Graduate courses run in 8-week blocks, part online and part in person |
| Enrollment Restriction | International students are not accepted into the M.S. |
| Tuition | 2026–27: $326.25/credit undergraduate after COF; $615 / $750 M.S.; $600 / $709 practice year |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Dietetics
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics at Metropolitan State University of Denver is approximately $47,787 for Colorado residents (120 credits at $326.25/credit after the College Opportunity Fund stipend, plus mandatory fees). The program requires 120 credits and can generally be completed in 4 years (8 semesters) on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver.
B.S. Curriculum
The major contains MSU Denver’s undergraduate DPD. It pairs a two-semester anatomy and physiology sequence and organic and biological chemistry with a nutrition core that runs from macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism through medical nutrition therapy and a capstone.
Culinary, cultural, and management content. The DPD course list includes a basic cooking skills course from the hospitality program, a health care organization and management course, and a course on cultural aspects of nutrition. That reflects the department’s focus on community and culturally diverse practice in Denver.
- NUT 3150 Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients
- NUT 3160 Advanced Nutrition: Micronutrients
- NUT 3300 Cultural Aspects of Nutrition
- NUT 3700 Nutrition Education and Counseling
- NUT 4210 Community Nutrition
- NUT 4300 Management in Dietetics
- NUT 4800 Medical Nutrition Therapy
- RST 1200 Basic Cooking Skills
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The course list above comes from the department’s DPD course list form; course numbers and titles can shift between catalog years.
- MSU Denver undergraduates can enter a 3+2 accelerated route that awards the B.S. and the M.S. together. Students stay classified as undergraduates, and eligible for the stipend on undergraduate courses, until they reach 120 credits.
Didactic Program in Dietetics Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
The estimated tuition for the DPD Post-Baccalaureate Certificate at Metropolitan State University of Denver is $326.25 per credit for Colorado residents after the stipend. The total credit count depends on how many prerequisites a student transfers in, so a program total is not clearly stated.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is for bachelor’s degree holders without a DPD verification statement. Prerequisites such as general biology, psychology, nutrition education and counseling, basic cooking skills, and health care management can come from another school. The core courses, starting with a one-credit careers course and advanced macronutrient nutrition, must be taken at MSU Denver to earn the verification statement.
You Should Know
- Career changers who also need a master’s can take the M.S. instead, which includes a graduate DPD and meets the CDR degree requirement at the same time.
Master of Science, Nutrition
The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Nutrition at Metropolitan State University of Denver is approximately $20,985 for Colorado residents (30 credits at $615/credit, plus mandatory fees). The program requires 30 credits and can generally be completed in about 1 year full time, or 5 semesters on the part-time plan.
M.S. Curriculum
The Dietetics Concentration meets the requirements for a DPD verification statement at the graduate level, so a student with an unrelated bachelor’s can finish the DPD and the master’s in one degree. A General Concentration is also offered. Courses run in 8-week blocks in a hybrid format, with part of each course online and part in the classroom.
- NUT 5100 Introduction to Nutrition Research
- NUT 5110 Macronutrients in Health and Disease
- NUT 5120 Vitamins, Minerals, and Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease
- NUT 5130 Advanced Assessment and Intervention in Clinical Nutrition
- NUT 5150 Lifecycle Nutrition
- NUT 5160 Empowered Leadership in Nutrition
- NUT 5170 Nutrition and the Community: Equity, Inclusion and Access
- NUT 6000 Graduate Nutrition Capstone
MSU Denver’s full-time advising plan loads 13 credits into the first fall, with four 3-credit courses split across two 8-week blocks. The part-time plan takes 6 credits a semester.
M.S. Admissions
The M.S. admits students with any bachelor’s degree who have finished the science prerequisites before starting.
- Prerequisites, C- or better: chemistry, organic and biological chemistry, and anatomy and physiology
- Upper-division human nutrition metabolism and medical nutrition therapy courses must be within the last 5 years
- Students missing prerequisites can take them through MSU Denver’s undergraduate PNUT pathway
- Fall deadlines: early January 1, priority March 15, final May 1; spring starts are also offered
You Should Know
- International students are not accepted into the M.S. or the graduate certificate.
- The hybrid format requires regular in-person class sessions in Denver, so the M.S. is not an online degree.
Coordinated Program in Dietetics
The estimated tuition for the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at Metropolitan State University of Denver is approximately $29,496 for Colorado residents (30 M.S. credits at $615/credit plus about 12 practice-year credits at $600/credit, with fees). The program requires about 42 credits and can generally be completed in 2 years: the M.S. year, then a 33-week supervised practice year.
Coordinated Program Curriculum
Year 1 is the 30-credit M.S. in Nutrition, taken as didactic coursework only. Year 2 is supervised practice, with a monthly Skill Development Seminar running alongside the rotations. Students must finish all year-2 requirements within the 33 weeks, excluding approved leave.
Coordinated Program Supervised Practice
- 33 weeks, mid-August to early May, providing more than the 1,000-hour minimum
- Rotations: two clinical nutrition rotations, long-term care, community health nutrition and food insecurity, WIC, food systems management, and an elective
- The program sets each student’s rotation schedule; the sequence varies by student
- Graduates receive a verification statement on the last day and are entered into CDR’s eligibility system by the director
Building the practice year onto a graduate DPD removes the national internship match for MSU Denver’s own students. The separate year-2 application also means a DPD graduate from another school can apply for supervised practice only.
Coordinated Program Admissions
Admission to the practice year is a separate application from the M.S., with two routes.
- MSU Denver students and alumni: an early admission timeline
- Everyone else, and MSU Denver students who miss early admission: DICAS
- No MSU Denver application fee for graduate programs; DICAS fees still apply
You Should Know
- MSU Denver closed its stand-alone Dietetic Internship on June 30, 2025, and reorganized it into this Coordinated Program. Older sources describing the internship are out of date.
- The 12-credit practice year is derived from MSU Denver’s bursar budget, which assumes 6 credits a semester. Confirm the credit load with the director.
- Outcome data for the Coordinated Program are available on request rather than published.
Tuition
MSU Denver bills undergraduate residents $442.25 per credit, or $326.25 after the $116 College Opportunity Fund stipend, with no flat-rate band. Non-resident undergraduates pay about $1,024.69 per credit (derived from the bursar’s 12-credit budget). Graduate rates depend on the program: the M.S. in Nutrition charges $615 per credit for residents and $750 for non-residents, and the supervised practice year charges $600 and $709.
| Credential | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| B.S., 4 years | $47,787 | $131,600 |
| M.S., 30 credits | $20,985 | $25,035 |
| Practice year, 12 credits | $8,511 | $9,819 |
| Coordinated Program total | $29,496 | $34,854 |
Totals use 2026–27 rates from MSU Denver’s tuition and fees pages and include mandatory fees. The B.S. assumes eight 15-credit semesters; the M.S. assumes the full-time 13, 11, and 6 credit terms.
Confirmed costs
- Undergraduate mandatory fees: $1,079.57 a semester at 15 credits
- Graduate mandatory fees: $655.56 at 6 credits, $994.97 at 13 credits
- Student health insurance for students taking 9 or more credits: $1,185 fall, $1,659 spring and summer, waivable
- One-time graduate matriculation fee: $125
Be aware that:
- The non-resident undergraduate rate is derived, not published on the pages reviewed. It matches a 3.5 percent increase on the 2025–26 rate of $990.
- MSU Denver’s 2026–27 graduate budget labels its semester figure as 8 credits, but the dollar amounts equal 6 credits at current rates.
- Residents must authorize the College Opportunity Fund stipend, or undergraduate tuition rises by $116 a credit.
- Western Regional Graduate Program students pay the resident graduate rate.
A Colorado resident starting as a first-year student reaches RDN eligibility here for about $77,300: the B.S. followed by the Coordinated Program. A career changer with an unrelated bachelor’s pays about $29,500 for the Coordinated Program after finishing the science prerequisites. The department also reports more than $700,000 in annual scholarships, and a grant-funded program offers $5,000 awards to some graduate students.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for Denver-area students who want a dietitian route that fits their starting point, whether that is high school, an unrelated degree, or a DPD from another school.
Every entry point in one department. A first-year student takes the DPD bachelor’s or the 3+2 route. A career changer takes the M.S., which completes the DPD and the graduate degree in about a year. A DPD graduate from another school applies for the practice year only.
A coordinated route without a separate match. MSU Denver students who enter the Coordinated Program move from the M.S. year straight into scheduled rotations, including WIC and food insecurity work across Denver. The hybrid 8-week format makes the M.S. year more manageable alongside a job.
Where the fit breaks down. Everything is anchored in Denver, and the M.S. requires in-person sessions. International students cannot enroll in the M.S. Two sibling majors, Nutrition Science and Nutrition Studies, sit in the same department but do not lead toward the RDN.
Match the program to the reader. High school graduates should start in the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. Adults with any bachelor’s should compare the M.S. against the DPD certificate, since the M.S. also meets the graduate degree requirement. Students already holding a DPD verification statement should look at the practice-year-only option.
Accreditation
Metropolitan State University of Denver is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of the seven regional accreditors. HLC accreditation covers every MSU Denver degree and governs credit transfer, graduate admission elsewhere, and federal financial aid eligibility.
ACEND accredits three MSU Denver programs: the undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics in the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and the post-baccalaureate certificate, the graduate Didactic Program in Dietetics in the M.S. in Nutrition, and the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.
The B.S. in Nutrition Science, the B.S. in Nutrition Studies, and the Graduate Certificate in Nutrition Science fall outside ACEND’s scope. That is normal for science and general nutrition degrees, which prepare students for health professions, industry, and further study rather than the dietitian credential.
DPD graduates receive a verification statement and may apply to accredited supervised practice programs, including MSU Denver’s practice year. Coordinated Program graduates hold a master’s degree and a verification statement, and are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s RDN examination. Colorado does not license dietitians, so graduates who move should check their new state’s requirements.
Compare More Nutrition Programs in Colorado
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