Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Family and Consumer Sciences • Athens, GA • Campus (B.S., MS/DI) or Online (MS) • $5,017/Semester (B.S., Resident)
UGA offers 4 Nutritional Sciences credentials:
- B.S., Dietetics (DPD)
- Post-Baccalaureate DPD Pathways (three distinct routes)
- M.S., Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition (non-thesis, fully online, not an RD pathway)
- M.S., Nutritional Sciences with Dietetic Internship (thesis, ACEND-accredited)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $5,017/semester resident (over 6 hours) | 4 years (120-credit bachelor’s norm) | 120 |
| Post-Bacc DPD | Standard undergraduate or graduate rate, depending on pathway; no separate total published | Not clearly stated; varies by pathway | Under 16 (Non-Degree option) or 16-plus (Double Dawg combined route) |
| M.S. Online | $645/credit, flat, regardless of residency | As little as 1 year | 30 |
| M.S. with DI | $418/credit resident (1-11 hrs) or $5,017/semester flat (12-plus hrs) | 24 months | 57 (31 coursework, 26 internship) |
UGA runs both an accredited DPD and its own accredited M.S./DI internship in the same department, so students aren’t obliged to enter the national match as outside applicants. Three distinct, differently structured post-baccalaureate DPD pathways exist for career changers, and the online Community Nutrition M.S. is explicitly not a supervised-practice or RD-eligible credential, despite sharing “Nutritional Sciences” branding with the accredited M.S./DI.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | B.S.: Campus. Post-Bacc DPD: not clearly stated. M.S. Online: 100% online. M.S. with DI: coursework delivery not clearly stated; supervised practice always in person |
| Credit Hours | B.S.: 120; Post-Bacc DPD: under 16 (Non-Degree) or 16-plus (Double Dawg); M.S. Online: 30; M.S. with DI: 57 (31 coursework, 26 internship) |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes — B.S. DPD and M.S. with DI both accredited (exact term-end dates not published); M.S. Online (Community Nutrition): not ACEND-accredited |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes, via the B.S. DPD plus the M.S. with DI. UGA’s own page states the online Community Nutrition M.S. “does not independently qualify a student to become a registered dietitian nutritionist” |
| Supervised Practice | 1,200 hours, built into the M.S. with DI |
| Licensure Note | UGA states directly that completing the DPD, a graduate degree, accredited supervised practice, and the CDR exam makes a graduate eligible to apply for Georgia licensure, a separate step, not automatic |
| Tuition | B.S.: $5,017/semester resident (over 6 hours); M.S. Online: $645/credit flat, regardless of residency; M.S. with DI and other graduate programs: $418/credit resident (1-11 hours) or $5,017/semester flat (12-plus hours) |
| Institutional Accreditation | SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) |
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics
The estimated tuition for the B.S. at UGA is $5,017 per semester for residents carrying more than 6 hours ($2,982 for 6 hours or fewer). The program requires 120 credits over the standard four-year timeline.
B.S. Curriculum
Dietetics is UGA’s ACEND-accredited DPD, housed in the Department of Nutritional Sciences within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
B.S. Admissions
Admission follows UGA’s standard undergraduate admission process; students declare Dietetics to be on the DPD track.
Post-Baccalaureate DPD Pathways
UGA does not publish a single total cost for these pathways, since billing depends on which one an applicant follows. Total credits and duration are not published as fixed figures.
Post-Bacc DPD Structure
UGA offers three distinct routes for bachelor’s holders in other fields who want a DPD verification statement: a “Double Dawg DPD” combining a second bachelor’s with an optional master’s (16 or more credits); a Non-Degree Post-Baccalaureate DPD producing only a verification statement, no degree (fewer than 16 credits); and a combined M.S. plus DPD track. All three require submitting a preliminary consideration application before formal admission.
Post-Bacc DPD Admissions
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and submit a preliminary consideration application before the formal program application; contact the department’s post-baccalaureate coordinator directly, since no fixed deadline dates are published.
M.S. Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition (Non-Thesis, Online)
The estimated tuition for this M.S. is $645 per credit, a flat rate regardless of residency. The degree requires 30 credits and can be completed in as little as 1 year.
M.S. Online Curriculum and Eligibility
Delivered 100% online and asynchronously, this non-thesis M.S. is not ACEND-accredited and includes no supervised practice. UGA’s own program page states verbatim that “this degree does not independently qualify a student to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.” It suits students aimed at community nutrition roles, program administration, or further study rather than initial RD credentialing.
M.S. Online Admissions
Standard UGA Graduate School admission requirements apply; no DPD verification statement is required.
M.S. Nutritional Sciences with Dietetic Internship (Thesis)
The estimated tuition for this M.S./DI is $418 per credit for residents carrying 1 to 11 hours, or a flat $5,017 per semester for 12 or more hours. The program requires 57 credits and runs 24 months.
M.S. with DI Curriculum
The 57 credits split into 31 M.S. coursework credits and 26 internship credits, combining the graduate degree and 1,200 hours of supervised practice into one program. A parallel Ph.D./Dietetic Internship option also exists for students pursuing doctoral study alongside supervised practice.
M.S. with DI Supervised Practice
- 1,200 total hours
- Built into the same 57-credit program rather than a separate post-degree application
M.S. with DI Admissions
- UGA Graduate School acceptance, bachelor’s degree, 3.0 GPA
- Completed DPD verification statement
- B or better in 2 semesters of general chemistry, 1 organic chemistry course, 1 biochemistry course, and 1 physiology course, completed within the past 6 years
- GRE optional
You Should Know
No specific application deadline date is published for this program; UGA’s page directs applicants to the Graduate School’s general application portal. Confirm the current cycle and deadline directly with the department.
Tuition
UGA charges $418 per credit for residents in most graduate programs at part-time loads, switching to a flat $5,017 per semester at 12 or more hours; the online Community Nutrition M.S. instead uses a separate flat rate of $645 per credit regardless of residency.
- $5,017/semester resident undergraduate (over 6 hours); $2,982 (6 hours or fewer)
- $15,439/semester nonresident undergraduate (over 6 hours); $9,163 (6 hours or fewer)
- $418/credit resident graduate (1-11 hours) or $5,017/semester flat (12-plus hours); $1,287/credit nonresident or $15,439/semester flat
- $645/credit for the online Community Nutrition M.S., flat regardless of residency
- Mandatory fees: $729/semester on campus; $422/semester Online Learning Fee for fully online students
Be aware that:
The online Community Nutrition M.S.’s $645/credit rate is a specific override of UGA’s standard graduate rate, published separately on UGA’s eRate schedule; don’t assume the standard $418/$1,287 graduate figures apply to that program. Neither UGA program page states an exact ACEND accreditation term-end date for the B.S. DPD or the M.S. with DI; confirm current status directly if that matters for your planning.
Official tuition figures are published on UGA’s Bursar tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students who want both the didactic and internship stages accredited at one university, or career changers who need a verification statement without a second full bachelor’s degree.
Students starting from a bachelor’s in an unrelated field can choose among three post-baccalaureate DPD pathways, rather than being funneled into a single rigid track.
DPD graduates who want to stay at one institution can move directly into UGA’s own accredited M.S. with Dietetic Internship, without entering the national match as an outside applicant.
The honest trade-off is that UGA’s online Community Nutrition M.S. shares close branding with the accredited M.S./DI but leads nowhere on the RD pathway by itself, so confirm you’re looking at the right program before applying, and neither accredited program publishes an exact accreditation term-end date.
Accreditation
UGA is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND accredits UGA’s Didactic Program in Dietetics and its M.S. with Dietetic Internship; UGA’s own pages confirm accreditation for both but do not publish an exact term-end date for either. The online Community Nutrition M.S. falls outside ACEND’s scope entirely, which is normal for a non-clinical, non-thesis degree, and UGA states this plainly on its own program page.
Graduates of the M.S. with Dietetic Internship are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam on completing the program, since the graduate degree and 1,200 hours of supervised practice are earned together. Graduates of the DPD alone, whether from the B.S. or a post-baccalaureate pathway, are not RD-eligible and must complete a graduate degree with supervised practice, at UGA or elsewhere, to pursue the credential and, ultimately, Georgia licensure.