Department of Nutrition and Food Studies • Montclair, NJ • Campus • $999/Credit (Graduate)
Montclair State offers 3 Nutrition and Food Science credentials:
- B.S., Nutrition and Food Science (Dietetics concentration is the ACEND-accredited DPD)
- M.S., Nutrition and Food Science (General concentration, and a Dietetics concentration)
- Accelerated B.S./M.S., Nutrition and Food Science (4+1)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Nutrition and Food Science | $17,810/yr (tuition and fees), 2026-27 | 4 years | 120 |
| M.S., General Concentration | About $31,970 to $33,970 ($999.02/credit) | About 2 years part time | 32 to 34 (program page says 32; catalog says 33 to 34) |
| M.S., Dietetics Concentration (Graduate Program) | About $41,960 ($999.02/credit) | About 2 years, cohorted | 42 |
| Accelerated B.S./M.S. (4+1) | About $29,970 for the 30 graduate credits ($999.02/credit) | 5 years combined | 12 credits count toward both degrees, leaving 30 graduate credits |
Montclair’s differentiator is a single master’s degree with two very different concentrations. The M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science is one degree, and only its Dietetics concentration is designed as the RD pathway; the general concentration is a nutrition-science degree that does not lead to RDN eligibility. Its dietetics track is also in transition: the standalone dietetic internship is closing, and the M.S. Dietetics concentration is the replacement, structured as a Future Education Model Graduate Program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus; supervised experiential learning at partner sites |
| Credit Hours | B.S.: 120; M.S. General: 32 to 34; M.S. Dietetics: 42; accelerated B.S./M.S.: 30 graduate credits after 12 shared |
| ACEND Accreditation | DPD: fully accredited since October 2022, continued after a July 2024 interim report; Dietetic Internship: accredited but closing (final cohort starts August 2026, voluntary closure effective August 31, 2027); Graduate Program: ACEND’s October 2025 decisions list approval of a reorganization into a Future Education Model Graduate Program, but no candidacy or accreditation grant was located for it |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes in principle through the Dietetics M.S. (Graduate Program), which builds in the supervised practice; confirm its current accreditation status before applying. The B.S. DPD alone, and the M.S. General concentration, do not lead to RDN eligibility |
| Supervised Practice | At least 1,000 hours through four supervised experiential learning courses: acute clinical (4 credits), non-acute clinical (4), community (2), food service (2) |
| Dietetics Entry GPA | 3.2 for the standalone M.S. and for external applicants; 3.4 for the accelerated B.S./M.S.; 3.2 Montclair GPA with no grade below C to enter the DPD (Dietetics concentration) |
| Application Deadline | External applicants apply through DICAS by February 1 ($50 first application); current students use a Graduate School Fast-App in spring of their final undergraduate year |
| Graduation Requirements | 3.0 GPA, no more than two C grades, 1,000 experiential hours, and a 75% comprehensive exam (Dietetics concentration) |
| Tuition | B.S. resident: $553/credit tuition, $8,905/semester flat rate; nonresident $931/credit, $14,573/semester. Graduate: $999.02/credit, no residency split (2026-27) |
| Institutional Accreditation | MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education) |
Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Food Science
The estimated tuition for the B.S. at Montclair is $17,810 a year for New Jersey residents (2026-27): $553 per credit in tuition, or a flat $8,905 a semester including fees. Nonresidents pay a $14,573 flat semester rate, about $27,924 a year in tuition before fees. The degree requires 120 credits over four years.
B.S. Curriculum and Concentrations
The B.S. has four concentrations: Applied Nutrition and Wellness, Dietetics, Food Science, and Sustainable Food Systems. Only the Dietetics concentration is the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, which provides the verification statement for graduate and internship applications.
B.S. Admissions
- Freshmen and transfers enter another concentration first; admission to Dietetics is by application
- 3.2 Montclair GPA with no grade below C, evaluated every January and May
- Completed prerequisite courses are also expected, although Montclair’s catalog page does not list them
Master of Science, Nutrition and Food Science (General Concentration)
The estimated tuition for the general M.S. is about $31,970 to $33,970 at $999.02 per credit (962 in tuition plus $37.02 in fees), whether the program is 32 credits as its program page says or 33 to 34 as the catalog says. New Jersey residents and non-residents pay the same graduate rate.
General M.S. Curriculum
Students take core nutrition coursework, research methods, and a 3-credit practicum, and choose between a thesis and a non-thesis path. This concentration does not prepare students to become registered dietitians; students seeking the RDN credential should look at the Dietetics concentration.
Master of Science, Nutrition and Food Science (Dietetics Concentration, Graduate Program)
The estimated tuition for the Dietetics concentration is about $41,960 at $999.02 per credit for 42 credits ($40,404 in tuition alone). It is cohorted and takes about two years.
Dietetics Concentration Supervised Practice
- At least 1,000 supervised experiential learning hours built into the degree, so there is no separate internship to win
- Four SEL courses: acute clinical (4 credits), non-acute clinical (4), community (2), and food service (2)
- Graduation requires a 3.0 GPA, no more than two C grades, and a 75% comprehensive exam
You Should Know
Montclair’s B.S. page separately cites a 1,200-hour dietetic internship, while the M.S. requires 1,000 hours; the difference is the older internship model, which is closing. Practice sites and cohort size are not published, and how the 12 shared credits bill in the accelerated track is not stated.
Dietetics Concentration Admissions
- External applicants apply through DICAS by February 1 with a 3.2 GPA, a DPD verification statement or Declaration of Intent, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a résumé
- Current Montclair students apply through a Graduate School Fast-App in the spring of their final undergraduate year, with a 3.2 GPA for the standalone M.S.
Accelerated B.S./M.S. (4+1)
The estimated tuition for the graduate portion is about $29,970 for 30 credits at $999.02, because 12 graduate credits count toward both degrees. Admission requires a 3.4 GPA and is made through the Graduate School Fast-App in spring of the final undergraduate year.
Tuition
Montclair State’s 2026-27 graduate rate is $999.02 per credit for all students, made up of $962 in tuition and $37.02 in fees; the international graduate rate is $1,114.02 per credit.
- Undergraduate, New Jersey resident: $553 tuition per credit ($594 all-in), or $8,905 a semester flat ($8,294 tuition, $56 SGA, $555 fees); about $16,588 in tuition and $1,222 in fees a year
- Undergraduate, nonresident: $931 tuition per credit, $14,573 a semester flat, about $27,924 a year in tuition
- Graduate: $999.02 per credit, so 42 credits is about $41,959 all-in, and 30 credits about $29,971
Be aware that:
A widely repeated $15,110 resident and $23,876 nonresident figure for Montclair matches no current Montclair rate, so treat it as outdated. Claims that Montclair is the least expensive accredited route in New Jersey also could not be verified against Rowan’s and Rutgers’ current schedules.
Official figures are on Montclair’s Bursar pages.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students near New York who want a choice between a nutrition-science master’s and a dietitian route, from one department, at a flat graduate rate that does not penalize out-of-state students.
Students aiming for the RD credential get a graduate program with 1,000 practice hours built in and a stepped entry: DPD, then a 4+1 accelerated master’s if they qualify, or the standalone M.S. with a 3.2 GPA.
Students who want nutrition science, not dietetics can take the same M.S. degree in its general concentration, with a thesis option and a practicum, and no RD ambitions attached.
The honest trade-off is timing. The old internship is closing (last cohort August 2026), the replacement Graduate Program’s ACEND status is not yet clearly documented, and neither the practice sites nor the cohort size is published.
Accreditation
Montclair State is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND lists the Didactic Program in Dietetics as fully accredited since October 2022, with continued accreditation after a July 2024 interim report; no term end date was found. The Dietetic Internship also received full accreditation in October 2022 but is being phased out, with the final cohort starting in August 2026 and voluntary closure effective August 31, 2027. ACEND’s October 2025 page lists approval to reorganize into a Future Education Model Graduate Program, which we read as the internship becoming the Dietetics M.S.; no candidacy or accreditation decision for that Graduate Program was located, so confirm it directly with the program and with ACEND before applying.
Graduates who complete an ACEND-accredited program and a master’s degree, plus supervised practice, are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam. The B.S. DPD alone, and the general M.S. concentration, do not lead to RDN eligibility.
More Nutrition Degrees in New Jersey
- Middlesex College - Edison
- New Jersey Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Rowan University - Glassboro
- Rutgers University - New Brunswick
- Saint Elizabeth University - Morristown