Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences • Cincinnati, OH • Campus (B.S., Coordinated Program) or Hybrid (M.S. Nutrition Sciences) • $618–$746/Credit (Resident, Undergraduate to Graduate, Tuition Only)
The University of Cincinnati offers 5 nutrition credentials, and 4 of them lead toward RD/RDN eligibility:
- B.S., Nutrition and Dietetics (the Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- Didactic Program in Dietetics Certificate (post-baccalaureate)
- Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist, B.S. plus M.S. (for UC majors)
- M.S., Nutrition Sciences, Clinical Nutrition concentration (the Coordinated Program)
- M.S., Nutrition Sciences, Nutrition Science concentration (research, non-RD)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics | $61.0K in-state, $122.4K out-of-state (tuition and program fee, derived) | 4 years (8 terms) | 120 |
| DPD Certificate | Not clearly stated | 1 to 3 years, depending on transfer credit | 91 minimum |
| Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist | $23.0K in-state for the graduate phase (excludes undergraduate tuition) | About 5 years total | 121 undergraduate plus 44 graduate (derived 165) |
| M.S. Clinical Nutrition (Coordinated Program) | $34.4K in-state, $60.8K out-of-state (UC cost table) | 2 years (5 terms), 3-year limit | Not clearly stated |
| M.S. Nutrition Sciences (research) | $28.4K in-state, $50.1K out-of-state (derived) | 2 years (4 semesters), 5-year limit | 37 minimum |
The University of Cincinnati holds both ACEND programs a dietetics student needs in one department: a Didactic Program in Dietetics inside the bachelor’s, and a graduate Coordinated Program that builds supervised practice into a master’s, so there is no internship match. UC’s own majors can also enter the Coordinated Program through a five-year accelerated route, while the research M.S. in Nutrition Sciences does not lead to RD eligibility.
Two accreditation facts need checking before applying. ACEND’s directory lists both the DPD and the Coordinated Program with terms ending June 30, 2027, and one UC handbook describes the Coordinated Program as holding candidacy status while every other source calls it accredited.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | B.S., certificate, Coordinated Program: campus (ACEND lists in-person plus online coursework; rotations are in person). M.S. Nutrition Sciences: hybrid, about half online |
| Credit Hours | B.S.: 120; certificate: 91 minimum; M.S. Nutrition Sciences: 37 minimum; Coordinated Program credits not found |
| ACEND Accreditation | DPD: accredited, initial 1976. Coordinated Program: accredited, initial 2004. Both terms end June 30, 2027 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Coordinated Program or accelerated route: yes. B.S. and certificate: verification statement only. Research M.S.: no |
| Supervised Practice | Coordinated Program: 1,208 hours across five rotations, assigned within a one-hour drive of campus |
| Cohort Size | Coordinated Program: about 30 students per class. Research M.S.: 15 to 20 a year |
| Entrance Exams | Research M.S.: GRE 300 combined listed, with waiver paths. Coordinated Program: none listed |
| Intake | Coordinated Program: fall only, priority November 1. Research M.S.: fall June 1, spring November 1 |
| GPA Floor | Coordinated Program and DPD certificate: 3.0. B.S. graduation: 2.5 with C- or better in DPD courses |
| Tuition | 2026-27 per credit: resident $618 undergraduate, $746 graduate; non-resident $1,257 and $1,333 |
| Institutional Accreditation | HLC (Higher Learning Commission) |
Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Dietetics
The estimated tuition and program fee for the B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics is about $61,016 for a resident and $122,352 for a non-resident (four years at $15,254 and $30,588, derived, 2026-27). The degree is 120 credits, described as a traditional four-year degree.
B.S. Curriculum
The bachelor’s embeds the ACEND DPD, with Community Nutrition and Sports Nutrition tracks and clinical dietetics through coursework. UC’s DPD handbook calls it a two-year DPD taken in the junior and senior years. The degree also leads to eligibility for the NDTR and Certified Dietary Manager credentials.
B.S. Admissions
Students enter through UC’s first-year or transfer admission, and the verification statement requires a 2.5 GPA with C- or better in DPD courses. Cohort size and co-op participation were not found.
You Should Know
UC’s undergraduate Program Costs page shows $14,394 in-state and $29,728 out-of-state a year and says it includes program fees, but those numbers equal two terms at the 2025-26 rates with no College of Allied Health Sciences program fee, and the page is undated. The 2026-27 equivalents are $14,824 plus $430 in program fees.
Didactic Program in Dietetics Certificate
The DPD Certificate is a post-baccalaureate, non-degree route to the verification statement, and its cost was not clearly stated. It requires at least 91 semester credits, split into 48 leveling credits and 43 nutrition credits, and takes about a year full time if most credits transfer, or up to three years with minimal transfer.
DPD Certificate Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and no transfer grades below C-
- Intents due July 1 for fall, November 1 for spring, and March 1 for summer
- Not available to international students seeking a visa; cohort size not found
The certificate leads only to a verification statement, so graduates still need a graduate degree with supervised practice, which UC’s own Coordinated Program can supply.
Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist (B.S. plus M.S.)
The Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist route costs about $22,998 for the graduate phase for a resident (derived from two graduate terms at $7,666 and two at $7,666, excluding undergraduate tuition). The B.S. is awarded after 121 undergraduate credits and the M.S. after 44 graduate credits, for a derived total of 165, over about five years.
It is open only to UC Nutrition and Dietetics majors and feeds the Coordinated Program. Students apply in the sophomore year with a 3.0 GPA, a January 15 deadline, and decisions in mid-February to early March, and must finish undergraduate coursework by fall of year four. The graduate phase must be completed within 4.5 years.
You Should Know
UC’s pages give two timelines for the accelerated route: the Clinical Nutrition page says to apply by November 1 through the Graduate School portal for a spring start, while the accelerated application page says to submit a secondary application by January 15 in the sophomore year. They may be sequential steps, but UC does not say so. The 44 graduate credits appear only in the accelerated context, and the Coordinated Program’s own credit total was not found.
Master of Science, Nutrition Sciences, Clinical Nutrition (Coordinated Program)
The estimated tuition for the Coordinated Program is $34,390 for a resident and $60,809 for a non-resident, from the cost table in UC’s handbook (2026-27 graduate rate plus the program fee, reconciled). The program takes two years and enrolls about 30 students per class, with a three-year limit.
Coordinated Program Curriculum
The first year runs fall, spring, and summer, and the second year fall and spring, with a quality-improvement capstone in year two. The department admits post-DPD applicants and those who have completed the prerequisites in place of a verification statement.
Coordinated Program Supervised Practice
- Acute clinical 384 hours, summer community 240, food systems 192, specialty 192, and alternative experiences 200, for 1,208 hours
- Placements assigned by the Director of Clinical Education, off campus and within about a one-hour drive
- Students provide their own transportation; practice may take up to 32 hours a week
The hours exceed the 1,000-hour benchmark, and because practice is integrated there is no separate internship application. Rotations tie students to the Greater Cincinnati area, and the load of up to 32 practice hours a week makes outside work hard to sustain.
Coordinated Program Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree, 3.0 GPA, and a verification statement or the prerequisites (biochemistry within 7 years, medical nutrition therapy within 5 years, B- in nutrition courses, C- in sciences)
- ServSafe Manager certificate, three recommendations, a four-prompt personal statement, and a virtual interview
- DICAS ($50 first program, $25 each additional): opens early August, priority November 1, review to January 15, notices by March 1, acceptance by March 15
- Background check, physical, TB test, and flu shot before rotations
You Should Know
One UC handbook states the Coordinated Program has been granted candidacy status by ACEND, while the same handbook’s Clinical Nutrition section, the program pages, and ACEND’s directory call it accredited, with initial accreditation in 2004. UC’s pages also give the supervised practice as 1,208 hours, about 1,200, and over 1,000 in different places. A separate page for a track called Supervised Experience in Dietetics lists no credits, hours, or cost, and it could not be confirmed whether it is a separate offering or an older label for this program.
Master of Science, Nutrition Sciences (Research)
The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Nutrition Sciences is about $28,374 for a resident and $50,096 for a non-resident (derived at the 2026-27 graduate rates plus program fee). The program requires at least 37 credits and is designed for two years full time, with a five-year limit.
M.S. Research Requirements
Students choose a thesis or capstone, and the program is described as hybrid with about half the courses online. It admits 15 to 20 students a year, with 50% to 75% accepted, and assistantships carry partial or full tuition awards plus a stipend for 10 to 20 hours a week. This degree has no ACEND coverage and does not lead to RD eligibility.
M.S. Admissions
- GRE of 300 combined and a 3.5 analytical writing score listed, with waiver paths
- Deadlines: fall June 1 domestic and March 1 international; spring November 1 domestic and September 1 international
You Should Know
The degree map assumes 37 credits with about four thesis credits, but UC’s thesis-versus-non-thesis page describes the thesis or capstone as reflective of 10 credit hours, which could push the total to about 43. Non-thesis students take 6 elective credits.
Tuition
UC’s published 2026-27 base tuition is $618 per credit for Ohio-resident undergraduates and $746 per credit for Ohio-resident graduate students, with non-resident rates of $1,257 and $1,333. Full-time terms are billed flat: $7,412 for 12 to 18 undergraduate credits and $7,451 for 10 to 18 graduate credits.
- The College of Allied Health Sciences adds a program fee of $215 a term full time, or $18 per credit for undergraduates and $22 for graduate students part time
- Derived undergraduate: ($7,412 plus $215) for two terms is $15,254 a year resident, and $30,588 non-resident
- Graduate resident, each full-time term: $7,666; non-resident adds $5,871 a term
- Coordinated Program: $19,058 in year one and $15,332 in year two for a resident, $33,735 and $27,074 for a non-resident
- Other estimated costs in the Coordinated Program handbook: housing and food $39,434, books $2,000, transportation $4,076, CDR review materials $399, background checks $67
Be aware that:
The derived undergraduate figures assume the program fee stays constant, which UC does not state. The standard graduate rate is used for nutrition because UC’s higher Allied Health tuition row applies only to other named programs, which is an inference, since no nutrition row is listed. The handbook’s health insurance line uses a 2024-25 rate and is stale, and no verification statement fee was found.
Because graduate billing is flat for 10 to 18 credits, a part-time second year costs the same as a full-time one. Research M.S. students can offset tuition with assistantships, while Coordinated Program students generally cannot, given the practice load. Official figures are on UC’s graduate tuition and undergraduate cost pages.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students who can commit to a full-time, placed route to the credential in Greater Cincinnati, and who want the RD pathway and a research track available in the same department.
The workload is the real question. The Coordinated Program’s 1,208 practice hours run up to 32 hours a week within an hour’s drive, with your own transportation, on top of coursework. That removes the internship match but leaves little room for a job.
The entry point changes the cost and the calendar. UC’s own majors can take the accelerated five-year route, applying in sophomore year, while career changers can use the 91-credit DPD certificate and then apply to the Coordinated Program. Both ACEND programs list terms ending June 30, 2027, so applicants for the next cohort should check the status first.
Students who want research instead can use the M.S. in Nutrition Sciences, which offers thesis or capstone options and assistantships, but it does not lead to RD eligibility.
Accreditation
The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s directory lists two University of Cincinnati programs, both accredited with terms ending June 30, 2027: the Didactic Program in Dietetics (initial accreditation 1976, degree B.S.) and the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (initial accreditation 2004, degree M.S.). ACEND’s decisions pages show full and continued accreditation after a site visit in January 2019, approval in March 2019 of a change adding a graduate-degree requirement to the Coordinated Program, and continued accreditation of the DPD after an interim or progress report in July 2024. No UC entry appears for 2020 through 2023, 2025, or 2026, and UC is not on ACEND’s Programs Under Review page.
The January 2019 decision also lists a University of Cincinnati dietetic internship that does not appear in the directory or on UC’s pages, and one UC handbook’s candidacy statement conflicts with the directory. With both terms ending in under nine months and no scheduled review published, confirm current status with ACEND or the program. The research M.S., the DPD certificate’s non-degree status, and the online Human Nutrition Certificate fall outside any ACEND coverage as degrees.
A graduate of the Coordinated Program completes the degree and supervised practice and can sit for the CDR exam. A graduate of the B.S. or the DPD certificate receives a verification statement but still needs a master’s and supervised practice, and a graduate of the research M.S. is not eligible on that degree alone.