Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions • Buffalo, NY • Campus • $295–$471/Credit (Resident, Undergraduate to Graduate)
The University at Buffalo offers 5 nutrition credentials, and only 1 of them leads to RD/RDN eligibility:
- M.S., Clinical Nutrition (ACEND graduate program)
- B.S., Nutrition Science
- M.S., Nutrition (research)
- Ph.D., Nutrition Science
- Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. (combined, non-RD)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. Clinical Nutrition | $32.2K to $33.6K in-state, $65.2K to $68.5K out-of-state (tuition and fees, derived) | 2 years, 3-year maximum | 55 |
| B.S. Nutrition Science | $44.1K in-state, $132.1K out-of-state (eight semesters, tuition and fees, derived) | 4 years (8 semesters, derived) | 126 |
| M.S. Nutrition | $17.0K in-state, $39.8K out-of-state (tuition only, derived) | 1 to 2 years | 36 |
| Ph.D. Nutrition Science | Not clearly stated | About 4 years | 72 |
| Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. | Not clearly stated | 5 years | 154 per the Graduate School, 148 to 150 per the catalog |
The University at Buffalo has one ACEND-accredited program, the Clinical Nutrition M.S., which ACEND lists as a Graduate Program in Dietetics under its Future Education Model. It integrates coursework and supervised practice over two years, so there is no separate internship match, and it replaced UB’s former M.S. plus Dietetic Internship, whose last class started in spring 2021. UB has no DPD, no stand-alone internship, no online option, and no certificate.
The B.S. in Nutrition Science supplies prerequisites for that master’s but is not an ACEND program, and UB’s page for the combined Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. says it does not lead to RD licensure, so do not treat it as a four-plus-one route to the credential.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus. The Graduate School lists the master’s as 100% in person, though a 2024 handbook labels two courses online |
| Credit Hours | Clinical Nutrition M.S.: 55 (catalog 55 to 56); B.S.: 126; Nutrition M.S.: 36; Ph.D.: 72 |
| ACEND Accreditation | Clinical Nutrition M.S. only, a Graduate Program in Dietetics with full and continued accreditation after a site visit in April 2024; term end not found |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Clinical Nutrition M.S.: yes. B.S., Nutrition M.S., Ph.D., and the combined degree: no |
| Supervised Practice | Integrated, assigned by the program, 150-plus affiliated sites up to 60 miles one way; total hours not published |
| Entrance Exams | No GRE for the Clinical Nutrition M.S. |
| GPA Floor | Clinical Nutrition M.S.: 3.0 per the requirements page. Nutrition M.S.: 3.0 in the last 60 hours |
| Intake | Clinical Nutrition M.S.: fall only; Early Assurance November 1, final March 1 |
| Tuition | Fall 2026 per credit: graduate resident $471, non-resident $1,105; undergraduate resident $295, non-resident $1,211 |
| Institutional Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
Master of Science, Clinical Nutrition
The estimated cost of the Clinical Nutrition M.S. is about $32,236 to $33,640 for a resident and $65,180 to $68,510 for a non-resident, including fees (derived from the Fall 2026 schedule; the range reflects whether tuition is flat above 12 credits). It requires 55 credits over two integrated years, with a three-year maximum, for a full-time cohort only.
Clinical Nutrition Curriculum
The credits run 14 in the first fall, 1 in winter, 13 in spring, 6 in summer, 12 in the second fall, and 9 in the second spring. Coursework covers macronutrients and micronutrients, medical nutrition therapy, pathophysiology, a culinary medicine rotation, community and population health, food systems, and leadership, organized around five areas of dietetics practice. The program ends in a comprehensive exam, a project, or an optional 6-credit thesis (NTR 680).
Clinical Nutrition Supervised Practice
- Integrated practice in NTR 540 (26 credits), with rotations in acute care, long-term care, outpatient, wellness, and community or industry settings
- More than 150 affiliated sites, assigned by the program, up to 60 miles one way, with students providing their own transport
- Practice can fall in early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and a reliable vehicle is required
- A prior-learning portfolio can earn credit toward hours or projects, due August 1; total supervised-practice hours are not published
Because UB does not publish the total hours, readers cannot compare it to the 1,000-hour benchmark, so ask the program for the figure before applying.
Clinical Nutrition Admissions
- A bachelor’s from an accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA or better, in any major; a DPD verification statement can substitute for prerequisites but is optional
- Prerequisites at C or higher: two semesters of general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, statistics, human nutrition, lifecycle nutrition, and food science, with sciences within 10 years and nutrition within 5; a ServSafe Manager certificate is required
- DICAS plus the UB Graduate School application ($50); three references, a resume, a statement of up to 1,000 words, and a Zoom interview; no GRE
- Fall start only; for fall 2027, DICAS opened August 5, 2026, with an Early Assurance deadline of November 1, 2026 and a final deadline of March 1, 2027
- Enrollment is limited, cohort size was not found, and international applicants must complete a US-based Community Nutrition course before admission
You Should Know
UB’s admissions page lists no minimum GPA while its requirements page says 3.0, and it gives acceptance deadlines of November 10 and March 10 alongside waitlist text that says November 15 or March 15. ServSafe is due June 1 on one page and August 1 on another. The catalog gives 55 to 56 credits because NTR 524 is listed at 1 to 3 credits, and handbook course titles and credits differ slightly from the web pages.
Bachelor of Science, Nutrition Science
The estimated cost of the B.S. in Nutrition Science is about $44,142 for a resident and $132,142 for a non-resident (eight semesters of tuition and fees at the Fall 2026 rates, derived). The degree is 126 credits, with a 103-credit major made of an 83-credit core and at least 20 upper-level elective credits, and it requires a 2.0 major GPA.
The core is heavy on biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physiology, and microbiology. The page says the B.S. satisfies the prerequisite courses for the Clinical Nutrition M.S., and NTR 434 Community Nutrition is required for anyone planning to apply to it. The B.S. is not described as a DPD and carries no RD claim.
Master of Science, Nutrition
The estimated tuition for the Nutrition M.S. is about $16,956 for a resident and $39,780 for a non-resident (36 credits at $471 and $1,105, derived, tuition only). The research track takes one to two years in person, with 24 credits in residence.
The core is CHB 550, NTR 500, 501, 600, and 630, and statistics, ending in an exam, project, or thesis. Admission needs a 3.0 in the last 60 undergraduate hours and prerequisites at B or better in nutrition with lab, chemistry with lab, math, biology, and biochemistry. Review is rolling, with assistantship consideration by March 15, and a thesis requires a faculty interview. Assistantship tuition terms were not found.
You Should Know
The Graduate School’s Nutrition M.S. page says at least one admissions test is required, while the department page says the GRE is not required but still lists reporting codes.
Doctor of Philosophy, Nutrition Science
The Ph.D. is 72 credits and about four years, in person and full time, with a core of 29 credits, 13 to 21 elective credits, and 22 to 30 dissertation credits. It requires a prior master’s in nutrition or a related field, and its funding was not found.
Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. (Combined)
The combined degree takes five years, with applications in the third year and a 3.0 overall GPA. The Graduate School lists 154 credits, while the catalog lists 148 to 150 (a 112-to-114-credit B.S. plus the 36-credit M.S.). UB’s page states that this degree does not lead to registered dietitian licensure.
Tuition
UB’s published Fall 2026 rates are $471 per credit for resident graduate students and $295 for resident undergraduates, with full-time flat tuition of $5,655 and $3,535 a semester. Non-resident rates are $1,105 per graduate credit and $1,211 per undergraduate credit, with $13,255 and $14,535 flat. Spring 2027 rates were not retrieved and are assumed to match.
- Full-time totals per semester: graduate resident $7,314.86 ($5,655 plus $1,659.86 in fees), graduate non-resident $14,914.86, undergraduate resident $5,517.77, undergraduate non-resident $16,517.77
- Graduate fees of $1,659.86 include technology $438.93, transportation $247.33, health $224.10, and others; graduate fees are charged at the full-time rate for 9 to 11 credits
- Derived Clinical Nutrition M.S. tuition: $24,501 to $25,905 resident and $57,445 to $60,775 non-resident, plus about $7,735 in fees
- Program costs: iComp at $53 a semester, ServSafe allergen at $22, Academy student membership at $58 a year, RD exam review at $200, about $200 a semester for supplies, a $100 medical exam, and about $500 a month for a shared apartment
Be aware that:
UB’s Fall 2026 schedule was approved by SUNY but pending administrative action to finalize. The published flat rates differ from per-credit multiples by a few dollars, and the flat rates are used here. No nutrition-specific differential was found, and whether tuition stays flat above 12 credits is not stated. Transportation, parking, and health insurance are extra.
Official figures are on UB’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students with any bachelor’s and the science prerequisites who want one integrated master’s that delivers the credential without a separate internship application, and who can commit to two full-time years near Buffalo.
The credential value is concentrated in one degree. The Clinical Nutrition M.S. meets the graduate-degree requirement and the supervised practice together, is STEM-designated, and prepares students for the exam, which UB says 96% of graduates passed on the first attempt or within a year, with no year or cohort given.
The cost of admission is a full-time, in-person schedule with practice that can run evenings and weekends, up to 60 miles from campus, and no published hour total. UB’s B.S. and combined degree do not carry the credential, and the research M.S. and Ph.D. serve science careers.
Accreditation
The University at Buffalo is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, last reaffirmed in June 2024, and its programs are registered with the New York State Education Department. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s decisions pages show approval in May 2021 to reorganize into a Future Education Model graduate program, a teach-out of the legacy dietetic internship effective January 1, 2024, and full and continued accreditation of the Graduate Program in Dietetics after a site visit in April 2024. UB’s June 2024 news brief says the program is accredited for seven years after an October 2023 site visit, with no follow-ups required. UB does not appear on the Programs Under Review page, and ACEND’s live directory could not be read, so no term end date is published here.
UB’s own program pages name ACEND as the accreditor but never use the words Future Education Model. The B.S., Nutrition M.S., Ph.D., and combined degree are not ACEND programs, which is normal for those degree types. A graduate of the Clinical Nutrition M.S. completes the degree and supervised practice and can sit for the CDR exam, while a graduate of any other UB degree is not eligible on that degree alone.
More Nutrition Degrees in New York
- Brooklyn College - Brooklyn
- Buffalo Nutrition & Dietetics Programs
- D'Youville University - Buffalo
- Hunter College - New York
- Lehman College - Bronx
- New York City Nutrition & Dietetics Programs
- New York Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- New York University - New York
- Queens College - Flushing
- SUNY Buffalo State University - Buffalo
- Teachers College, Columbia University - New York