Texas Woman’s University Nutrition Degree Programs

Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences • Denton, TX (with a Houston campus program) • Hybrid (M.S./Internship), Campus (B.S.), or Online (coursework-only M.S.) • $323/Credit (Graduate, Texas Resident)

Texas Woman’s University offers 6 nutrition credentials, and 2 of them lead to RD/RDN eligibility:

  • B.S., Nutrition, Dietetics emphasis (the Didactic Program in Dietetics)
  • Master’s Dietetic Internship (M.S./Internship), Denton
  • Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, Houston (first cohort fall 2027)
  • M.S., Nutrition (standalone)
  • M.S., Exercise and Sports Nutrition (standalone)
  • Ph.D., Nutrition

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
B.S. Nutrition, Dietetics$28.8K in-state tuition only (derived)4 years121
M.S./Dietetic Internship (Denton)$17K in-state, $32K out-of-state (program estimate); derived $17.4K to $17.6K and $32.9K to $33.0K16 months30 to 39 by plan
Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (Houston)M.S. Nutrition about $17K and $32K; M.S. Exercise and Sports Nutrition about $18K and $35K (program estimates)16 months36 or 39
M.S. Nutrition and M.S. Exercise and Sports NutritionAbout $14.8K in-state for the 30-credit thesis plan (derived)Not clearly stated30
Ph.D. Nutrition$19.4K in-state, $45.1K out-of-state tuition only (derived, after transfer credit)Not clearly stated90 (up to 30 transferable)

TWU holds three ACEND program types: a Didactic Program in Dietetics and a dietetic internship in Denton, and a new Future Education Model graduate program in Houston. The Denton M.S./Internship still requires a DPD verification statement and a separate DICAS match, while the Houston graduate program is integrated, takes applicants without a DPD who finish 39 prerequisite credits, and enrolls its first cohort in fall 2027.

TWU’s older Houston M.S./Internship has closed to new applicants, and its final cohort began in August 2026. The directory lists it with a closure pending December 31, 2028.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
FormatDenton M.S./Internship: hybrid (weekday classes or online). B.S.: campus with some online options. Coursework-only M.S. Nutrition: online. Houston: campus
ACEND AccreditationDenton DPD and internship accredited (terms to 2031 per the directory); Houston graduate program listed as accredited since July 2026; Houston internship closing
RD/RDN EligibilityDenton M.S./Internship and Houston graduate program: yes. B.S. and standalone M.S. degrees: no
Supervised PracticeDenton: at least 1,100 hours, 40 to 45 a week for 26 weeks. Houston graduate program: at least 1,010 hours
Cohort SizeDenton: 16 or 18; Houston graduate program: 20
Entrance ExamsGRE not required for the Houston program; not found for Denton
GPA FloorDenton: 3.25 on the last 60 hours. Houston: 3.0, with 3.25 or higher unconditional
IntakeDenton: final DICAS deadline January 15, 2027. Houston: early October 1, standard January 15, 2027
Tuition2026-27 per credit: graduate resident $323, non-resident $751; undergraduate $238 and $666
Institutional AccreditationSACSCOC, reaffirmed 2023

Bachelor of Science, Nutrition, Dietetics Emphasis

The Dietetics emphasis is 121 credits with a 53-credit major, costing about $28,798 in tuition for a resident (121 credits at $238, derived, before fees and surcharges). It is the Didactic Program in Dietetics in Denton, with some online options, and it gives a verification statement, not the credential.

A separate DPD application follows the 1000- and 2000-level courses, with a 3.25 GPA, C or better in listed science courses, and B or better in four nutrition courses. At least 24 DPD credits must be taken at TWU. The page claims a match rate above 90% with no year or cohort. Other B.S. options, such as Nutritional Sciences and Community Nutrition, carry no ACEND link.

Master’s Dietetic Internship, Denton

The Denton M.S./Internship combines the dietetic internship with a concurrent M.S. in Nutrition or Exercise and Sports Nutrition. TWU estimates $17,000 resident and $32,000 non-resident for 36 hours, and the derived figures at the 2026-27 rates are about $17,440 to $17,580 and $32,850 to $32,990. It takes 16 months, with catalog plans of 30 or 36 credits for nutrition and 36 or 39 for exercise and sports nutrition.

Denton Supervised Practice

  • At least 1,100 hours at 40 to 45 hours a week for 26 weeks, mostly June to December of year two, with a medical nutrition therapy emphasis
  • Remote rotations are under 15% of hours; the director places interns in the Dallas-Fort Worth area within a one-hour or 75-mile radius, with no site guaranteed
  • This is a separate DICAS match after a DPD, not an integrated admission

Denton Admissions

  • A DPD verification statement within five years, a 3.25 GPA on the last 60 hours, and 3.0 in science and upper-level nutrition and foodservice courses; a resume and a 500-word DICAS statement
  • DICAS ($50, then $25 each additional) opened August 5, 2026, with early review from October 15, a final deadline of January 15, 2027, notification by March 1, and a decision by March 10; the TWU Graduate School application ($50) follows the match
  • Half-time assistantships carry a stipend and an out-of-state tuition waiver, which can swing the non-resident cost by about $15,400 over 36 credits (derived)
You Should Know

TWU’s Denton page gives a cohort of 18 on the overview and 16 on the admissions page. It states the accreditation term as 2030 in one place and 2028 in another, against 2031 in the ACEND directory. The Denton GRE requirement was not found. TWU states that completing the M.S./Internship meets Texas licensure requirements.

Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, Houston

The Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics is an ACEND Future Education Model program at the Texas Medical Center. The school estimates about $17,000 resident and $32,000 non-resident for the 36-credit M.S. in Nutrition, and about $18,000 and $35,000 for the 39-credit M.S. in Exercise and Sports Nutrition, across four semesters over 16 months (derived: about $18,800 and $35,500 for the latter).

  • At least 1,010 supervised-experience hours, a cohort of 20, and sites within about 60 miles, with placement not guaranteed and an optional Barbados renal rotation
  • Integrated, competency-based admission through one DICAS application, with no separate match
  • Two entry routes: a DPD verification statement within five years, or 39 prerequisite credits at B or better with no DPD; ServSafe within three years
  • A 3.0 minimum GPA on the last 60 hours, unconditional at 3.25 or higher; no GRE and no interview; early deadline October 1, 2026 and standard deadline January 15, 2027, plus a $50 Graduate School application
You Should Know

A TWU Houston page dated July 2025 still says the program was in the candidacy process, while the program page dated August 2026 and the ACEND directory (initial date July 15, 2026) say accredited. The decision is not on any ACEND page that could be retrieved, so it is not clear whether the directory’s status reflects full accreditation or candidacy. Houston outcomes appear as 97% over six years on one page and 100% for 2023 to 2025 on another, both for the legacy M.S./Internship.

Master of Science, Nutrition and Exercise and Sports Nutrition (Standalone)

The standalone M.S. in Nutrition is 30 credits from fall 2026, in thesis (13 required, 11 elective, 6 thesis) or coursework-only form, and costs about $14,830 in-state for the thesis plan (derived). The coursework-only version can be taken fully online, and the Exercise and Sports Nutrition degree follows the same structure. Neither has ACEND coverage or leads to RD eligibility alone.

Admission needs a 3.25 GPA (3.0 provisional) and chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and nutrition prerequisites, with deadlines of June 15, October 1, and April 1.

Doctor of Philosophy, Nutrition

The Ph.D. is 90 credits beyond a bachelor’s, with up to 30 transferable from a master’s, a qualifying exam, and a dissertation, in Denton and Houston. It requires a 3.5 GPA and has no ACEND link. Tuition is about $19,380 resident and $45,060 non-resident for 60 credits (derived), and funded students pay far less.

Tuition

TWU’s published 2026-27 graduate tuition is $323 per credit for Texas residents ($50 statutory, $188 designated, $85 board-authorized) and $751 for non-residents, with undergraduate rates of $238 and $666. The non-resident graduate rate rose from $728 the year before.

  • Per-credit fees: University Services $81, Student Services $35.71 (capped at $250 a term), and a graduate Program Fee of $25; per-semester fees of $284 for fitness, international education, medical, and student center
  • Derived 36-credit total over four semesters: about $17,440 to $17,580 resident and $32,850 to $32,990 non-resident, against TWU’s published $17,000 and $32,000
  • Practicum courses add liability insurance of $16 and a bloodborne pathogens fee of $50; no nutrition surcharge was found, though biology and chemistry courses carry $25 and $24 surcharges

Be aware that:

TWU’s published estimates run about 3% to 4% below the fee-stack derivation. TWU’s cost-of-attendance page uses a different rate and does not match the bursar, so it is not used. Assistantship terms at Denton include a half-time stipend and an out-of-state waiver. Official figures are on TWU’s tuition and fees page.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited for students who want a public-university route to the credential in the Dallas-Fort Worth or Houston area, and who can choose between a DPD-first route in Denton and a no-DPD route in Houston.

The honest trade-off is that the two campuses are structured very differently. Denton asks for a DPD and a separate match, with 16 to 18 seats, while Houston’s new integrated program takes career changers, with 20 seats and a first cohort not until fall 2027.

The cost side is favorable for residents, at about $17,000 to $18,000 for either graduate route, and half-time assistantships can lower a non-resident’s bill. The risk is Houston’s transition, since its legacy internship is closing and its new program’s accreditation status should be confirmed with ACEND.

Accreditation

TWU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels, reaffirmed in 2023 with the next review in 2033. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.

ACEND’s directory lists four TWU programs: the Denton DPD (initial accreditation 1980) and Denton dietetic internship (initial 1990), both with terms to December 31, 2031; the Houston dietetic internship (initial 1978), with a term to December 31, 2028 and a closure pending; and the Houston Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (initial date July 15, 2026), with a term to December 31, 2030. ACEND’s decisions pages show full and continued accreditation of the Houston internship in July 2020 and of the Denton DPD and internship in April 2023. They show no TWU entry in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, or 2025, and the pages read run only to March 2026, so the Houston graduate program’s decision was not seen. The pages print no term dates.

ACEND lists no TWU Coordinated Program. A graduate of the Denton M.S./Internship or the Houston graduate program completes the degree and supervised practice and can sit for the CDR exam, while a graduate of the B.S. holds a verification statement and still needs a master’s, an internship, and the exam. The standalone master’s degrees and the Ph.D. are not ACEND programs.

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