Department of Applied Health Sciences, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health • Maywood (Chicago), IL • Campus • $1,355/Credit (Graduate, Private)
Loyola University Chicago offers 3 dietetics credentials, and 2 of them lead to RD/RDN eligibility. It has no undergraduate dietetics program, so every route starts with a verification statement from elsewhere:
- M.S. in Dietetics with Dietetic Internship Certificate (M.S./DI)
- Dietetic Internship Certificate (DI-C, for applicants who already hold a master’s)
- M.S. in Dietetics (standalone, for registered dietitians and current interns; non-RD)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. with Dietetic Internship | $50,135 (37 credits at $1,355) plus course fees | About 21 months | 37 (the archived catalog says 46) |
| Dietetic Internship Certificate | $18,970 (14 credits at $1,355) | 12 months | 14 |
| M.S. in Dietetics (standalone) | $42,005 (31 credits, derived) | Full or part time; not clearly stated | 31 |
Loyola’s only ACEND program is a Dietetic Internship, offered with the master’s or as a certificate for applicants who already hold one. A DPD verification statement is a hard prerequisite and Loyola does not offer a DPD, so career changers must finish that coursework elsewhere first. The standalone M.S. in Dietetics does not lead to the credential.
Public health is one of five focus areas a student can choose in the M.S./DI, backed by two required public health courses, rather than a formal emphasis.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus: weekly evening class at the Maywood health sciences campus, in-person practice |
| ACEND Accreditation | Dietetic Internship (initial 1995), term to June 30, 2030 per the directory |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | M.S./DI and certificate: yes, with CDR exam eligibility. Standalone M.S.: no |
| Supervised Practice | 1,020 hours across 8 rotations at 50-plus Chicagoland partner agencies |
| Entrance Exams | The GRE policy was not found |
| GPA Floor | Above 3.0 preferred; no hard minimum stated |
| Intake | DICAS opens early August; priority February 1, rolling through July 31 |
| Cohort Size | Current pages do not say; the archived catalog says ten a track |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $1,355 per credit, one rate for all students |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission, reaffirmed June 2025 |
Master of Science in Dietetics with Dietetic Internship Certificate
The estimated tuition for the M.S./DI at Loyola is $50,135 (37 credits at $1,355), which matches the school’s published figure, plus course fees of $810 (derived from four lab-fee courses). It takes about 21 months over fall, spring, summer, fall, and spring, starting in late August, with a weekly evening class at the Maywood campus.
M.S./DI Curriculum
The dietetics core is nine courses, including public health nutrition and research theory (3 credits) and a supervised practice course in public health nutrition (2 credits). The graduate block adds three courses and educational statistics, plus three electives from other Parkinson programs, and a focus area chosen with the director from public health, exercise science, healthcare administration, health informatics and data science, or health entrepreneurship. The capstone is a comprehensive exam paper written with a faculty member, with no thesis.
M.S./DI Supervised Practice
- 1,020 hours per the program page, typically beginning in the summer after most graduate work
- Loyola arranges sites through established relationships with more than 50 agencies; the archived catalog describes 8 rotations of about 8 hours a day plus 2 to 3 weekend days a semester
- Travel time does not count as practice hours
M.S./DI Admissions
- A bachelor’s, preferably in nutrition or dietetics, with a GPA above 3.0, and a DPD or foreign dietitian education verification statement
- Three recommendation letters and a personal statement through DICAS, which opens in early August, with a February 1 priority date and notification by March 1; applications are then reviewed on a rolling basis through July 31
- A 30-minute interview is possible; open houses are on October 1, November 23, and December 15, 2026
You Should Know
The archived 2025-26 catalog describes the M.S./DI as 46 credits, 1,100 hours, and 22 months, against 37 credits, 1,020 hours, and 21 months on the current program page, and it describes computer matching rather than DICAS. The 2026-27 catalog could not be read, so the current program page governs here.
Dietetic Internship Certificate
The certificate is 14 credits, $18,970 in tuition (14 credits at $1,355) plus $560 in course fees (derived), over 12 months starting in the fall, with 1,020 hours that begin in the first semester. It is for applicants who already hold a master’s in nutrition and dietetics or a closely related field, and it uses the same core as the M.S./DI without the graduate block.
Master of Science in Dietetics (Standalone)
The standalone M.S. is 31 credits, about $42,005 in tuition (derived, and equal to the school’s “tuition and fees” estimate), with a healthcare administration focus and a comprehensive exam. It accepts registered dietitians and students enrolled in an ACEND-accredited standalone internship, has no supervised practice, and does not lead to the credential. Admission requires a 3.0 GPA, three letters, and a 1,000-word statement.
Tuition
Loyola’s 2026-27 Parkinson rate is $1,355 per credit for the M.S. in Dietetics and the internship, up $60, or 4.6%, from $1,295. Loyola is private, so residents and non-residents pay the same.
- Course fees: $200 for FONU 400, $250 each for FONU 410 and 420, and $110 for FONU 422
- Per-semester fees at 9 or more credits: $206 student development and $135 technology, with lower tiers for part-time loads; a $100 one-time matriculation fee
- Student health insurance is $3,869 a year; whether it can be waived was not found
- Clinical requirements such as titers, a TB screen, vaccines, a physical, a drug screen, and a background check run about $570 before insurance
Be aware that:
The totals above exclude fees because the semesters billed at each tier are not stated. Paid fellowships and assistantships exist, and the Parkinson Scholars Award is $8,000, but their effect on tuition for this program was not found. Official figures are on Loyola’s bursar page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to applicants who already hold a DPD verification statement and want the master’s and supervised practice completed together in Chicago.
The honest trade-off is the entry gate: with no DPD at Loyola, a career changer must complete that coursework at another school before applying, and the internship is a competitive application with a small cohort. The advantage is a single enrollment that delivers the master’s, a public health thread, and more than 50 partner sites in about 21 months.
If you already hold a master’s, the 12-month certificate is the shorter path. If you are already a dietitian, the standalone M.S. is the relevant degree and carries no credential.
Accreditation
Loyola is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, reaffirmed on June 30, 2025 with the next review in 2034 to 2035, which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s directory lists the Dietetic Internship (initial accreditation December 1, 1995, M.S. offered, with a non-degree option) as accredited with a term ending June 30, 2030, and shows no closure or inactive flag. ACEND’s January 2020 decisions list it as fully and continued accredited after a site visit, and its March 2026 decisions delayed the next site visit by two years and extended the term from June 30, 2028 to June 30, 2030. No Loyola entry appears in 2019, 2021 through 2025, and Loyola is not on the Programs Under Review page. The live decisions pages were blocked, so archived copies were read.
Loyola has no DPD, Coordinated Program, or Future Education Model program. A graduate of the M.S./DI or the certificate completes the supervised practice and the master’s and can sit for the CDR exam, while a graduate of the standalone M.S. cannot.
More Nutrition Degrees in Illinois
- Benedictine University - Lisle
- Chicago Nutrition & Dietetics Programs
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- Illinois Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Rush University - Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago - Chicago