Parker University Nutrition Degree Programs

College of Health Sciences • Dallas, TX • Online • $871/Credit (Graduate, Private)

Parker University offers 2 nutrition credentials, both online, and neither leads to RD/RDN eligibility:

  • M.S., Functional Nutrition
  • B.S., Nutrition Science

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
M.S. Functional Nutrition$26,130 in tuition; about $26.6K with fees (derived)5 terms full-time, about 20 months30 (24 minimum at Parker)
B.S. Nutrition Science$93,240 at $777 per credit before transfer credit (derived)10 to 15 terms120

Parker has no ACEND program of any type, and the pages read for this profile say nothing about dietetics. The M.S. is a ten-course functional nutrition curriculum for health professionals and graduates who have finished five prerequisite sciences. It has no supervised practice, thesis, or practicum.

Parker’s page says graduates “earn eligibility to become a Clinical Nutrition Specialist.” The credential that exists is the Certified Nutrition Specialist, issued by a separate board, which requires 1,000 supervised practice hours that Parker does not provide. Parker is not among the programs ACNPE accredits.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
FormatOnline, asynchronous, for both degrees
ACEND AccreditationNone found in ACEND’s decisions pages or Programs Under Review list; Parker lists no ACEND accreditation
RD/RDN EligibilityNo
Supervised PracticeNone
Entrance ExamsThe program page says no GRE; the catalog lists a GRE, GMAT, or MAT with waivers
GPA Floor3.0 for the M.S.; provisional and discretionary admission exist
IntakeStarts several times a year; which starts the M.S. accepts was not found
Tuition2026-27: $871 per graduate credit; $777 undergraduate
Institutional AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Master of Science, Functional Nutrition

The estimated tuition for the M.S. at Parker is $26,130 (30 credits at $871), or about $26,605 with a $64 health fee for each of five terms and one-time application, orientation, and graduation fees (derived). The program is 30 semester credits with at least 24 earned at Parker, and full-time is 6 credits a term, so it takes five terms of about 20 months.

M.S. Curriculum

Ten 3-credit courses: functional nutrition therapy I and II, research methods, nutrition counseling, gut microbiome and health, nutrition and human performance, nutrients and functional foods, nutrition across the lifespan, psychology of eating, and a capstone. Parker is a partner of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the degree rules require a 3.0 GPA with no more than two C grades.

M.S. Admissions

  • A bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, two letters of recommendation, and a resume
  • Prerequisites at C or higher: introductory nutrition, biology, anatomy and physiology, general chemistry, and biochemistry, with labs; they can be taken as non-degree courses at Parker for $118 each
  • Provisional admission pending prerequisites, incomplete admission for a single term, and discretionary admission by the dean are all allowed
  • Graduate applicants attend a funding review with Parker’s one-stop office at least two weeks before the first term; cohort size and deadlines were not found
You Should Know

The program page says no GRE, while the university catalog says graduate applicants need a GRE, GMAT, or MAT unless waived for a 3.0 GPA, a prior graduate degree, or a 2.7 GPA with two years of work, which could matter to an applicant between 2.7 and 3.0. A $817 per-credit figure appears in a search summary and on no current Parker page.

Bachelor of Science, Nutrition Science

The B.S. is 120 credits online at $777 per credit, about $93,240 in tuition before transfer credit (derived). Its catalog lists 31 general education credits, 15 electives, and 74 in the major, including four chemistry courses, microbiology, biochemistry, medical nutrition therapy I and II, public health nutrition, food science, and a capstone, while another catalog tab shows 51, 15, and 54. It has no supervised practice and no RD route. Admission requirements and credit sharing with the M.S. were not found.

Tuition

Parker’s published 2026-27 graduate rate is $871 per credit, with no residency split and no program-specific fee found for the M.S. Active-duty military students pay $250 per credit, and Parker may raise tuition and fees at any time without prior notice.

  • Fees: a $50 application fee, $100 deposit credited to tuition, $45 orientation, $60 graduation, and a $64 student health fee per term
  • Undergraduate fees add a $90 technology fee per term, and the B.S. derived total is about $94,935 if taken full-time
  • Optional prerequisite courses at $118 each add up to about $590 for five

Be aware that:

The $64 health fee is assumed to bill every term, which Parker does not state. Official figures are on Parker’s tuition page.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited to working health professionals and science graduates who want a short, fully online graduate program in functional nutrition and can finish five prerequisite sciences first.

The honest trade-off is what the degree does and does not deliver. It is a five-term, ten-course master’s at about $26,100 in tuition, but it carries no supervised practice, no ACEND accreditation, and no accreditation from ACNPE, so a graduate who wants the CNS must arrange 1,000 supervised hours and pass the board’s individual review.

If you are a career changer, expect to complete biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and biochemistry before admission. If you want the dietitian credential, this is not the route.

Accreditation

Parker is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid. Its accreditation page lists programmatic accreditations in chiropractic, health information, massage, occupational therapy, and similar fields, and none for nutrition or dietetics.

ACEND’s decisions pages for 2019 through 2026 and its Programs Under Review list contain no Parker entry. The ACEND live directory could not be loaded in this review, so the absence of an accredited listing rests on those two sources. ACNPE’s accredited-program list includes three master’s programs elsewhere and none at Parker.

A graduate of the M.S. or the B.S. is not eligible for the CDR exam on that basis.

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