School of Applied Human Sciences, College of Education and Applied Human Sciences • Richmond, KY • Campus • $5,325/Semester In-State (Undergraduate, Public)
Eastern Kentucky University offers 2 nutrition degree options and an 18-credit minor, all at the bachelor’s level, and none leads to RD/RDN eligibility on its own:
- B.S. in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics concentration (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- B.S. in Food and Nutrition, Culinary Nutrition and Food Management concentration (not ACEND-accredited)
- Food and Nutrition minor (18 credits)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Food and Nutrition, Dietetics (DPD) | $12,066 a year in tuition and fees; $48,264 over eight semesters (derived) | 4 years, 8 semesters | 120 |
| B.S. Food and Nutrition, Culinary Nutrition and Food Management | $12,066 a year in tuition and fees; $48,264 over eight semesters (derived) | 4 years, 8 semesters | 120 (33 in the concentration) |
| Food and Nutrition Minor | Undergraduate rates apply; no separate price | Not stated | 18 |
The lead fact is that Eastern Kentucky has a Didactic Program in Dietetics and nothing after it. The catalog lists no graduate nutrition or dietetics degree and no dietetic internship, so a graduate completes the RD route elsewhere: an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program, a master’s degree, and the CDR exam. Leftover graduate-numbered nutrition courses remain in the catalog with no degree attached.
Both concentrations sit inside the same degree title, a B.S. in Food and Nutrition rather than a B.S. in Dietetics, and students enter through a program application that is separate from university admission.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus; the school says most dietetics courses are in person in Richmond and at least one online course may be required |
| ACEND Accreditation | Didactic Program in Dietetics: accredited, term ends June 30, 2027 per ACEND’s directory and the school |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | No on its own; the DPD gives a verification statement, then an outside internship and a master’s degree |
| Supervised Practice | None at Eastern Kentucky; 30 hours of RD shadowing in medical nutrition therapy courses. Culinary concentration: a practicum of at least 240 clock hours |
| Entrance Exams | None for admission; an exit exam in NFA 404 at 70 percent or higher |
| GPA Floor | 2.5 EKU GPA over at least 45 hours, plus a combined 3.0 in five prerequisite courses |
| Intake | Fall; applications are received each spring, with the deadline set by the advisor or director |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $5,325 per semester for 12 to 15 credits in-state, $6,120 out-of-state |
| Institutional Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics Concentration
The estimated tuition for the B.S. at Eastern Kentucky is $42,600 over eight semesters in-state, or $48,264 with the $708 in mandatory fees each term (derived at the 2026-27 flat rate, assuming 15 credits a semester and no increases). The degree is 120 credits, built as eight semesters, and the catalog plan of study adds to 120.
Dietetics Curriculum
Coursework includes biological nutrition, nutrition education and counseling, a junior seminar in dietetics, human nutrition I and II, medical nutrition therapy I and II, research applications in nutrition, quantity food production, food service management, community nutrition, food culture and systems, and experimental foods, alongside anatomy and physiology, chemistry, statistics, psychology, and medical terminology. A student-run café is part of the food production training. There is no thesis or capstone beyond the exit exam and the research course.
Dietetics Admissions
- Students enter as pre-Food and Nutrition and apply to the program with an EKU GPA of at least 2.5 over 45 or more hours, plus a combined 3.0 GPA across ACC 200 or CDF 360 and NFA 121, 201, 203, and 317, with a C or better in each
- If more students apply than there are places, an admission scoring rubric ranks the applicants
- Applications are received each spring for the following fall; cohort size was not found
- A post-baccalaureate route for degree holders needs a 3.0 overall GPA and the required competencies for a verification statement only
- Transfer credit is accepted up to 90 hours, with at least 30 earned at Eastern Kentucky
- Students pay about $256 in first-year program costs, derived from a $140 parking permit, $21 liability insurance, a $7 food worker certificate, $30 lab attire, and a $58 Academy student membership
You Should Know
The program page and ACEND’s directory describe delivery differently: the school says most courses are in person, while ACEND lists a combination of in-person and online coursework and approval to offer distance education. The catalog says graduates can also sit the technician exam, and the school warns that internship sites are scarce and acceptance is not guaranteed. The school publishes no placement or pass rates, only a statement that outcomes data are available from the program director.
Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition, Culinary Nutrition and Food Management
This concentration is 33 credits inside the same 120-credit degree and is not ACEND-accredited or an RD route. The school describes it as preparation for restaurant and food service management, test kitchen management, and catering.
- The concentration includes food preparation and culinary arts, food in health and wellness, hospitality and management courses, and a practicum of at least 240 clock hours
- The catalog lists the same program-level admission standards as the dietetics concentration
- Nothing on the school’s pages calls it a culinary medicine program
Tuition
Eastern Kentucky’s 2026-27 undergraduate tuition is a flat $5,325 per semester in-state for 12 to 15 credits and $6,120 out-of-state, so credits 12 through 15 cost the same. It is public, and the school says rates are subject to approval by its Regents.
- Per credit: $355 above 15 credits and $444 part-time in-state; $408 above 15 and $510 part-time out-of-state
- Mandatory fees are $708 per fall or spring semester full time ($150 special use, $150 asset preservation, $255 Exceptional Eastern Experience, $153 student health)
- Derived annual totals: $12,066 in-state ($10,650 plus $1,416) and $13,656 out-of-state ($12,240 plus $1,416); eight semesters total $48,264 in-state and $54,624 out-of-state
- Required textbooks are listed at $26 per credit hour, which would add about $624 a year at 12 credits a term (derived)
- The 2025-26 in-state rate was $5,220 a semester, so 2026-27 is up about 2 percent
- No program-specific differential was found
Be aware that:
The finish line costs more than the degree: the supervised practice program and master’s degree needed for the RD credential are paid for elsewhere. Official figures are on Eastern Kentucky’s cost page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to Kentucky undergraduates who want an ACEND-accredited dietetics degree at a regional public university, or a nutrition degree with a food service management focus and a built-in practicum.
The two concentrations in one degree let a student start in the major and choose the dietetics or culinary management path after the program application. The honest limit is that the dietetics concentration stops at the verification statement, internship sites are competitive, there is no in-house master’s degree, and the accreditation term ends in June 2027.
If you want the RD credential, plan for an outside internship and a master’s degree from the first year. If you want food service or catering management, the culinary concentration is the better fit and does not need the ACEND application standards for a route you will not use.
Accreditation
Eastern Kentucky is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory lists the Didactic Program in Dietetics as accredited, with initial accreditation on August 1, 1977, a term ending June 30, 2027, and approval to offer distance education. The school states the same term end. ACEND’s decisions pages show full and continued accreditation after a site visit in January 2020 and after a progress report in July 2022, and no entry for the program in 2019, 2021, or 2023 through 2026. The Programs Under Review page lists no Eastern Kentucky program, so confirm the renewal status with ACEND before planning around the 2027 date.
ACEND’s 2015 decisions page lists an Eastern Kentucky dietetic internship, and no current internship appears in the directory or on the school’s pages. A graduate holds a verification statement and is not eligible for the CDR exam on that basis.
More Nutrition Degrees in Kentucky
- Kentucky Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Murray State University - Murray
- University of Kentucky - Lexington
- Western Kentucky University - Bowling Green