Division of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources • Columbia, MO • Campus • $567.80/Credit Resident (Graduate, Public)
The University of Missouri lists 5 nutrition-related credentials, and 1 of them is a direct RD route:
- Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics, a five-year B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition and M.S. in Dietetics with supervised practice (ACEND coordinated program; the direct RD route)
- B.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (not an RD route)
- M.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (not an RD route)
- Ph.D. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (not an RD route)
- Minors in Nutritional Sciences and Wellness (not RD routes)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (B.S. and M.S.) | About $87,700 in tuition and fees over five years for a resident (derived, flat 2026-27 rates) | 5 years | 149 per the M.S. catalog; 151 per the B.S. catalog |
| B.S. Nutrition and Exercise Physiology | $18,226 a year in tuition and fees (derived) | 4 years | Not stated |
| M.S. and Ph.D. Nutrition and Exercise Physiology | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
The lead fact is that there is one RD route and it is a five-year admission: students apply as undergraduates after about 90 credits and complete two years in the coordinated program, finishing both degrees and a verification statement. The catalog says it is not a stand-alone master’s and has no didactic-only option, and that earning only the bachelor’s does not make a student eligible for the CDR exam.
The enrollment cap is 20 students a year. The school’s own pages give three different names for the undergraduate degree, so applicants should check the major they are choosing.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus; ACEND lists the program as fully in person and also approved to offer distance education |
| ACEND Accreditation | Coordinated Program in Dietetics: accredited, term ends December 31, 2026 per ACEND’s directory and the school |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes on completing both degrees. The other programs: no |
| Supervised Practice | Built into the coursework; the main practice course is about 13 weeks at 40 hours a week for 10 credits. The total hours were not found |
| Entrance Exams | No GRE found |
| GPA Floor | 3.0 cumulative, with a B- or better in required nutrition and science courses |
| Intake | Annual; one page gives January 15 as the application deadline, with results by March 1 |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $567.80 per graduate credit resident, $1,419.50 non-resident; undergraduate $707.50 per credit resident |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Accelerated Coordinated Program in Dietetics
The coordinated program takes five years: three pre-dietetics years inside the Food Science and Human Nutrition degree, then two years in the program. A resident pays about $87,700 in tuition and fees across the five years (derived: four undergraduate years at $18,225.60 plus a 24-credit graduate year at $14,778.80, held at 2026-27 rates, excluding a summer, books, and living costs). The sample plan adds to 149 credits, 30 of them graduate.
Curriculum
Courses include nutritional assessment, medical nutrition therapy I through III, community nutrition, food service I and II, teaching and counseling techniques, medical pharmacology, nutritional biochemistry, and endocrinology. Students also staff a pro bono nutrition coaching clinic under a registered dietitian. The program is non-thesis, with comprehensive exams in year five, and supervised practice runs alongside coursework in Columbia rather than as a separate internship.
Admissions
- Applicants need at least 90 credits completed or in progress, a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and a B- or better in the required courses: nine courses on the Graduate School page and six in the B.S. catalog
- The application includes a resume, cover letter, shadowing verification, and an interview; one page lists a January 15 deadline with results by March 1, and another says only that applications are due each spring
- The cap is 20 students a year, there is no GRE, and compliance requirements must be met before starting or the place is forfeited
- DICAS use was not found, and the student handbook was not publicly readable
You Should Know
The B.S. catalog says 151 credits while its own sample plan and the M.S. catalog say 149, and the two catalogs disagree on how many B- courses are required. The Graduate School page says the five-year first-time exam pass rate is 97 percent with no year, while the program page says outcome data are available on request and lists only targets. The program page still describes the undergraduate degree as Nutrition and Exercise Physiology with a nutrition and foods emphasis, which the current catalog does not list.
Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Programs
The division also offers a B.S. with emphases in human physiology and translational sciences or physical activity, nutrition, and human performance, a thesis or non-thesis M.S. with nutrition and metabolism and exercise physiology emphases, and a Ph.D. The catalog names no accreditation and positions the bachelor’s for pre-health and fitness paths. Credits, GPA, and delivery for these programs were not found, and the minors are not open to majors in the division.
Tuition
The University of Missouri is public, so residency changes the price. These are 2026-27 figures from the cashier’s published rate tables.
- Graduate (M.S. Dietetics): $567.80 per credit resident and $1,419.50 non-resident, a difference of $851.70 per credit; at the full-time 9 credits that is $5,686 a semester for residents and $13,351.30 for non-residents, including fees
- Undergraduate: $707.50 per credit resident below 12 credits; at 12 to 18 credits a flat $8,484.80 tuition, or $9,112.80 with fees, for residents, and $20,693.50 for non-residents
- Derived: a resident undergraduate year is $18,225.60 with fees, and the 24-credit graduate year is $14,778.80 with fees; the same years cost $41,387 and $35,219.60 for non-residents
- The five-year total for a non-resident would be about $200,800 (derived), assuming the plan changes to graduate rates only in year five, which the school does not state
- No dietetics program fee was found; the 2025-26 rate of $551.30 per graduate credit that circulates is out of date
Be aware that:
The total cost depends on when the tuition plan changes from undergraduate to graduate, and the cashier says students who change plans pay the new rate the following semester. Official figures are on the cashier’s tuition page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to Missouri high school graduates and current undergraduates who can commit to a five-year path in Columbia and want the master’s, supervised practice, and verification statement from one admission.
The coordinated route removes the internship match, and ACEND lists the program as accredited since 1972. The honest limit is that the entry point is competitive, with 20 places a year, there is no route for people who already hold a degree to skip the pre-dietetics years, the supervised practice total is not published, and the accreditation term ends on December 31, 2026.
If you already have a bachelor’s, look for a graduate-entry program instead. If you want research or a non-RD path, the nutrition and exercise physiology degrees fit.
Accreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which reaffirmed it after a site visit in February 2025. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for Missouri lists the Coordinated Program in Dietetics with initial accreditation on January 1, 1972 and a term ending December 31, 2026, and the school states approval through 2026. That date is close, so confirm the renewal with ACEND before relying on it. ACEND’s 2019 through 2026 decisions pages contain no entry for the program, so the most recent decision date was not found, and the Programs Under Review page lists no Missouri-Columbia program.
The directory also lists approval to offer distance education while the school describes the program as on campus. A graduate of the coordinated program is eligible for the CDR exam; the other programs are not.
More Nutrition Degrees in Missouri
- Missouri Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Missouri State University - Springfield
- Northwest Missouri State University - Maryville
- Saint Louis University - St. Louis
- Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau
- University of Central Missouri - Warrensburg