School of Health Science and Wellness, College of Education, Health and Human Services • Maryville, MO • Online and Campus • $492/Credit (Graduate, Online, Public)
Northwest Missouri State University lists 5 nutrition credentials, and 2 of them are ACEND-accredited:
- Dietetic Internship (ACEND-accredited; taken with the master’s, as a non-degree student, or from another school)
- M.S. in Nutrition, Dietetics Internship track (online; bundles the internship and requires a DPD verification statement first)
- M.S. in Nutrition, General Nutrition track (online; not an RD route)
- B.S. in Foods and Nutrition, Dietetics track (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, on campus)
- B.S. in Foods and Nutrition, General track (not an RD route)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. Nutrition, Dietetics Internship track | $22,700 in tuition and internship fees (derived) | 9-month internship; the degree can be as few as 12 months | 30 |
| Dietetic Internship, non-degree | About $13,100 in tuition and fees (derived; the school prints $11,892) | 9 months | 12 |
| M.S. Nutrition, General Nutrition track | $14,760 (30 credits at $492) | As few as 12 months | 30 |
| B.S. Foods and Nutrition, Dietetics track (DPD) | $57,000 in tuition and fees before course fees (derived, resident) | 4 years | 120 |
The lead fact is that the online master’s does not make a graduate eligible for the RD exam, and neither does its Dietetics Internship track unless the student already holds a DPD verification statement. The track bundles the ACEND-accredited internship into the degree, but the internship is competitive, takes up to eight interns, and is applied for through DICAS.
The internship coursework is online while the supervised practice is in person at pre-assigned sites in Missouri and Iowa, with a remote track whose rotations may be more than 100 miles away. A graduate holds a verification statement only after the internship and a master’s degree are both complete.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | M.S.: online, in 7-week courses. Internship: online coursework with in-person supervised practice. B.S.: campus |
| ACEND Accreditation | Dietetic Internship: accredited, term ends June 30, 2030. DPD: accredited, term ends June 30, 2031, with a progress report decision in July 2026 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Internship plus a master’s: yes, after a DPD. M.S. General track and B.S. alone: no |
| Supervised Practice | Internship: 1,188 hours over 9 months. B.S.: 40 hours of job shadowing |
| Entrance Exams | No GRE requirement found |
| GPA Floor | M.S.: 3.0. Internship: 3.0. DPD entry: 2.9, and 3.0 for the verification statement |
| Intake | M.S.: four starts a year. Internship: one class each August, up to 8 interns |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $492 per online graduate credit for everyone; $475 per undergraduate credit resident, $775 non-resident |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Dietetic Internship and the Dietetics Internship Track of the M.S.
The internship is 1,188 supervised practice hours over 9 months, as four 7-week blocks of 3 credits (the catalog says two terms of 6 credits). Rotations cover food bank, food service, long-term care, community wellness, inpatient and outpatient medical nutrition therapy, and an elective, at pre-assigned sites in Des Moines, St. Joseph, Kansas City, and the Columbia and Jefferson City area. An orientation in Maryville is required at the student’s own cost.
The master’s track costs $14,760 in tuition plus a $1,985 fee on each of four internship courses, $22,700 in total (derived). An internship-only student who is billed at the non-degree online rate of $432 would pay about $13,124 (derived), but the school prints $11,892, which does not reconcile with its rate schedule.
- Admission needs a verification statement from an ACEND DPD earned within five years, a 3.0 GPA, a DICAS application, a personal statement, three references, a resume, and a phone interview
- The page lists an early-decision date of November 20, 2026 for Northwest DPD graduates, which does not guarantee a place, and a regular deadline of January 22, 2027, with notification by March 1 and a decision date of March 15 plus a $500 deposit
- Those dates are labeled for the 2026-27 class, which starts in August 2026, so they appear to apply to the next class; confirm with the director
- A remote track exists in which 10 percent or more of rotations are over 100 miles away
- Other costs include a $58 Academy membership, about $200 in textbooks, health insurance, immunizations, background and drug screens, and lodging for orientation
You Should Know
The school lists the internship track’s extra fee as “additional” without a figure on the master’s page, and the internship page shows $21,408, which matches 2025-26 rates rather than the 2024-25 label it carries. The master’s page says rotations are in northwest Missouri or northeast Kansas, while the internship page lists Iowa and central Missouri sites. The school states its master’s does not award the verification statement needed to apply to accredited internships.
Master of Science in Nutrition (Online)
The M.S. is 30 non-thesis credits at $492 per credit, $14,760, and is the same price for residents and non-residents. The core is research methods, data analytics, public nutrition policy, global nutrition, leadership, and grant writing. The General track adds trends and issues, sports and exercise nutrition, health behavior change, and healthcare delivery systems.
- Admission needs a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA and 9 credits of nutrition, or a 3-credit leveling course that adds about $1,476 (derived)
- Starts are August 24 and October 19, 2026 and January 11 and March 8, 2027, with application deadlines two weeks earlier or less
- The online site is maintained by an outside company, but the university retains control of curriculum, admissions, tuition, and accreditation
- No cohort size or assistantship rules were found
Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition
The B.S. is 120 credits on campus, with a Dietetics track that holds the DPD and a General track that does not. At $475 per credit resident the 120 credits are $57,000 before course fees, or $93,000 at the $775 non-resident rate (derived at 30 credits a year).
- DPD entry needs the major declared, 45 hours with C or better in chemistry, biology, and two nutrition courses, and a 2.9 GPA; the verification statement needs a B or better in 300-level dietetics courses with at most one C, a B in the senior seminar, a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and attendance at a professional meeting
- The curriculum includes quantity food preparation, medical nutrition therapy I and II, nutrition counseling, community nutrition, and a practicum with 40 hours of job shadowing
- A transfer-oriented B.A.S. in Foods and Nutrition exists, with no ACEND statement
- Health science course fees are $32.50 per credit on assessed courses, plus lab fees of $30 to $50
Tuition
Northwest Missouri State is public, but its online graduate rate has no residency split. Undergraduate residents pay $475 per credit and non-residents $775.
- Online graduate: $492 per credit, so $1,476 for a 3-credit course; the internship courses carry a $1,985 fee each in addition
- Undergraduate per credit: $300 tuition, $141.25 designated fee, $27 technology fee, and $6.75 textbook fee is $475 for residents; $600 tuition makes $775 for non-residents
- The 2026-27 online rate rose 6.0 percent from $464, and the internship fee rose 6.0 percent from $1,872
- No nutrition tuition differential was found, and assistantship rules were not found
Be aware that:
The internship page’s cost figures are older than the 2026-27 rate sheet. Official figures are on the rate schedule.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to graduates who already hold a DPD verification statement and want a small, assigned-site internship with an online master’s attached, or students who want an on-campus DPD in northwest Missouri.
The bundled route counts the 12 internship credits toward the master’s and assigns rotations rather than asking interns to find them. The honest limit is that the master’s alone gives no RD eligibility, internship places are limited to eight, applicants need a DPD first, and no outcome results are published, only targets.
If you want a general nutrition master’s without the credential, the General track is the lower-cost option. If you do not yet have a DPD, start with the bachelor’s or another school’s DPD.
Accreditation
Northwest Missouri State is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for Missouri lists the Didactic Program in Dietetics with initial accreditation on December 1, 1986 and a term ending June 30, 2031, and the Dietetic Internship with a term ending June 30, 2030. The internship’s listed initial date of May 13, 2019 is the date candidacy was granted, and full accreditation followed after a site visit in October 2022.
ACEND’s decisions show full and continued accreditation for the DPD after a site visit in October 2023, and a decision to continue accreditation after a progress report in July 2026 whose reason is not published. The Programs Under Review page lists no Northwest program. A graduate who completes the internship and a master’s holds the verification statement and is eligible for the CDR exam; the B.S. and the M.S. alone are not.
More Nutrition Degrees in Missouri
- Missouri Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Missouri State University - Springfield
- Saint Louis University - St. Louis
- Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau
- University of Central Missouri - Warrensburg
- University of Missouri - Columbia