Department of Nutrition Science, College of Health and Human Sciences • West Lafayette, IN • Campus • $4,996/Semester Flat In-State (Undergraduate and Graduate, Public)
Purdue University lists 2 ACEND programs, and 1 of them is a direct RD route. This is Purdue University in West Lafayette, not Purdue Global:
- M.S. in Dietetics, the ACEND graduate Coordinated Program (coursework and supervised practice in one two-year degree)
- B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics), with a double major in dietetics, nutrition, fitness and health
- B.S. in Nutrition Science, including a combined Nutrition and M.P.H. 4+1 option (not an RD route)
- M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutrition Science through the Interdepartmental Nutrition Program (research degrees, not RD routes)
- Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (closing; not accepting new interns)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. in Dietetics (Coordinated Program) | $19,984 over two years at the flat rate if both years bill that way (derived, in-state) | 2 years | Not published; a 2022 board proposal lists 33 new credit hours |
| B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) | $9,992 a year in tuition and mandatory fees (published, in-state) | 4 years | Not stated; 127 to 135 for the double major |
| B.S. Nutrition Science | $9,992 a year in tuition and mandatory fees (in-state) | 4 years | Not stated |
| M.S. and Ph.D. Nutrition Science | $9,992 a year at the graduate flat rate (in-state) | Varies | 30 (M.S.); 90 (Ph.D.) |
The lead fact is that the hub’s four Purdue routes are really two ACEND programs: the DPD and a Coordinated Program whose degree is the M.S. in Dietetics. It is one program, not two. The Coordinated Program moved from an undergraduate degree to a graduate degree after an October 2022 ACEND change, and ACEND’s April 2026 decisions reaffirmed both programs with terms ending December 31, 2033.
The Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway page, last updated in 2023, says Purdue submitted a plan to close it, so the hub’s “up to 10 interns, rolling” no longer applies. Purdue University is also not affiliated with Purdue Global, whose nutrition program is not ACEND-accredited and whose coursework Purdue cannot accept toward its accredited degree.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus: a residential first year and in-person supervised practice across Indiana in year two; ACEND also lists distance education approval and a combination of in-person and online coursework |
| ACEND Accreditation | Coordinated Program and DPD: both accredited, terms end December 31, 2033 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | M.S. in Dietetics: yes on completion. DPD alone and the nutrition science degrees: no |
| Supervised Practice | At least 1,000 hours (1,008 on another line of the program page) in year two |
| Entrance Exams | GRE not required for the M.S. in Dietetics |
| GPA Floor | M.S. in Dietetics: no minimum, with below 3.0 considered conditionally. DPD verification: 2.75 |
| Intake | M.S. in Dietetics: fall; early decision October 1, regular review through February 1 |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $4,996 a semester ($9,992 a year) in-state and $14,397 a semester ($28,794) out-of-state, the same flat rate for undergraduate and graduate students |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Master of Science in Dietetics (Coordinated Program)
The M.S. in Dietetics is two years: a residential classroom year in West Lafayette and a second year of rotations in pre-selected settings across Indiana. The program page does not give total credits or cost; the flat rate would make two years $19,984 in-state or $57,588 out-of-state (derived), and whether the second year and any summer term bill at that rate is not published.
- Admission is through DICAS with prerequisites at C or better or a DPD verification statement, a personal statement, a resume, three recommendations, and a 10 to 15 minute interview; there is no minimum GPA and no GRE
- Early decision applications are due October 1, with decisions by November 1 and acceptance by November 10; regular applications are reviewed through February 1 with decisions by March 1, while the Graduate School page lists a November 1 deadline
- The ACEND-approved cohort maximum is 20, from a 2022 board proposal, and the current page does not state a cohort size
- A drug screen and background check come before year two, and the placement model was not found
Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
The DPD has 31 credits of dietetics core. The verification statement needs a 2.75 GPA, a C or better in DPD courses, 150 documented hours of dietetics-related work or volunteering, and all required competencies. Transfer students must complete 24 or 25 of the 31 DPD credits at West Lafayette, depending on the section. The double major with exercise science is 127 to 135 credits and lays groundwork for the sports dietetics credential, which still requires RD status.
- The school reports that 97.7 percent of its DPD graduates from 2022 to 2024 passed the RD exam within a year of their first attempt, against 87.7 percent nationally
- It also reports 99 percent placement in an advanced degree, combined program, or the M.S. in Dietetics for applicants over the past four years
- The DPD page still says reaccreditation is under review in September 2025, which is out of date
Nutrition Science and Individualized Pathway
- The B.S. in Nutrition Science has no ACEND statement and includes a combined Nutrition and M.P.H. 4+1 track with a 3.5 GPA requirement
- The Interdepartmental Nutrition Program offers an M.S. (30 credits, thesis) and a Ph.D. (90 credits), with dual options in public health, gerontology, and cancer research; its curriculum pages are dated 2012
- The Graduate School lists a 3.0 GPA and a December 1 fall deadline for the nutrition science degrees
- The Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway said it would stop accepting new interns, and ACEND does not list it as a separate program
Tuition
Purdue is public, so residency changes the price. The bursar publishes one flat base rate for full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
- Per semester: $4,859 general service fee, $117 fitness and wellness, and $20 student activity make $4,996 in-state; non-residents add $9,401 for $14,397
- Per credit for fewer than 8 credits: $347.85 in-state and $948.30 out-of-state
- Summer for 6 to 9 credits is $2,498 in-state and $7,198.50 out-of-state
- Purdue says undergraduate tuition and fees are frozen for the 13th and 14th consecutive years, which does not apply to graduate students, and no dietetics differential or program fee was found
- Assistantship terms for the nutrition science degrees were not found
Be aware that:
The $9,992 figure that circulates as “frozen” is the undergraduate and graduate flat rate in the same bursar table. Official figures are on the university’s bursar page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to Indiana students who want a two-year graduate coordinated program with the supervised practice built in, and to undergraduates who want a long-running DPD at a flagship university.
The coordinated master’s removes the internship match and meets the graduate-degree requirement in one program. The honest limit is that it is a residential first year, the cohort is capped near 20, the total credits and placement model are not published, and the MSD reports outcome targets rather than results.
If you want research, the nutrition science M.S. and Ph.D. are the fit. If you need a flexible internship route, the closing individualized pathway is no longer a plan to rely on.
Accreditation
Purdue is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with its next review in 2029 to 2030. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for Indiana lists the Coordinated Program in Dietetics with initial accreditation on January 1, 1975 and the Didactic Program in Dietetics with initial accreditation on February 1, 1947, both with terms ending December 31, 2033. ACEND’s decisions show full and continued accreditation for both after a site visit in July 2018 and again in April 2026, and approval in October 2022 for the Coordinated Program to move from an undergraduate degree to a graduate degree.
The Programs Under Review page was not separately checked. A graduate of the M.S. in Dietetics is eligible for the CDR exam; a graduate of the B.S. holds a verification statement only.
More Nutrition Degrees in Indiana
- Ball State University - Muncie
- Indiana Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Indiana University Bloomington - Bloomington
- Indiana University Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- Manchester University - Fort Wayne
- University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- University of Southern Indiana - Evansville