Arizona State University offers 6 nutrition degrees:
- B.S., Dietetics
- B.S., Nutritional Science
- B.S., Applied Nutrition and Health
- B.A.S., Applied Nutrition and Health
- M.S., Nutritional Science
- M.S., Medical Nutrition
An ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship runs alongside them, combined with the M.S. in Nutritional Science in a two-year standard track and a 16-month VA track.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Dietetics | $57.6K / $154.3K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
| B.S. Nutritional Sci. | $57.6K / $154.3K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
| B.S. Applied Nutrition | $57.6K / $154.3K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
| B.A.S. | $24.7K / $32.6K | About 1.5 years (3 semesters) | 120, up to 75 transferred |
| M.S. Nutritional Sci. | $22.5K / $51.1K | 1.5 to 2 years (3 to 4 semesters) | 30 |
| M.S. Medical Nutrition | $17.9K / $19.2K | 1 to 1.5 years (derived) | 30 |
| M.S./DI | $30.0K / $56.8K | 2 years standard; 16 months VA | 33 standard; 31 VA |
Arizona State University’s defining feature is a dietetic internship combined with the M.S. in Nutritional Science that offers specialized routes: a VA track based at the Phoenix VA, a sports nutrition rotation with paid foodservice work, and a funded maternal-child health traineeship. Only the B.S. Dietetics and that internship carry ACEND accreditation, and none of ASU’s online nutrition degrees is an RD pathway.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | Four bachelor’s, two master’s, and an ACEND dietetic internship combined with the M.S. |
| Format | Campus in Downtown Phoenix for most. Online for the B.A.S., Medical Nutrition, and Applied Nutrition B.S. |
| Credit Hours | 120 (bachelor’s); 30 (both master’s); 33 or 31 (M.S./DI tracks) |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes, two programs: the B.S. Dietetics (DPD) and the Dietetic Internship |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes via the M.S./DI. B.S. Dietetics is coursework only; online degrees do not qualify |
| Supervised Practice | About 1,100 hours in either M.S./DI track, completed through internship rotations |
| Specializations | Sports nutrition and maternal-child health experiences; VA track at the Phoenix VA |
| Accelerated Options | B.S. Dietetics with the M.S. Nutritional Science; B.S. Applied Nutrition with Medical Nutrition |
| Research Requirement | M.S. Nutritional Science and M.S./DI: thesis or applied project |
| Intake | M.S./DI: DICAS deadline January 15. VA track starts each January |
| Tuition | 2026–27 campus, per semester: $6,089 resident undergraduate; $6,664 resident graduate |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Dietetics at Arizona State University is approximately $57,624 for Arizona residents (eight semesters at $7,203 in tuition and fees). The program requires 120 credits and can generally be completed in 4 years (8 semesters) on the Downtown Phoenix campus.
B.S. Dietetics Curriculum
This is ASU’s accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, combining chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology with medical nutrition therapy, foodservice management, and health communication. It is the degree ASU directs anyone to who wants to become a dietitian, and it can be paired with the M.S. in Nutritional Science in an accelerated route that finishes both degrees in as little as five years.
- NTR 142 Applied Food Principles
- NTR 150 Introduction to the Professions in Nutrition and Dietetics
- NTR 341 Medical Nutrition Therapy I
- NTR 342 Medical Nutrition Therapy Lab
- NTR 343 Food Service Purchasing
- HSC 310 Health Communication
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Graduates earn a DPD verification statement, not RD eligibility. A graduate degree and supervised practice still follow.
- Approval for the accelerated master’s is typically granted in the junior year.
Bachelor of Science, Nutritional Science
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Nutritional Science at Arizona State University is approximately $57,624 for Arizona residents (eight semesters at $7,203 in tuition and fees). The program requires 120 credits and can generally be completed in 4 years (8 semesters) on the Downtown Phoenix campus.
B.S. Nutritional Science Curriculum
This is ASU’s pre-health nutrition degree, built on biology, chemistry, and anatomy with courses in integrative and functional health. It ends in a research capstone with nutrition faculty, and ASU positions it for medical, dental, pharmacy, and physician assistant school. It is not accredited, and ASU tells students who want to become dietitians to choose the B.S. Dietetics instead.
More curriculum details are available here.
Bachelor of Science, Applied Nutrition and Health
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Applied Nutrition and Health at Arizona State University is approximately $57,624 for Arizona residents on campus (eight semesters at $7,203). The program requires 120 credits and can generally be completed in 4 years (8 semesters), in Downtown Phoenix, online, or through ASU Local.
B.S. Applied Nutrition and Health Curriculum
Formerly the B.S. in Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship, this degree covers nutrition fundamentals plus food policy, food safety, sustainability, communication, and marketing. Students choose an 18-credit focus area in community nutrition, food service operations, or pre-dietetics. The pre-dietetics focus adds the science courses that graduate dietetics programs require, but the degree itself is not an accredited DPD.
- HSC 355 Eating for Lifelong Health
- MKT 390 Essentials of Marketing
- NTR 142 Applied Food Principles
- NTR 341 Medical Nutrition Therapy I
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- ASU’s older B.S. in Nutrition no longer admits students; this degree replaced it.
- The online version is priced per credit, so it costs residents more than campus but costs non-residents far less. See Tuition below.
Bachelor of Applied Science, Applied Nutrition and Health
The estimated tuition for the B.A.S. in Applied Nutrition and Health at Arizona State University is approximately $24,741 for Arizona residents (45 ASU credits over three semesters at online rates, derived). The program requires 120 credits and can generally be completed in about 1.5 years for a student transferring a full associate degree.
B.A.S. Curriculum
The B.A.S. is built for graduates of an Associate of Applied Science, who may transfer up to 75 credits from a regionally accredited Arizona community college. Coursework centers on food service management, nutrition communication, and business, including accounting, financial analysis, and marketing. It is delivered online and through ASU Local.
- NTR 343 Food Service Purchasing
- NTR 344 Nutrition Management and Leadership
- NTR 345 Development of Healthy Cuisines
- NTR 351 Nutrition Communication
- NTR 445 Management of Food Service Systems
- NTR 455 Retail Food Service Operations
You Should Know
- The 1.5-year and tuition estimates assume the full 75 transfer credits. Fewer transfer credits mean more ASU credits.
- This is not a DPD. Students heading toward dietetics need a separate accredited didactic program before a graduate dietetics program.
Master of Science, Nutritional Science
The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Nutritional Science at Arizona State University is approximately $22,479 to $29,972 for Arizona residents (three to four semesters at $7,493 in tuition and fees). The program requires 30 credits and can generally be completed in 1.5 to 2 years, a derived range, since ASU does not publish a program length.
M.S. Nutritional Science Curriculum
The degree requires 30 credits with either a thesis or an applied project (NTR 593). The required core is only 6 credits, Biostatistics for Research and Practice and Nutrition Policy, which leaves most of the degree for a focus area. ASU offers sports nutrition and maternal-child health, or a faculty-guided custom focus.
M.S. Nutritional Science Research Requirements
- Thesis or applied project, chosen with the student’s academic committee
- A plan of study is set with that committee
- The same degree is awarded inside the M.S./DI, with 33 credits in the standard track
A 6-credit core is unusually light, so the degree is what the student builds. Taken on its own, it is a research and applied-practice degree with no supervised practice and no RD eligibility.
Master of Science, Medical Nutrition
The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Medical Nutrition at Arizona State University is approximately $18,150 (30 credits at $605/credit), before fees. The program requires 30 credits and can generally be completed in 1 to 1.5 years, derived from 10 courses that each run 7.5 weeks.
M.S. Medical Nutrition Curriculum
This fully online degree covers how nutrition affects the genome, epigenome, and microbiome, along with research analysis and study design, and ends with a faculty-guided research or practice project. ASU states plainly that it does not provide a pathway to the RD credential.
You Should Know
- The dietetics track requires a DPD verification statement or current RD registration, and completers still need a separate dietetic internship.
- Applicants need a 3.0 GPA in their last 60 bachelor’s credits, plus introductory nutrition and physiology, which can be taken in the first semester.
- An outside internship, Be Well Solutions, partners with ASU so its interns can earn this degree alongside supervised practice.
M.S. in Nutritional Science with Dietetic Internship
The estimated tuition for the M.S./DI standard track at Arizona State University is approximately $29,972 for Arizona residents (four semesters at $7,493 in tuition and fees). The standard track requires 33 credits and takes two years; the VA track requires 31 credits and takes 16 months.
M.S./DI Supervised Practice
- About 1,100 supervised practice hours in both tracks, above the roughly 1,000-hour benchmark
- Standard track: graduate coursework first, then full-time supervised practice in year two
- VA track: starts in January; part-time practice from August, about four days a week, mostly at the Phoenix VA Health Care System
- Sports nutrition option: a competitive rotation with 5 weeks of paid foodservice work with the Aramark Performance RD team and 2 weeks with ASU’s sports dietitians
- Maternal-child health option: the TRANSCEND traineeship, with a $15,000 stipend and possible in-state tuition, while funding continues
- Coursework is in person on the Downtown Phoenix campus
Building practice into the degree removes the separate internship match that a DPD graduate would otherwise face, and the specialized options let a student aim at sports, veterans, or maternal-child care before graduating. The trade-off is sequence: the standard track does not begin supervised practice until year two.
M.S./DI Admissions
Applicants must already hold a DPD verification statement, and they apply to the internship before applying to the graduate school.
- DICAS deadline January 15, interviews at the end of January, decisions in mid-February
- Bachelor’s degree and a DPD verification statement earned within the last five years
- Selection ranks the personal statement and interview first, with DPD grades fourth
- Fees: $50 for DICAS, then $70 for ASU Graduate Admissions after acceptance
You Should Know
- ASU’s 2025–26 internship handbook describes the VA track as open to U.S. citizens only. Veteran status is not required.
- ASU’s Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway is being phased out and ends August 1, 2028.
- Program costs beyond tuition, such as internship fees, are listed only in the internship handbook.
Tuition
ASU charges by the credit up to a cap, so per-credit figures depend on load. On campus in 2026–27, resident undergraduates pay $870 per credit up to six credits and a flat $6,089 a semester at seven or more, about $406 per credit across a 30-credit year (derived). Resident graduate students pay $952 per credit up to six and $6,664 at seven or more, about $740 per credit across an 18-credit year (derived). Rates are published in ASU’s 2026–27 tuition and fee schedules.
Non-residents pay $1,488 per undergraduate credit and $1,622 per graduate credit, capped at 12 credits. Online, undergraduates pay $580 per credit plus a $132-per-credit Health Solutions fee, and graduate students pay $605 per credit.
| Program | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s, campus, 8 semesters | $57,624 | $154,256 |
| B.S. Applied Nutrition, online, 15 credits a term | $65,976 | $86,864 |
| B.A.S., online, 45 ASU credits | $24,741 | $32,574 |
| M.S. Nutritional Science, 3 semesters | $22,479 | $51,147 |
| M.S. Medical Nutrition, online | $17,946 | $19,230 |
| M.S./DI standard, 4 semesters | $29,972 | $56,842 |
Figures include tuition and mandatory fees (the tuition surcharge, student-initiated, college, graduate support, and technology fees) and are derived from ASU’s published per-semester schedules.
Confirmed costs
- Campus undergraduate fees each semester, Health Solutions: $175 surcharge, $435 college fee for residents, $404 student fee, $100 technology fee
- Campus graduate fees each semester at seven or more credits: $175 surcharge, $404 student fee, $150 support fee, $100 technology fee
- Online resident undergraduate tuition caps at $6,089 a semester; online non-resident tuition has no cap
- M.S./DI application fees: $50 DICAS, $70 ASU Graduate Admissions
Be aware that:
- Online undergraduate programs add the Health Solutions fee to every credit, so a resident taking a full online load pays more than on campus, while a non-resident pays about $67,000 less over four years.
- Western Undergraduate Exchange students may pay 150 percent of resident tuition on campus, plus fees.
- The VA track spans a summer term, and summer tuition is not modeled here.
- Barrett, the Honors College, adds $1,100 a semester, and some courses carry class fees.
- The Medical Nutrition figures assume no program-specific differential; ASU says some graduate programs carry one, so confirm in the tuition estimator.
For an Arizona resident, the full dietitian route at ASU, the B.S. Dietetics followed by the M.S./DI, runs about $87,600 in tuition and fees. The TRANSCEND stipend and possible in-state rate can change that math sharply for a maternal-child health trainee. Out-of-state students face the steepest bill on campus, which makes ASU’s online degrees worth pricing separately.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Built for students who already know which corner of dietetics they want, whether sports, veterans’ care, or maternal and child health, and who want supervised practice aimed at it.
For future dietitians with a specialty in mind. The M.S./DI supplies about 1,100 supervised hours, a graduate degree, and targeted options: paid work with Aramark’s performance dietitians, a stipend-funded maternal-child health traineeship, or a VA-based track. It requires a DPD verification statement to apply, which ASU’s own B.S. Dietetics provides.
For pre-health students. The B.S. in Nutritional Science pairs nutrition with the science prerequisites for medical, dental, and physician assistant school, plus a faculty research capstone. It is a strong pre-professional major, but not a dietetics credential.
For working adults and community college graduates. The online B.A.S. accepts up to 75 transfer credits from an Arizona associate degree, and the online M.S. in Medical Nutrition suits clinicians and dietitians adding a graduate degree. Neither is an RD pathway, and ASU says so directly.
The honest drawback. ASU’s catalog is large enough that the wrong choice is easy. Three of its six degrees use similar nutrition names, only one bachelor’s is accredited, and the online programs cannot lead to the RD on their own.
Accreditation
Arizona State University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of the seven regional accreditors. HLC accreditation covers every ASU program, campus and online, and governs credit transfer, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND accredits two ASU programs: the B.S. in Dietetics as a Didactic Program in Dietetics, and the Dietetic Internship, which ASU runs as a single accredited program with several tracks, including the standard and VA tracks combined with the M.S. in Nutritional Science.
The B.S. in Nutritional Science, both Applied Nutrition and Health degrees, and the M.S. in Medical Nutrition fall outside ACEND’s scope. That is normal for pre-health, community, and graduate science degrees, but none of them leads to RD eligibility on its own.
B.S. Dietetics graduates receive a verification statement and may apply to accredited supervised practice programs, and they can also sit for the nutrition and dietetic technician exam. M.S./DI graduates earn the master’s degree and an internship verification statement, which together make them eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s RDN examination.
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