Paradise Valley Community College Nutrition Degree Programs

Paradise Valley Community College offers 1 nutrition credential:

  • A.A.S., Nutrition and Dietetic Technology

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
A.A.S.$6.3K / $24.2KAbout 2.5 years (5 terms full time)65–82

Paradise Valley Community College’s defining feature is an ACEND-accredited dietetic technician degree in which the program director arranges every supervised practice site, and there is no competitive application to enter. It leads to the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) credential, not the RDN.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesAssociate of Applied Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Technology
FormatCampus in Phoenix, with supervised practice at sites across the Valley
Credit Hours65–82, depending on course choices
ACEND AccreditationYes, as a dietetic technician program
RD/RDN EligibilityNo. Graduates are eligible for the NDTR exam
Supervised Practice466 hours in medical nutrition therapy, food service management, and community nutrition
Site PlacementArranged by the program director and faculty, not the student
AdmissionNo application process; practicum courses require program director permission
Clinical RequirementsLevel One fingerprint clearance card, ServSafe certification, TB test, drug screen, CPR
Tuition$97 per credit for Arizona residents; $372 for out-of-state students living in Arizona
Institutional AccreditationHigher Learning Commission (HLC)

Associate of Applied Science, Nutrition and Dietetic Technology

The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Nutrition and Dietetic Technology at Paradise Valley Community College is approximately $6,305 for Arizona residents (65 credits at $97/credit). The program requires 65 to 82 credits and can generally be completed in 5 terms full time or 10 terms part time, following the college’s published sequences.

A.A.S. Curriculum

The degree covers medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, and food service management alongside anatomy and physiology, fundamental chemistry, statistics, and general education. The 17-credit spread comes mostly from choices: one-semester anatomy and physiology or the two-semester sequence, and different math, first-year, and medical terminology options.

  • FON241 Principles of Human Nutrition, with lab
  • FON142AB Science of Food
  • FON207 Introduction to Nutrition Services Management
  • FON242 Introduction to Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • FON225 Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies
  • FON210 Sports Nutrition or FON247 Weight Management Science
  • FON250 Nutrition and Dietetic Exam Review

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Every course in the program requires a C or better.
  • Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which once ran this program jointly with Paradise Valley, states that it no longer offers it. The program is now available only at Paradise Valley.

A.A.S. Supervised Practice

  • 466 supervised hours across three practicum pairs: medical nutrition therapy, food service management, and community nutrition
  • The program director and faculty set up the sites; students do not find their own preceptors
  • Each practicum requires program director permission and completed prerequisites
  • Health and safety requirements include a Level One fingerprint clearance card, ServSafe certification, TB testing, a drug screen, and CPR/BLS

Program-arranged placement removes the hardest step in many technician programs, finding a willing facility and preceptor. The trade-off is that sites are in the Phoenix area, so this is a local program rather than one a student can complete from another state.

A.A.S. Admissions

There is currently no application process for the program, and the college recommends meeting a program advisor before enrolling.

  • Enroll through standard Maricopa Community Colleges admission
  • Prerequisites are listed in the program’s student manual
  • Graduates of an accredited bachelor’s dietetics program can become NDTR-eligible by completing only the practicum hours
  • Credit for prior learning is available for relevant job experience, with program director approval

Tuition

Maricopa Community Colleges charge $97 per credit for Arizona residents under the published 2025–26 schedule, which is the most recent district rate table posted. Out-of-state students living in Arizona pay $372 per credit, and eligible Western Undergraduate Exchange students pay $145.50. Rates are published on the district’s tuition and fees page.

CreditsArizona ResidentWUEOut-of-State in Arizona
65$6,305$9,458$24,180
82$7,954$11,931$30,504

Confirmed costs

  • Registration fee: $15 per semester
  • Course fees: vary by class and are set by each college
  • Clinical documentation: fingerprint clearance card, ServSafe, TB test, drug screen, and CPR, at the student’s cost

Be aware that:

  • The district has not yet posted a 2026–27 rate table; figures use the 2025–26 schedule.
  • The program’s estimated costs for books, uniforms, insurance, and exams are listed in its student manual rather than on the web page.
  • Residents of other Arizona counties pay the in-county rate, except Apache and Greenlee counties without an affidavit.

At roughly $6,300 to $8,000 in resident tuition, the full degree costs less than a single year at a state university. The practical cost is time: five full-time terms, with practicum hours that have to fit around the sites the program assigns.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Suited to Phoenix-area adults who want a registered nutrition credential at community college prices and would rather not hunt for their own supervised practice sites.

Placement handled for you. The program director and faculty arrange all three practica, which removes the step where many technician students stall. Open enrollment also means no competitive application to clear before starting.

A route for bachelor’s graduates, too. Graduates of an accredited dietetics bachelor’s can earn NDTR eligibility by completing only the practicum hours, a useful credential while they apply to graduate programs.

The cost verdict. For an Arizona resident, this is an accredited credential for well under $10,000 in tuition. It is a technician credential, not the RDN, and its value depends on staying in the Phoenix area, where the practicum sites are.

Accreditation

Paradise Valley Community College is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of the seven regional accreditors, which governs credit transfer and federal financial aid.

ACEND accredits the Nutrition and Dietetic Technology Program as a dietetic technician program. That scope matches the credential: it prepares graduates for the technician exam, not for the dietitian exam.

Graduates are eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s exam for nutrition and dietetics technicians, and passing it confers the NDTR credential. The degree does not lead to RDN eligibility, which now requires a graduate degree and accredited supervised practice.

Arizona Nutrition Program Profiles