Two universities with nutrition programs serve the Little Rock area: the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock and the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in nearby Conway. Between them they run 5 credentials. Published in-state costs run from about $14,400 for UCA’s General Nutrition master’s to about $45,500 for its four-year bachelor’s, and durations run from 15 months at UAMS to four years.
Both schools reach the RD credential through a master’s that builds supervised practice into the degree: UAMS’s M.S. in Dietetics with at least 1,200 hours, and UCA’s Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track with at least 1,040. The doors differ. UAMS requires a DPD verification statement from an accredited program, while UCA runs its own bachelor’s DPD and its own supervised-practice track on one campus. Each school also offers a master’s that does not lead to the credential: UAMS’s online Clinical Nutrition degree and UCA’s General Nutrition track.
Nutrition Programs in Little Rock — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock | M.S. Dietetics — combined with the dietetic internship, 36 credits M.S. Clinical Nutrition — 36 credits, not ACEND-accredited No undergraduate program | $406/credit resident, $878 non-resident; M.S. Dietetics ~$14.6K in-state, ~$31.6K out-of-state; Clinical Nutrition ~$17.6K (derived) | Campus (Dietetics); Online (Clinical Nutrition) | Yes — M.S. Dietetics only, with a DPD verification statement |
| University of Central Arkansas Conway | B.S. Dietetics — embedded ACEND DPD M.S. Nutrition, Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track — 36 credits M.S. Nutrition, General Nutrition track — 33-credit minimum, not ACEND-accredited | B.S. ~$45.5K in-state, ~$77.6K out-of-state over four years; DNT ~$15.7K and ~$27.5K; General ~$14.4K and ~$25.3K | Campus | Yes — DNT track; the B.S. gives a verification statement only |
Costs are each profile’s published or derived totals, in-state first. Harding, Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas State, and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville are on the Arkansas nutrition programs page.
Which Little Rock Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose UAMS if you already hold a DPD verification statement and want a short route to the credential. Its combined M.S. and internship runs 15 months, takes 14 students a year, and builds in at least 1,200 supervised-practice hours, and six border states pay the resident rate.
Choose UCA if you want the DPD and the supervised practice on one campus. It runs a bachelor’s DPD and a Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy master’s with at least 1,040 hours, but admission to the master’s is track-specific and cannot be changed after enrollment.
Little Rock Nutrition Schools
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock; graduate-only, with the M.S. in Dietetics on campus and the Clinical Nutrition degree online.
- M.S. Dietetics — combined with the dietetic internship, 36 credits, 15 months over four semesters, $406 per credit resident
- M.S. Clinical Nutrition — online, 36 credits, not ACEND-accredited
UAMS has no undergraduate program, and the M.S. in Dietetics requires a verification statement from an ACEND-accredited DPD. ACEND accredits only that degree; the Clinical Nutrition degree assumes you already hold the credential or do not need it. Full UAMS profile.
University of Central Arkansas
Conway; campus-based.
- B.S. Dietetics — embedded ACEND DPD, four years, $372.70 per credit with fees
- M.S. Nutrition, Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track — 36 credits, at least 1,040 supervised-practice hours, ACEND-accredited, $435.20 per credit with fees
- M.S. Nutrition, General Nutrition track — 33-credit minimum, no ACEND accreditation
B.S. graduates leave ServSafe certified and eligible for the dietetic technician exam. UCA waives out-of-state tuition for six contiguous states and for all online and summer courses. Full University of Central Arkansas profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Little Rock
Which programs carry the credential
Only UAMS’s M.S. in Dietetics and UCA’s Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track combine the graduate degree with supervised practice. UAMS’s Clinical Nutrition degree, UCA’s General Nutrition track, and UCA’s bachelor’s DPD do not lead to RDN eligibility on their own.
The entry gate
UAMS’s gate is absolute: no accredited DPD verification statement, no admission to the M.S. in Dietetics. UCA lets you build the verification statement on the same campus through its B.S., then choose a master’s track, a choice the university says cannot be reversed after enrollment.
Cost architecture
In-state, the two accredited master’s routes land close together at about $14,600 at UAMS and $15,700 at UCA. Out-of-state totals run about $31,600 and $27,500, and each school extends resident pricing to some neighboring states, so check whether yours qualifies.
Seats and timing
UAMS takes 14 students a year into a 15-month program. UCA’s cohort size and the master’s duration are not clearly stated on its profile.
Before applying in Little Rock, confirm UAMS’s current cohort and admission rules, and which UCA track you want, since the choice is final. Arkansas licenses dietitians through its own board, so passing the national exam is not the last step. For other Arkansas programs and licensure details, see the Arkansas nutrition programs page.