University of Central Arkansas Nutrition Programs

The University of Central Arkansas offers three nutrition credentials:

  • B.S., Dietetics
  • M.S., Nutrition — Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track
  • M.S., Nutrition — General Nutrition track

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
B.S. Dietetics$45.5K in-state
$77.6K out-of-state		4 years (8 semesters)Not clearly stated
M.S. Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy$15.7K in-state
$27.5K out-of-state		Not clearly stated36
M.S. General Nutrition$14.4K in-state
$25.3K out-of-state		Not clearly stated33 minimum

UCA runs the accredited didactic program and an accredited supervised practice program in the same department, so the full route to the dietitian credential is available on one campus. The supervised practice sits in the graduate degree, in the Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track.

What makes this department unusual is that the choice between the two master’s tracks is effectively permanent. Admission is to one track, and the university states that students cannot move between them afterwards.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBachelor’s with embedded DPD, plus a two-track master’s
FormatCampus
ACEND AccreditationYes, covering both the undergraduate DPD and the graduate DNT track
RD/RDN EligibilityDNT track graduates are eligible. The B.S. yields a verification statement only
Supervised PracticeMinimum 1,040 hours of supervised experiential learning, in the DNT track
Licensure CoverageDNT meets educational requirements in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the USVI
Track MobilityNone. Admission is track-specific and cannot be changed after enrollment
Extra CredentialB.S. graduates leave ServSafe certified and eligible for the DTR exam
Tuition$372.70/credit undergraduate, $435.20/credit graduate, fees included
Out-of-State WaiverWaived for six contiguous states, and for all online and summer courses
Institutional AccreditationHigher Learning Commission

Bachelor of Science in Dietetics

The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Dietetics is approximately $45,536 in-state or $77,576 out-of-state over four years (30 credits per year at $372.70 and $639.70 per credit, both fee-inclusive, derived from the published board schedule). The degree carries an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics.

Program details are on the Nutrition programs page.

B.S. Outcome and Structure

Graduates leave with three things rather than one: a verification statement allowing application to accredited supervised practice programs, ServSafe certification, and eligibility to sit for the Dietetic Technician Registered exam. The DTR route matters more than schools usually admit, since it is a working credential available without the full RD pathway.

The department publishes an eight-semester academic map, a prerequisite list covering every course in the major, and a separate DPD checklist for students who already hold a bachelor’s in dietetics or a related field and need only the accredited coursework.

You Should Know
  • First-year dietetics majors enter a specific mathematics pathway and must take MATH 1365 in year one unless prior credit clears the requirement. This is a sequencing constraint rather than a formality.
  • The published credit total for the major is not stated on the department pages. Request the academic map before comparing with other schools.
  • A verification statement is not the credential. Since January 2024 it must be paired with a master’s degree and supervised practice hours before the registration exam.

M.S. in Nutrition, Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy Track

The estimated tuition for the DNT track is approximately $15,667 in-state or $27,547 out-of-state (36 credits at $435.20 and $765.20 per credit, fee-inclusive, derived). The program requires students to enroll and pay for 36 hours of graduate credit and includes a minimum of 1,040 hours of supervised experiential learning.

Program details are on the Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy prospective students page.

DNT Curriculum and Supervised Practice

The graduate bulletin shows 9 hours of core coursework plus 24 hours of track requirements, with the balance made up by electives or thesis work. Track requirements combine taught courses in diet therapy, nutrition assessment, and nutrition counseling with four variable-credit practicums covering nutrition services, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, and research.

  • Minimum 1,040 supervised experiential learning hours, above the roughly 1,000-hour standard
  • Practice sites are health care facilities across Arkansas
  • Practicums carry variable credit, from 1 to 9 hours depending on the course
  • Students maintain hour logs, weekly condition and population logs for clinical assignments, and site evaluations
  • Thesis option students must pass an oral examination before the verification statement is issued

The variable-credit structure is worth understanding before enrolling. Practicum credit is not fixed, so the distribution of your 36 hours depends on how the practicums are weighted in your plan, and that determines how much taught coursework you actually get.

You Should Know
  • ⚠ Track decisions here are one-way. A student admitted to General Nutrition cannot transfer into DNT and must apply separately with no guarantee of admission. A student who completes either track cannot return for the other. Anyone who already holds a UCA master’s in Family and Consumer Sciences with a Nutrition and Foods concentration is ineligible for both.
  • Admission is selective and requires GRE scores, unlike the General Nutrition track which accepts several alternatives.
  • The program offers a limited number of nine-month graduate assistantships. They pay a stipend but carry no tuition remission, which is unusual and means the assistantship does not solve the cost problem.
  • UCA publishes a professional licensure disclosure confirming the track meets educational requirements in all 50 states and the territories. Non-educational requirements such as state application processes and fees still vary.

M.S. in Nutrition, General Nutrition Track

The estimated tuition for the General Nutrition track is approximately $14,362 in-state or $25,252 out-of-state (33 credits at the same fee-inclusive rates, derived). The track requires a minimum of 33 hours and includes no supervised practice.

Program details are in the UCA Graduate Bulletin.

Who This Track Serves

General Nutrition is built for two groups: dietitians who already hold the RDN credential and need the graduate degree, and people who want advanced nutrition coursework without pursuing the credential at all. It produces no verification statement.

Admission is more flexible than the DNT track. Applicants can satisfy the requirement with GRE scores, proof of the RDN credential, proof of acceptance into an accredited supervised practice program elsewhere, or an acceptable response to a writing prompt. That last option is a genuinely open door for a career changer, provided the credential is not the goal.

Tuition

UCA’s published 2026-27 board fee schedule sets undergraduate tuition at $267.00 per credit hour and graduate tuition at $330.00, with per-hour fees bringing the all-in figures to $372.70 and $435.20. Out-of-state students pay the same amount again in tuition, producing $639.70 and $765.20 per hour. These are governing-board figures rather than estimates, and the itemised fees reconstruct exactly to the published totals.

LevelIn-State Per HourOut-of-State Per HourBasis
Undergraduate$372.70$639.70Published, fee-inclusive
Graduate$435.20$765.20Published, fee-inclusive
Graduate, fully online programs$378.00$378.00Published flat rate
M.S. DNT, 36 hours$15,667$27,547Derived

Be aware that:

  • Out-of-state tuition is waived for students whose permanent address is in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, or Louisiana, at both undergraduate and graduate level. For a large share of non-residents the out-of-state column simply does not apply.
  • Out-of-state tuition is also waived for all online courses, all summer courses, graduate students holding a full-time assistantship, children and grandchildren of dues-paying alumni association members, and students in university housing who meet stated GPA minimums.
  • Per-semester fees of roughly $101.50 sit on top of the per-hour figures, covering activity, publication, radio station, and health services charges.
  • Course, laboratory, and department fees are excluded from the schedule and vary by class, which matters in a science-heavy major with practicum courses.

For an Arkansas resident or anyone in the six neighbouring states, the DNT track at roughly $15,700 is an inexpensive way to reach the credential with supervised practice included. The catch is the assistantship structure: a stipend without tuition remission means the cost is paid whichever way you come at it, and the waiver rules do more for affordability here than the assistantships do.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited for students who want both halves of the pathway at one public university and are certain enough about the credential to commit to a track at the application stage.

Cost structure is the strongest argument. A fee-inclusive published rate, an accredited supervised practice track inside a master’s for around $15,700 in-state, and a waiver that erases out-of-state tuition for six neighbouring states make this one of the least expensive credentialed routes available. The licensure disclosure covering all fifty states adds portability that matters for anyone who may not stay in Arkansas.

The trade is flexibility, and the restrictions are unusually rigid. Choose General Nutrition and you cannot switch to the accredited track later. Finish one and you cannot return for the other. Hold the wrong prior UCA master’s and neither is open to you. Those rules make an early decision carry more weight here than at most schools, and they should be read carefully before applying rather than after. The assistantships, which would ordinarily soften the cost, carry no tuition remission.

Accreditation

The University of Central Arkansas is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which governs credit transfer, graduate admission elsewhere, and federal financial aid eligibility.

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredits two programs here: the undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics and the Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy track within the Master of Science in Nutrition, which is the supervised practice program. DPD graduates receive a verification statement and may apply to accredited supervised practice programs, including this one. DNT graduates complete coursework, the graduate degree, and the supervised practice hours together, and are eligible to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration examination. The General Nutrition track carries no ACEND accreditation and leads to no credential on its own. Arkansas licenses dietitians through its own board, and applicants intending to practise elsewhere should confirm that state’s non-educational requirements separately.

Find Nutrition Programs Elsewhere in Arkansas