University of the Pacific Nutrition Programs

Department of Nutrition • Sacramento, CA • Campus (M.S.C.N.), Online (M.S.N.S.) • $773–$1,035/Unit

University of the Pacific offers 2 nutrition credentials:

  • M.S., Clinical Nutrition
  • M.S., Nutrition Science

Program Tracks Overview

Program Est. Tuition Est. Duration Credit Hours
M.S. Clinical Nutrition $61.1K 16 months (4 trimesters) 59 (catalog lists 60)
M.S. Nutrition Science $23.2K 12 months (3 trimesters) 30

Pacific’s defining advantage is speed: its M.S. in Clinical Nutrition is a fully accredited ACEND Graduate Program that takes any bachelor’s holder with prerequisites to RDN exam eligibility in 16 months, with no separate internship match. The online M.S. in Nutrition Science is not ACEND-accredited and does not lead to the RD credential on its own.

Quick Facts

Feature Details
Program Types Entry-level RD master’s (M.S.C.N.); online master’s for RDs and DPD graduates (M.S.N.S.)
Format M.S.C.N.: Campus, Sacramento, with some hybrid courses. M.S.N.S.: Online, asynchronous
Credit Hours 59 to 60 (M.S.C.N.); 30 (M.S.N.S.)
ACEND Accreditation Yes: Graduate Program (M.S.C.N.), term ends June 30, 2031. M.S.N.S.: None
RD/RDN Eligibility Yes (M.S.C.N.). M.S.N.S.: No; supervised practice needed elsewhere
Supervised Practice 1,110 hours, placed by the program across California
Intake M.S.C.N.: fall only, one cohort a year
Entrance Exams GRE not required
GPA Floor 3.00 across M.S.C.N. prerequisite courses
Work Load More than 40 hours a week; working is strongly discouraged
Tuition 2026–27: $1,035/unit (M.S.C.N.); $773/unit (M.S.N.S.)
Institutional Accreditation WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Master of Science, Clinical Nutrition

The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Clinical Nutrition at University of the Pacific is approximately $61,065 (59 units at $1,035/unit). The program requires 59 units by Pacific’s tuition schedule and can generally be completed in 16 months over four continuous trimesters.

M.S.C.N. Curriculum

The program front-loads the classroom. Students take two full didactic trimesters in Sacramento, covering nutrition assessment with physical exam skills, two medical nutrition therapy courses, counseling, community nutrition, leadership, and food systems management. The last two trimesters are almost entirely supervised practice, with a capstone research project running alongside.

Capstone and exam prep. The three-part capstone ends with a conference-style abstract and poster, a manuscript draft, and a mini-grant proposal. A one-unit RD exam review course sits in the final trimester, and the program pays for an outside exam prep course.

  • NUTR 203 Advanced Nutrition Assessment, Physical Exam and Diagnosis
  • NUTR 212 Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy I
  • NUTR 214 Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy II (6 units)
  • NUTR 205 Advanced Nutrition Counseling and Education
  • NUTR 219 Nutrition Leadership and Innovation
  • NUTR 217, 221, 222 Capstone I to III
  • NUTR 287A and 287B Supervised Clinical Practice Experience I and II (13 units each)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Pacific’s tuition page and graduate tuition table list 59 units, but the 2026–27 catalog lists 60, and its course sequence adds to 60. At 60 units, tuition would be $62,100.
  • The cohort moves as a lock-step group. Failing or dropping a course means leaving the cohort, with re-entry only if program policy allows.

M.S.C.N. Supervised Practice

  • 1,110 supervised experiential learning hours built into the degree
  • Rotations run in the third and fourth trimesters across clinical nutrition and food service management settings
  • The program finds sites and preceptors and sets each student’s schedule
  • Sites are throughout California, with some out-of-state affiliates; placement near home is not guaranteed
  • Students pay their own housing and commuting costs for assigned sites
  • Friday seminars on Zoom continue during rotations

The 1,110 hours clear the 1,000-hour standard without a separate match, which is the main time saver. The trade-off is geography: a student living in Sacramento may be assigned a site hours away and need temporary housing for part of the year.

M.S.C.N. Admissions

The program admits one fall cohort a year and does not require a DPD, which sets it apart from internship-based routes.

  • Either a DPD verification statement (or declaration of intent) or a bachelor’s in any field plus all prerequisites
  • Prerequisites: anatomy and physiology with lab, general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology with lab, introductory nutrition, experimental foods with lab, and macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism
  • 3.00 GPA across prerequisites, each with a C or better; all must be finished before the start date
  • Apply through DICAS: resume, three short essays of up to 300 words, two recommendations, then an interview
  • Priority deadline February 15, 2027, for the August 2027 cohort; applications reviewed through April 15, 2027, if seats remain
  • Before starting: background and drug screens, health clearance, Academy student membership, ServSafe Manager certificate, and in-person BLS certification
You Should Know
  • Pacific does not accept transfer credit or grant credit for prior work experience in this program.
  • Pacific states that DPD coursework is recognized in selection but is not a significant factor, so career changers compete on equal terms.

Master of Science, Nutrition Science

The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Nutrition Science at University of the Pacific is approximately $23,190 (30 units at $773/unit). The program requires 30 units and can generally be completed in 12 months over three trimesters.

M.S.N.S. Curriculum

This fully online, asynchronous degree serves people who already have or are finishing the dietetics pieces and need the graduate degree now required for the RDN exam. Coursework covers advanced macro and micronutrient metabolism, advanced medical nutrition therapy, nutrigenomics, the gut microbiome, leadership, and a two-part scholarly project.

  • NUTR 204A Advanced Macronutrient Metabolism
  • NUTR 204B Advanced Micronutrient Metabolism
  • NUTR 226 Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics
  • NUTR 228 Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Nutrition
  • NUTR 231A and 231B Nutrition Scholarly Project I and II

The degree is built from three stackable 9-unit certificates in Functional Nutrition, Nutrition Leadership and Innovation, and Nutrition Research, which can also be taken on their own. More curriculum details are available here.

M.S.N.S. Admissions

Admission is limited to people already on the dietetics path.

  • A current RDN credential, a DPD verification statement, or a dietetic internship verification statement or declaration of intent
  • Up to 9 transfer units, reviewed case by case, with priority for advanced clinical credentials
You Should Know
  • Pacific states that this program is not ACEND-accredited and includes no supervised practice. A DPD graduate still needs a dietetic internship or other accredited supervised practice to sit for the RDN exam.

Tuition

Pacific charges $1,035 per unit for the M.S. in Clinical Nutrition and $773 per unit for the M.S. in Nutrition Science in 2026–27, as published on its graduate tuition schedule. As a private university, it charges the same rate to residents and non-residents.

Credential Units × Rate Tuition
M.S.C.N. 59 × $1,035 $61,065
M.S.N.S. 30 × $773 $23,190

Pacific estimates $14,490 to $15,525 in M.S.C.N. tuition per trimester, and about $71,057 in total program expenses before living costs. See Pacific’s M.S.C.N. tuition and fees page.

Confirmed costs

  • Wellness fee: $300 per trimester
  • Health insurance: $2,524 per trimester, waivable with comparable coverage
  • Physical exam and immunizations: $345; background check and drug screen: $120
  • Textbooks: about $550 to $600 in trimester one, then $100 to $200 per trimester
  • Covered by the program: an RD exam prep course ($385), virtual FNCE registration ($105), clinical reference subscriptions, and the rotation tracking system

Be aware that:

  • Pacific’s M.S.C.N. cost table is labeled 2025–26 while tuition is listed for 2026–27, so fee amounts may have changed.
  • If the catalog’s 60-unit total is correct, M.S.C.N. tuition rises by $1,035.
  • Pacific’s all-in estimate of $95,057 assumes $6,000 per trimester for housing, meals, and transportation. Temporary housing near distant rotation sites can push that higher.

At about $61,000 in tuition plus living costs, the M.S.C.N. is a large investment for a self-funded student, and Pacific offers no assistantships. What it buys is a 16-month route with no DPD step and no internship match. For a DPD graduate who already has supervised practice lined up, the M.S.N.S. meets the graduate degree requirement for about $23,000.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

A strong fit for career changers and DPD graduates who want to reach RDN exam eligibility quickly and can commit to full-time, in-person study.

No DPD, no match, 16 months. The M.S.C.N. accepts any bachelor’s with prerequisites and builds supervised practice into the degree. A career changer who has finished the science courses does not need to complete a DPD first or compete in a separate internship match.

Clinical depth with a research product. Two medical nutrition therapy courses, a physical exam course, and a three-part capstone that ends in a poster and manuscript draft give graduates something concrete to show employers.

An online option for the credentialed. Practicing dietitians, interns, and DPD graduates who only need a master’s can take the 30-unit M.S.N.S. online at a lower per-unit rate.

The trade-offs. The M.S.C.N. leaves little room for paid work, and rotations can land anywhere in California at the student’s expense. The prerequisite list is long for non-nutrition majors, including experimental foods and nutrient metabolism courses that must be finished before enrolling.

Accreditation

University of the Pacific is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). That accreditation covers every Pacific degree and governs credit transfer, graduate admission elsewhere, and federal financial aid eligibility.

ACEND fully accredits the M.S. in Clinical Nutrition as a Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics under its Future Education Model standards. Pacific reports the current term ends June 30, 2031, and describes it as the first program of its kind in California.

The M.S. in Nutrition Science falls outside ACEND’s scope. That is normal for a graduate degree built for people who are already RDs or are completing supervised practice elsewhere.

Graduates of the M.S.C.N. receive a verification statement and are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s RDN examination. Graduates of the M.S.N.S. meet the graduate degree requirement but still need an ACEND-accredited DPD and supervised practice before they can sit for the exam.

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