Florida International University Nutrition Programs

Florida International University offers 2 Nutrition and Dietetics credentials profiled here:

  • B.S., Dietetics and Nutrition — Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
  • M.S., Dietetics & Nutrition (includes the Dietetic Internship in the final semester)

FIU also offers a B.S., Dietetics and Nutrition — Nutrition Science major for students not pursuing the RD credential, built around the basic sciences for pre-health graduate study, plus an accelerated combined BS/MS pathway open to Nutrition Science majors after 75 credits. Neither is profiled in full below.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
B.S., Dietetics and Nutrition (DPD)~$26,300 total (derived)4 years (8 semesters)120
M.S., Dietetics & Nutrition~$14,100 total (derived)As little as 3 semesters full-time; part-time also available31, including 12 credits of Dietetic Internship in the final semester

FIU’s structural distinction is that its Dietetic Internship admits exclusively from its own M.S. students. There is no external DICAS match to win or lose for a place in FIU’s own internship: the program’s own materials describe it as “pre-select admission, open only to FIU graduate students in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition.” A student who completes FIU’s DPD and is then admitted to FIU’s M.S. controls most of the remaining pathway themselves, provided they meet FIU’s own academic benchmarks, rather than competing nationally the way graduates elsewhere do.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesB.S. (DPD or Nutrition Science major); M.S. Dietetics & Nutrition with embedded Dietetic Internship; accelerated combined BS/MS pathway
FormatCampus (all programs). The Dietetic Internship is explicitly in-person for all supervised-practice experiences.
Credit Hours120 (B.S., either major); 31 (M.S., including 12 Dietetic Internship credits)
ACEND AccreditationYes: the DPD (reaccredited in 2025 for a full seven-year term through December 31, 2032) and the Dietetic Internship, both fully accredited without a probationary or candidate qualifier. The Nutrition Science major carries no ACEND accreditation.
RD/RDN EligibilityYes, via the DPD plus the M.S. (with its embedded Dietetic Internship) plus the CDR exam. The Nutrition Science major alone does not lead to RD eligibility.
Supervised Practice1,216 hours, delivered in-person across 100+ sites (clinical nutrition, food service management, community nutrition, WIC, long-term care, private practice, sports nutrition); admission is internal to FIU’s own M.S. students only
SpecializationsM.S. only: Sports Nutrition or Infant & Childhood Nutrition (added 2025, 9 elective credits each), or a general track
Distinctive CourseworkDIE 4963, Comprehensive Dietetic Examination, as a named capstone course; DIE 6946/6947 for the Dietetic Internship itself, graded Pass/Fail
Research RequirementNot clearly stated whether the M.S. requires a thesis; FIU’s own description frames it as career and RDN preparation and, separately, as preliminary preparation for its Ph.D. in Dietetics and Nutrition
Entrance ExamsNo GRE listed in the M.S. admission requirements reviewed. TOEFL (80 iBT) or IELTS (6.5) required for international applicants only.
IntakeM.S.: three annual application deadlines (Fall: June 1, Spring: Oct. 1, Summer: March 1)
GPA Floor2.7 cumulative to enter and remain in the DPD; 3.0 (last 60 undergraduate credits) for M.S. admission; 3.5 for the accelerated combined BS/MS pathway
Tuition$257/credit (published, in-state undergraduate, 2024–25 rate); see Tuition section
Institutional AccreditationSACSCOC

B.S., Dietetics and Nutrition (DPD)

The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition, Didactic Program in Dietetics, at FIU is approximately $26,300 in-state and $75,900 non-resident (120 credits across 8 semesters at FIU’s published rate; derived, see Tuition). The program requires 120 credit hours and is a conventional four-year, eight-semester sequence.

FIU has run a DPD since 1972, housed in the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition within the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. The B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition covers two separately admitted majors under one degree title: the DPD and Nutrition Science. Only the DPD is accredited.

DPD Curriculum

The lab-course load is heavier than the credit count alone suggests. Of the upper-division DPD requirements, at least seven courses carry a paired lab or applied section (FOS 3021/3021L, FOS 4041/4041L, DIE 3125/3125L, DIE 3244/3244L, DIE 4246/4246L, DIE 4365/4365L, DIE 4435/4435L), on top of FSS 3233C, a standalone applied institutional food-service production course. The sequence ends with DIE 4963, Comprehensive Dietetic Examination, a named capstone course rather than an informal review.

Admission is a two-stage process. Freshmen declare the DPD major directly, but transfer students must hold an Associate of Arts degree (or FIU’s core curriculum), a 2.7 cumulative GPA, and grades of “C” or better in general biology, both semesters of general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, and Principles of Nutrition before declaring. A 2.7 cumulative GPA must then be maintained throughout the DPD to stay in the program.

  • DIE 3005: Orientation to Dietetics
  • HUN 4403: Life Cycle Nutrition
  • HUN 4240 / HUN 4241: Nutrition and Biochemistry, then Advanced Nutrition
  • DIE 3310: Dietetics in Community Health
  • DIE 4246: Clinical Nutrition
  • DIE 4365: Dietetic Management of Nutrition Programs
  • DIE 4435: Nutrition Counseling and Communication Skills
  • DIE 4564: Evidence Based Research in Dietetics
  • DIE 4963: Comprehensive Dietetic Examination

More curriculum details are available here.

The Nutrition Science Major and Accelerated BS/MS

The Nutrition Science major shares the same 120-credit B.S. degree title but does not carry ACEND accreditation and does not lead to RD eligibility; it is built for pre-health graduate study (medicine, dentistry, occupational or physical therapy, pharmacy) rather than dietetics practice. Nutrition Science majors who reach 75 total credits (15 in the major) with a 3.5 GPA can apply to FIU’s combined BS/MS accelerated pathway into the Dietetics & Nutrition M.S., which requires two faculty evaluations and a statement of purpose in addition to meeting the Graduate School’s own admission requirements.

You Should Know

Completing the DPD does not by itself qualify a graduate for RD eligibility; it qualifies them to sit the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) exam, or to apply onward to an ACEND-accredited supervised-practice program (including but not limited to FIU’s own). FIU’s own page states this explicitly: “You will NOT be an RDN upon completion of the DPD program.”

B.S. Admissions

  • Freshmen: standard FIU admission, then direct DPD major declaration
  • Transfer students: Associate of Arts degree or FIU core curriculum completed, 2.7 cumulative GPA, and “C” or better in general biology, both general chemistry courses, organic chemistry, microbiology, and Principles of Nutrition
  • 2.7 cumulative GPA maintained throughout to remain in the DPD

M.S., Dietetics & Nutrition

The estimated tuition for the M.S. in Dietetics & Nutrition at FIU is approximately $14,100 in-state and $31,100 non-resident (31 credits at FIU’s general graduate per-credit rate; derived, see Tuition). The program requires 31 credit hours and can be completed in as little as 3 semesters full-time, with a part-time option also available.

The M.S. serves two kinds of applicants: those who already hold a DPD verification statement, who use the M.S. primarily to satisfy the CDR’s graduate-degree requirement and complete the embedded Dietetic Internship, and those who have not yet completed DPD coursework, who can fold DPD requirements into the M.S. itself.

M.S. Curriculum and the Embedded Dietetic Internship

The Dietetic Internship is not a separate application to a separate program; it is a gate inside the M.S. Students who hold a DPD verification statement or Declaration of Intent may apply to the DI in their final M.S. semester. Admission is described as “pre-select,” open only to FIU’s own graduate students in the department, not a nationally competitive DICAS match against outside applicants. Twelve of the M.S.’s 31 total credits are the DI’s two courses.

  • General track, or a Sports Nutrition or Infant & Childhood Nutrition specialization (9 elective credits each, added 2025)
  • DIE 6946 and DIE 6947: the Dietetic Internship’s two required courses, graded Pass/Fail
  • 1,216 hours of supervised practice recorded across DI sites
  • All ACEND competencies and assignments completed at the required target level

More program details are available here.

You Should Know

FIU’s own Dietetic Internship page states the department “has successfully prepared dietetic practitioners through a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and a Coordinated Program (CP) for nearly five decades,” and that the DI was “established” separately as part of continuous quality improvement. FIU’s current Degrees and Programs listing, however, does not show a Coordinated Program as an actively enrolling credential alongside the DPD, Nutrition Science major, minor, and DI. If a standalone CP still exists as an active admission route, it was not documented on the pages reviewed for this profile; confirm directly with the department before assuming it is currently available, and do not rely on the state hub’s characterization of it as a separately available credential without checking.

M.S. Admissions

FIU reviews M.S. applications on three separate annual deadlines rather than a single cycle.

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA on the last 60 undergraduate upper-division credit hours
  • Possible prerequisite coursework, depending on undergraduate background
  • Application deadlines: Fall, June 1; Spring, October 1; Summer, March 1
  • International applicants: TOEFL 80 iBT or IELTS 6.5, plus Declaration of Finances and financial sponsor documentation

Tuition

FIU’s DPD program office publishes its own cost estimate directly: in-state undergraduate tuition runs $257 per credit ($3,084 for a 12-credit full-time semester), and non-resident tuition runs about $774 per credit ($9,283 per 12-credit semester), both from the department’s own 2024–25 program cost sheet. General FIU graduate tuition, not specific to this program, runs approximately $456 per credit in-state and $1,002 per credit non-resident.

Published annual totals (tuition plus the department’s own listed fees):

  • Undergraduate, full-time (12+12 credits, Fall + Spring), resident: $6,168 tuition + $398 university fees = $6,566/year
  • Undergraduate, full-time, non-resident: $18,566 tuition + $398 university fees = $18,964/year
  • Graduate (general FIU rate, not DPD-specific): approximately $456/credit resident, $1,002/credit non-resident

Estimated Totals by Credential (derived)

  • B.S., DPD (120 credits / 4 years): approximately $26,264 resident, $75,856 non-resident, using the published annual total × 4
  • M.S., Dietetics & Nutrition (31 credits, including the embedded Dietetic Internship): approximately $14,136 resident, $31,062 non-resident, using the general graduate per-credit rate × 31

Additional Dietetics-Specific Costs (DPD, per the program’s own cost sheet)

  • Lab fees for FOS 3021L and FOS 4041L: $40 each ($80 total)
  • Lab and other fees for FSS 3233C: $85
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics membership: $58
  • DICAS: $50 for the first application, $25 for each additional application (relevant if applying to internships beyond FIU’s own)
  • Panther Book Pack: $20/credit unless the student opts out, separate from the program’s general $1,350/year books-and-supplies estimate

Be aware that:

  • The DPD-specific cost figures above are from FIU’s 2024–25 program cost sheet, one year behind the current catalog year. The state hub’s cited figure of $6,561 in-state annual tuition is within $5 of this profile’s $6,566 computed the same way, so the rate appears to have held roughly steady; confirm the current year’s exact figure before budgeting.
  • The graduate per-credit rate used for the M.S. total is FIU’s general institutional graduate rate, not a Dietetics & Nutrition-specific figure; no program-level M.S. cost sheet comparable to the DPD’s was found. Treat the M.S. total as a rougher estimate than the B.S. total.
  • Online courses carry an additional $30/credit Distance Learning Fee under Florida law, which would apply to any online coursework taken within an otherwise campus-based program.
  • Rates cited here come from FIU’s own DPD program cost sheet and general institutional tuition figures. Verify current rates against FIU OneStop for your specific term and classification.

FIU’s in-state undergraduate cost sits in the same narrow band as Florida’s other public accredited universities; the real cost variable here is the M.S., where prospective students should confirm the exact per-credit rate and any program-specific fees directly with the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition rather than relying on the general institutional graduate rate used above.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited for students who want to complete the entire RD pathway, from prerequisite chemistry through supervised practice, at one Florida university with no external internship match to compete for.

Choose FIU if you want to eliminate the internship-match gamble. Because the Dietetic Internship admits exclusively from FIU’s own M.S. students, a student who is accepted into FIU’s M.S. with a DPD verification statement is not competing nationally through DICAS for a supervised-practice seat the way most dietetics graduates are. The trade-off is that FIU’s own M.S. becomes close to a requirement for using FIU’s DI at all.

Choose the accelerated BS/MS pathway if you are a strong Nutrition Science student aiming for the credential. Reaching 75 credits with a 3.5 GPA opens a combined route into the M.S. that a standard DPD-to-M.S. sequence does not offer, compressing the undergraduate-to-graduate timeline for students who qualify early.

Choose the Nutrition Science major instead if the RD credential is not the goal. It shares faculty and a department with the DPD but is built for pre-health graduate admission (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and similar programs) rather than dietetics licensure.

The honest drawback: FIU’s own materials leave the current status of its historical “Coordinated Program” unclear, and the M.S.’s tuition and fee structure is documented less precisely than the DPD’s. A prospective student should also weigh that FIU’s DI, by design, is not an option for a dietetics graduate from another school; it only serves FIU’s own pipeline.

Accreditation

Florida International University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which governs the university’s authority to award degrees, the transferability of its credits, admission to its graduate programs, and eligibility for federal financial aid. This institutional accreditation covers every program described here.

Programmatic accreditation is narrower and comes from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the only accreditor relevant to RD eligibility. ACEND accredits two named programs at FIU: the Didactic Program in Dietetics, reaccredited in 2025 for a full seven-year term through December 31, 2032, and the Dietetic Internship, which holds full accreditation without a probationary or candidate qualifier on the pages reviewed.

The Nutrition Science major falls outside that ACEND scope, which is standard for a pre-health science track sharing a department with an accredited program and is not itself a deficiency.

Graduates of the DPD may apply to ACEND-accredited supervised-practice programs, including FIU’s own Dietetic Internship if they are also admitted to FIU’s M.S. On completing supervised practice together with a graduate degree, meeting current Commission on Dietetic Registration requirements, graduates become eligible to sit for the CDR’s national RDN examination. Graduates who complete the DPD’s requirements without entering an internship may instead sit for the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) exam. Graduates of the Nutrition Science major alone are not RD-eligible on that credential.

Compare More Nutrition Programs in Florida