Benedictine University Nutrition Degree Programs

Department of Nutrition and Public Health, College of Science and Health • Lisle, IL • Campus • $1,262/Credit (Undergraduate, Part-Time, Private)

Benedictine University lists 3 nutrition credentials, but only 1 is open to new students, and none of them completes the RD route on its own:

  • B.S., Nutrition and Dietetics (the Didactic Program in Dietetics)
  • M.S., Nutrition and Dietetics (internship track and a second track; closed to new students)
  • M.S., Nutrition and Wellness (closed to new students)

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD)$157.8K over four years at the flat full-time rate (derived)4 years120 total; 68 to 71 in the major
M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (Closed)$23,100 at $700 per credit when open (derived)Not clearly stated33
M.S. Nutrition and Wellness (Closed)$750 per credit on the tuition pageNot clearly statedNot clearly stated

The lead fact is what has closed. Benedictine’s master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics can no longer be declared after the fall 2025 term and is absent from the 2026-27 graduate catalog, and the department states it will not enroll a new cohort of dietetic interns. ACEND lists the Dietetic Internship as voluntarily closing effective June 30, 2026, so Benedictine no longer has an in-house internship.

What remains is the accredited bachelor’s degree, which earns a verification statement only. Graduates must still earn a master’s degree, complete supervised practice elsewhere, and pass the CDR exam.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
FormatCampus (Lisle); the DPD guide uses the word hybrid, and ACEND lists in-person plus online
Admission StatusB.S. open; both master’s programs closed to new students
ACEND AccreditationDPD (initial 1982), term to June 30, 2033 per the directory; Dietetic Internship closed June 30, 2026
RD/RDN EligibilityB.S.: no on its own. No Benedictine program now completes the route
Supervised PracticeNone in the B.S.; electives in practicum and case studies only
GPA Floor3.0 per the DPD guide; the catalog lists 2.9 for graduation
IntakeDepartment application with several deadlines (August 15, September 30, January 15, June 30); cohort size not found
Tuition2026-27: $39,450 a year full-time; $1,262 plus $60 per credit part-time
Institutional AccreditationHigher Learning Commission

Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Dietetics

The B.S. costs $39,450 a year for full-time students at the 2026-27 rate, or about $157,800 over four years if the rate held flat (derived). That is $18,930 a semester in tuition plus a $795 service fee, up 5.0% from $18,030. The degree is 120 credits, of which 68 to 71 are the major, and it is offered on the Lisle campus.

The DPD guide says the program does not rotate courses into online modes, and that the medical nutrition and counseling courses are available only at the main campus. The major has no supervised practice, only electives such as a practicum at 50 hours per credit. Verification statement requirements include 70% on every knowledge assignment, ServSafe, and Academy membership.

  • Admission to the major is by a department application with limited enrollment; the guide lists deadlines of August 15, September 30, January 15, and June 30
  • Extra costs: lab fees of $200 to $250 per lab, Academy student membership of $58 a year, about $1,000 a year in textbooks, and $100 to $150 for medical and background checks
  • A 4+1 route lets DPD majors take up to five graduate courses in years three and four toward an MPH, billed at $800 per credit, with dual degrees charged at the higher rate
You Should Know

The DPD guide sets 3.00 for acceptance, retention, and graduation, while the catalog lists 2.9 for graduation and 3.0 for the verification statement. Benedictine’s department page still says the program is accredited “through June 30, 2025,” which is out of date against ACEND’s 2033 term, and it still implies a combined master’s and internship that qualifies graduates for the exam.

Master of Science, Nutrition and Dietetics (Closed to New Students)

The M.S. was 33 credits, 15 in a shared foundation and 18 in either an internship track or a second track, and the tuition page still lists it at $700 per credit, which would be $23,100 before fees (derived). The 2025-26 archived catalog says students may not declare the major after the fall 2025 term, and the live 2026-27 page returns not found.

The foundation included obesity prevention and complementary nutrition therapies. The internship track was the only one with supervised practice, and its hours, cohort size, and placement model were not found because the 2024-25 handbook has been removed. Admission had required a 3.0 GPA, an optional GRE, and for the internship track a 3.2 DPD GPA. The catalog says Lisle campus, while older secondary sources describe an online second track, which could not be confirmed.

Master of Science, Nutrition and Wellness (Closed to New Students)

This M.S. is no longer in the 2026-27 catalog, and a search summary says it stopped accepting students in fall 2023. The tuition page still lists it at $750 per credit on campus. Its credit total and duration were not found, and it never carried the RD route.

Tuition

Benedictine’s published 2026-27 undergraduate price is $18,930 per semester plus a $795 service fee, or $39,450 for a full-time year, and part-time students pay $1,262 per credit plus $60 per credit. Benedictine is private, so residents and non-residents pay the same.

  • Other fees: $250 administrative, $300 orientation, and $145 for graduation; lab courses carry $200 to $250 each
  • Closed M.S. programs still appear at $700 and $750 per credit; the MPH for the 4+1 route is $800 per credit
  • No nutrition-specific differential tier was found

Be aware that:

The four-year figure assumes the 2026-27 rate stays flat, which is unlikely, and it excludes the master’s, internship, and exam steps a graduate still has to pay for elsewhere. Official figures are on Benedictine’s tuition and fees page.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited to undergraduates who want an accredited dietetics bachelor’s in the Chicago suburbs and are prepared to plan the master’s and supervised practice at other schools.

The 4+1 MPH route is the one way the department offers to start the master’s early, since five graduate courses taken as an undergraduate count toward a public health degree. The school’s own outcomes claims include a 100% internship match over the past nine years without an end year, a 100% technician exam pass rate for 2019 to 2023, and an 88.46% dietitian exam pass rate for 2022 to 2024, none of which this review could verify.

The honest limit is that Benedictine no longer offers a graduate or internship route of its own, so applicants who want everything at one school should look elsewhere in Illinois.

Accreditation

Benedictine is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.

ACEND’s directory lists a Didactic Program in Dietetics (initial accreditation December 1, 1982, B.S. offered, distance education approved) as accredited with a term ending June 30, 2033, and ACEND’s April 2026 decisions list it as fully and continued accredited after a site visit. Its January 2018 decisions record the same, and its July 2025 decisions list the Dietetic Internship under programs voluntarily closing with a teach-out, effective June 30, 2026. The internship no longer appears in the directory, Benedictine appears in the decisions pages only in 2017, 2018, 2025, and 2026, and it is not on the Programs Under Review page. The decisions pages print no term length, so the seven-year span is inferred.

A graduate of the B.S. holds a verification statement and still needs a master’s degree, an internship, and the exam.

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