Department of Nutrition and Health Science, College of Health • Muncie, IN • Campus, Hybrid, and Online • $464/Credit (Graduate, Public)
Ball State University lists 5 nutrition credentials, and 2 of them are ACEND-accredited:
- M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics, Aspiring Dietitian concentrations (36 credits with the dietetic internship built in; the direct RD route)
- B.S. in Dietetics (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics, Registered Dietitian concentrations (online, for current RDs; not an RD route)
- Nutrition minor (15 credits; not open to dietetics majors)
- M.S. in Health Science (no nutrition track)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, Aspiring Dietitian | About $17,979 in tuition and technology and online fees (derived, in-state) | As little as 18 months | 36 |
| M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, Registered Dietitian (Online) | About $17,604 in tuition and online fees (derived, in-state) | Part time, one or two courses at a time | 36 |
| B.S. Dietetics (DPD) | $11,242 a year in the school’s resident on-campus cost model | 4 years | 93 in the major; degree total not found |
The lead fact is that the dietetic internship exists only inside the Aspiring Dietitian master’s. It is a Dietetic Internship in ACEND’s terms, not a coordinated or graduate program, and the 36 credits include a 9-credit internship course. The internship is full time at 40 hours a week, mid-May to mid-December, so it cannot be done alongside full-time work.
The school’s pages describe the aspiring master’s as on campus, online, blended, and 100 percent online in different places. Its year-one coursework is online and the supervised practice is in person at sites assigned by the program, with orientation and evaluation weeks in Muncie.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Aspiring M.S.: online year-one coursework with in-person supervised practice; the admissions page says blended. Registered Dietitian M.S.: 100 percent online. DPD: campus |
| ACEND Accreditation | DPD and Dietetic Internship: both accredited, terms end December 31, 2029 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Aspiring Dietitian M.S.: yes on completion. DPD alone and the Registered Dietitian M.S.: no |
| Supervised Practice | At least 1,000 hours, placed by the director, at about 19 hospitals and 40 community sites mostly in Indiana |
| Entrance Exams | No GRE required |
| GPA Floor | DPD entry: 3.0. Internship start: 3.0 graduate GPA and B- in an assessment course. Graduate School: 2.75 |
| Intake | Aspiring M.S.: internship starts in mid-May; DICAS deadlines in early October and early February; up to 24 students a year |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $464 per graduate credit for residents and $696 for online and off-campus non-residents |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Aspiring Dietitian
The Aspiring Dietitian concentrations come in a thesis version and an applied version, both 36 credits. Tuition is $16,704 (derived as 36 credits at $464), or about $17,979 with technology and online fees, and $26,331 for non-residents at the off-campus rate (derived). A $22.75 per credit first-day fee may add about $819.
- Applicants need a DPD verification statement or declaration of intent, applying early as a Ball State undergraduate or through DICAS, with a 750 to 1,000 word statement and three letters
- The DICAS dates on the internship page are October 5, 2026 and February 7, 2027, with offers by November 1 or March 1, while other pages show October 3 and February 6
- Rotations cover food service for about 320 hours, clinical for 440 to 480, and community for 240, and the page total of 1,120 hours differs from the handbook’s 1,080
- F-1 visa holders are not eligible because the program is predominantly online, and the application fee is $60
You Should Know
The ACEND directory lists a non-degree verification-statement-only option, while the catalog says students must complete the degree, so do not assume a non-degree route. The time limit is 27 months in the handbook and 24 on the program page, and a stale admissions page lists a 2.75 GPA and 2023 deadlines. The hub’s $11,076 figure matches nothing the school publishes.
Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Registered Dietitian
This is a 36-credit thesis or applied master’s for people with current registration, 100 percent online, with fall, spring, and summer starts, no GRE, and up to 9 credits transferable. It has no supervised practice and does not lead to RD eligibility on its own.
Bachelor of Science in Dietetics
The DPD is the accredited major, with 93 credits of pre-dietetics and dietetics courses. Students move from Pre-Dietetics into the major with a B or better in a nutrition assessment course, a C or better in chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, and a 3.0 GPA; the program is accredited for up to 50 admissions a year. The school reports a 100 percent one-year pass rate for 2023, and the catalog still says graduates complete an internship without mentioning the master’s requirement.
Tuition
Ball State is public, so residency changes the price except for online and off-campus courses.
- Graduate: $464 per credit; non-resident main campus $1,269; non-resident online or off-campus $696
- Fees: a $25 per credit online fee, a technology fee of $100 or $150 a semester, and a first-day fee of $22.75 per credit; no nutrition program fee exists
- The school’s cost model for an online resident graduate student at 22 credits a year is $11,058
- Interns pay their own Academy membership, a physical, immunizations, a background check, and a drug screen, and the program lists sites that may require relocation
- Rates are unchanged from 2025-26, and assistantship terms were not found
Be aware that:
The 36-credit estimates here are derived, and the bursar was not asked which fee lines apply to the internship course. Official figures are on the university’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to DPD graduates who want a master’s and internship in one program with online first-year coursework, and to registered dietitians who want a part-time online master’s.
The attached internship arrives with the degree and sites are assigned by the director rather than found by the intern. The honest limit is that the internship is full time and may need relocation, the school’s pages disagree on delivery, hours, and deadlines, and only a 2021 internship pass rate is published.
If you already hold the credential, the online Registered Dietitian master’s is the fit. If you need a DPD first, the bachelor’s is the accredited route.
Accreditation
Ball State is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with its next reaffirmation in 2033 to 2034. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for Indiana lists the Didactic Program in Dietetics, with initial accreditation on July 1, 1976, and the Dietetic Internship, with initial accreditation on April 1, 1991 and a master’s degree option, both with terms ending December 31, 2029. ACEND’s July 2022 decisions give full and continued accreditation after a site visit to both, and no other Ball State entry appears from 2019 through 2026.
The Programs Under Review page lists no Ball State program. A graduate of the Aspiring Dietitian master’s is eligible for the CDR exam; the B.S. and the Registered Dietitian master’s are not.
More Nutrition Degrees in Indiana
- Indiana Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Indiana University Bloomington - Bloomington
- Indiana University Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- Manchester University - Fort Wayne
- Purdue University - West Lafayette
- University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- University of Southern Indiana - Evansville