Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health-Bloomington • Bloomington, IN • Campus • $12,144 a Year In-State (Undergraduate, Public)
Indiana University Bloomington lists 1 ACEND program, and nothing there leads to RD eligibility on its own:
- B.S. in Applied Health Science, Dietetics major (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- Accelerated 4+1 master’s pathway in dietetics (B.S. plus an M.S. in Applied Health Science, Nutrition and Dietetics; for IU Bloomington dietetics majors only; no supervised practice)
- M.S. in Nutrition (a thesis research degree; not an RD route)
- Ph.D. in Nutrition with a public health nutrition focus (not an RD route)
- B.S. in Nutrition Science and a 15-credit nutrition minor (not RD routes)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Dietetics (DPD) | $12,143.88 a year in tuition and mandatory fees at the flat rate (in-state); a public health differential of $589.32 may apply (derived) | 4 years | 120 minimum, 94 in the major |
| Accelerated 4+1 master’s | About $8,347 for the 18 graduate credits at the public health rate (derived, in-state), on top of the undergraduate flat rate | 5 years | At least 138 in total |
| M.S. in Nutrition | About $13,912 for 30 credits at the public health rate (derived, in-state); billing basis unconfirmed | 2 years | 30 |
| Ph.D. in Nutrition | Funded assistantships are described | Not stated | 90 minimum |
The lead fact is that Bloomington has a DPD and an accelerated route to the graduate degree, but no coordinated program and no dietetic internship. Every RD route needs a separate supervised practice placement and then the CDR exam. The 4+1 master’s is open only to Bloomington dietetics majors who apply in junior year, and it overlaps twelve credits of advanced nutrition courses taken at the 500 level and billed as undergraduate credits.
The M.S. in Nutrition shares part of its name with the 4+1 degree but is a different program: it is a residential research master’s with a thesis, and the school states that completing it does not meet the requirements for becoming a dietitian.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus; ACEND lists the DPD as fully in person and also approved to offer distance education. The 4+1 and the M.S. in Nutrition are on-campus |
| ACEND Accreditation | Didactic Program in Dietetics: accredited, term ends June 30, 2032 per ACEND’s directory |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | No on its own; the DPD or the 4+1 gives a verification statement and the graduate degree, then a separate internship |
| Supervised Practice | None at Bloomington |
| Entrance Exams | None for the DPD; GRE not mentioned for the M.S. in Nutrition |
| GPA Floor | DPD: 3.0 with 30 credits. 4+1: 3.2 preferred. M.S. in Nutrition: 3.0 |
| Intake | 4+1: apply in junior year. M.S. in Nutrition: fall, with a January 15 deadline and a faculty match |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $12,144 a year in-state and $42,702 out-of-state at the undergraduate flat rate; graduate $443.60 to $463.74 per credit in-state |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science, Dietetics
The Dietetics major is 120 credits minimum, 94 in the major, with a dietetics core of 53 credits. Courses include food chemistry, quantity food production, management systems, life cycle nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition counseling, advanced nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, and research methods. The program describes hands-on lab and community experiences in an upper-level cohort model.
- Staying in the major needs 30 credits, a 3.0 GPA, and a C or better in two chemistry courses
- The verification statement needs a C- or better in core and science courses, a food-safety exam, one interprofessional experience, 75 percent of nutrition courses at Bloomington, and 30 of the last 60 credits there
- Lab fees, a one-time $150 interprofessional fee, and a lab coat are extra costs, and cohort size, deadlines, and supervised practice details were not found
- The school says more than 95 percent of its alumni pass the RD exam within a year, and its bulletin cites a 93 percent placement rate into supervised practice, both since 2000 with no cohort year
Accelerated 4+1 Master’s Pathway
The 4+1 awards the B.S. and an M.S. in Applied Health Science, Nutrition and Dietetics in about five years, with at least 18 graduate credits beyond the 12 overlap credits: 6 in a public health core, 6 in electives, and 6 in research. It is non-thesis by default. Applicants are admitted dietetics majors with a 3.2 GPA preferred, applying in two parts through SOPHAS Express and the IU Graduate School, with decisions in four to five weeks.
- The school says the pathway does not itself provide supervised practice, so graduates apply to an accredited program afterward
- The degree name differs across the school’s pages, appearing as nutrition, nutrition and dietetics, and nutrition science
- A deadline and cohort size were not found, and the school states the pathway is too new to report outcomes
Research Degrees and Related Programs
- The M.S. in Nutrition is 30 credits including a 6-credit thesis, two years full time and residential, with a January 15 fall deadline, a 3.0 GPA, prerequisites in biochemistry, physiology, and human nutrition, and a required faculty match
- The Ph.D. in Nutrition has a public health nutrition focus, a minimum of 90 credits, and funded assistantships; its page never mentions the RD credential
- The B.S. in Nutrition Science supports pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, and similar paths with no ACEND statement, and the nutrition minor includes an applied sports nutrition elective
- Sports nutrition appears only as an elective, and there is no dietetic internship, coordinated program, or M.P.H. nutrition concentration
Tuition
Indiana University Bloomington is public, so residency changes the price.
- Undergraduate flat annual rate for up to 40 credits: $10,621.84 tuition plus $1,522.04 in mandatory fees is $12,143.88 in-state, and $42,702.62 out-of-state; the student cost page prints $12,142
- The undergraduate schedule lists a public health differential of $589.32 a year, and whether the dietetics major is assessed it was not confirmed (derived resident total with it $12,733.20)
- Graduate: $443.60 per credit in-state under the generic rate, the basis of the school’s printed $11,280 full-time figure, and $463.74 under the public health rate, with non-resident $1,330.51 and $1,444.65
- Derived: the 4+1’s 18 graduate credits cost $8,347 in-state at the public health rate, and the 30-credit M.S. in Nutrition about $13,912
- Assistantship rules for the master’s were not found
Be aware that:
The $12,144 figure that circulates is the base undergraduate rate and may omit the differential. Official figures are on the Student Central cost page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to Indiana University students who want a DPD and the option to finish the master’s degree in the fifth year, and to students interested in a research master’s or doctorate in nutrition.
The 4+1 route meets the graduate-degree requirement while the student is still at the university, with overlap credits billed as undergraduate. The honest limit is that every route still needs a competitive internship place, the pathway is only for Bloomington dietetics majors, and the program publishes no dated placement results.
If you want the supervised practice built in, look at the coordinated programs elsewhere in the state. If you want research, the M.S. in Nutrition and the Ph.D. are the separate, non-RD options.
Accreditation
Indiana University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and the School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, which is separate from ACEND.
ACEND’s live directory for Indiana lists the Bloomington Didactic Program in Dietetics as accredited, with initial accreditation on January 6, 1986 and a term ending June 30, 2032. ACEND’s decisions list full and continued accreditation after a site visit in January 2017 and January 2025. The school states the program is accredited but gives no dates.
The Programs Under Review page could not be checked. A graduate holds a verification statement only and is not eligible for the CDR exam on that basis.
More Nutrition Degrees in Indiana
- Ball State University - Muncie
- Indiana Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Indiana University Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- Manchester University - Fort Wayne
- Purdue University - West Lafayette
- University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- University of Southern Indiana - Evansville