Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health and Human Sciences • Indianapolis, IN • Campus and Hybrid • $628/Credit In-State (Graduate, Public)
Indiana University Indianapolis lists 6 nutrition credentials, and 2 of them are direct RD routes:
- Doctorate in Nutrition and Dietetics, an entry-level three-year ACEND coordinated program (a DPD is not required if the prerequisites are completed)
- M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics with the Dietetic Internship, the M.S.+D.I. (for applicants with a DPD verification statement)
- M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics, non-thesis (not an RD route)
- Postprofessional Doctorate in Nutrition and Dietetics (for people who already hold the RD credential)
- Dietetic Internship Professional Certificate (19 credits, for people who already hold a graduate degree)
- Undergraduate Nutrition Certificate (12 credits; not an RD route)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctorate in Nutrition and Dietetics (coordinated) | $47,447 in tuition plus $4,415.51 in fees by the school’s cost page, using estimated future rates (in-state) | 3 years full time | 74 per the cost page; 90 per the degree page |
| M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics with Dietetic Internship | $22,790 in tuition plus $2,179.66 in fees by the school’s cost page, spanning two years of rates (in-state) | 3 to 4 semesters | 36 per the curriculum and cost pages |
| M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, non-thesis | $18,840 in tuition plus $1,243.84 in fees (in-state) | 1 year full time | 30 |
| Postprofessional Doctorate | $56,472 in tuition by the school’s cost page (in-state) | Full or part time | About 90 |
The lead fact is that the department has two ACEND programs and two different RD routes. ACEND lists the doctorate as a Coordinated Program in Dietetics, accredited with a term to June 30, 2032, while the school’s own doctorate pages still say it has candidate status. The M.S.+D.I. is built on the Dietetic Internship, which ACEND lists as accredited through December 31, 2030.
The hub’s “M.S. in Human Nutrition” does not exist here. The master’s is titled Nutrition and Dietetics, and the non-thesis version carries no RD claim.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | M.S.+D.I.: full time in Indianapolis. Doctorate: a mixture of online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses. Non-thesis M.S.: primarily on campus, with a mostly online option mentioned on one page |
| ACEND Accreditation | Coordinated Program (doctorate): accredited, term ends June 30, 2032. Dietetic Internship: accredited, term ends December 31, 2030 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Doctorate and M.S.+D.I.: yes on completion. Non-thesis M.S., postprofessional doctorate, and certificates: no |
| Supervised Practice | M.S.+D.I.: 1,016 hours (32 orientation and 984 rotation) in central Indiana. Doctorate: 1,288 hours on one page only |
| Entrance Exams | GRE not required for the doctorate or the non-thesis M.S.; not mentioned for the M.S.+D.I. |
| GPA Floor | 3.0 for each program; M.S.+D.I. also asks for a 3.0 in the major |
| Intake | Doctorate: fall, deadlines January 1 and April 1. M.S.+D.I.: DICAS deadlines October 15 and February 15. Non-thesis M.S.: fall, January 1 and May 1 |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $628 per credit in-state and $918 non-resident, plus about $622 in student fees per full term |
| Institutional Accreditation | Not confirmed for this profile; check the university’s accreditation page |
Doctorate in Nutrition and Dietetics
The entry-level doctorate is a three-year full-time coordinated program with inpatient, outpatient, and community rotations, a self-selected five-week capstone experience, and a process improvement research project instead of a thesis. The cost page lays out 74 credits over eight terms for $47,447 in-state, using 2027-28 and 2028-29 rates that are calculated estimates of a 2 percent increase.
- Admission needs a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, a DPD verification statement or a list of science and nutrition prerequisites, and a manager-level food safety certification
- Two recommendation letters come through DICAS, the GRE is not required, and applicants with a master’s may transfer up to 30 credits
- The degree page lists 90 credits and 1,288 clinical hours, the cost page lists 74 credits, and the bulletin course list adds to about 101, so the credit total is not settled
- Cohort size and the placement model were not found
You Should Know
ACEND’s March 2020 decision granted candidacy, and its January 2025 decision gave full and continued accreditation after a site visit, but the school’s accreditation page still says candidate status. The directory’s March 9, 2020 initial date is the candidacy date.
Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with Dietetic Internship
The M.S.+D.I. is full time in Indianapolis, fall to fall, with 1,016 supervised practice hours across clinical, food systems, community, and school food service rotations and a student-designed 120-hour capstone. In-state tuition is $22,790 for 36 credits (derived by the school across 2026-27 and 2027-28 rates), and a single-rate 36 credits at $628 would be $22,608 (derived).
- Admission needs a bachelor’s degree from an ACEND-accredited institution, a DPD verification statement or declaration of intent, and 3.0 overall and in the major, through DICAS with two letters
- Deadlines are October 1 for pre-selection of IU Bloomington students, who can take 10 of 16 places, October 15 early, and February 15 regular
- Sites are in central Indiana, and the school budgets about $3,000 for transportation; the placement model was not found
- The master’s landing page says 30 credits, the curriculum and cost pages say 36, and a bulletin shows 40 under a 2024-25 heading
Other Graduate and Certificate Programs
- The non-thesis M.S. is 30 credits over fall and spring, at $628 per credit that is $18,840 plus $1,243.84 in fees; it needs a 3.0 GPA and four of seven prerequisites to apply, and points students to the M.S.+D.I. for internship preparation
- The Postprofessional Doctorate is for registered dietitians, about 90 credits, with up to 30 transferable, a 3.0 GPA, and an accounting course
- The Dietetic Internship Professional Certificate is 19 credits for people with a graduate degree, and ACEND lists a non-degree verification-statement-only option
- The Undergraduate Nutrition Certificate is 12 credits for any IU Indianapolis student and does not prepare a student for the registration exam
Tuition
IU Indianapolis is public, so residency changes the price. The cost pages are labeled confirmed through spring 2027.
- 2026-27: $628 per credit resident and $918 non-resident, with student service fees of $621.92 per full term; 2027-28: $641 and $936 with $634 in fees
- M.S.+D.I.: non-resident total $33,300 by the school’s cost page; doctorate: non-resident $69,307; non-thesis M.S.: non-resident $27,540
- The postprofessional doctorate page lists a 2026-27 non-resident rate of $896 and fees of $647, which differ from the other pages
- Other costs include a $70 application fee, a $377 parking permit, a $75 background check, a $58 Academy membership, about $1,000 a semester in textbooks, and about $3,000 for clinical transport
- Assistantships and scholarships for these programs were not found
Be aware that:
The $10,762 figure that circulates is a resident undergraduate figure, not a graduate cost. Official figures are on the school’s cost and aid pages.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to career changers without a DPD who want an entry-level doctorate that includes the supervised practice, and to DPD graduates who want a one-year-plus master’s and internship in Indianapolis.
The two RD routes let a student choose between a three-year coordinated doctorate and a master’s plus internship in one department. The honest limit is that both are full time and based in Indianapolis, the doctorate’s credit total and accreditation wording are inconsistent, and no dated outcome figures are published.
If you already hold the RD credential, the postprofessional doctorate is the fit. If you want nutrition coursework without the RD route, the non-thesis M.S. or the undergraduate certificate are separate options.
Accreditation
The university’s institutional accreditor was not confirmed for this profile, so check its accreditation page.
ACEND’s live directory for Indiana lists the Coordinated Program in Dietetics with a listed initial date of March 9, 2020 and a term ending June 30, 2032, and the Dietetic Internship with initial accreditation on June 1, 1927, a term ending December 31, 2030, and a master’s option. ACEND’s decisions show candidacy for the coordinated program in March 2020 and full and continued accreditation after a site visit in January 2025.
The internship shows a May 2020 notice of voluntary closure effective September 2023, then full and continued accreditation after a site visit in October 2023 and a progress report decision in July 2026. The notice appears to have been superseded, but no page says so. The Programs Under Review page lists no Indiana University program. A graduate of the doctorate or the M.S.+D.I. is eligible for the CDR exam.
More Nutrition Degrees in Indiana
- Ball State University - Muncie
- Indiana Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Indiana University Bloomington - Bloomington
- Manchester University - Fort Wayne
- Purdue University - West Lafayette
- University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- University of Southern Indiana - Evansville