Department of Human Ecology • Princess Anne, MD • Campus (B.S., DI) or Online (M.S.) • $9,366/yr In-State (B.S.)
UMES offers 3 Nutritional Sciences credentials:
- B.S., Human Ecology, Dietetics Concentration (DPD)
- Dietetic Internship (separate ACEND accreditation, stand-alone or combined with the M.S.)
- M.S., Human Ecology, Clinical Nutrition Track (fully online)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $9,366/yr in-state | 4 years (120-credit bachelor’s norm) | Not clearly stated |
| M.S. | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | 30 (9 core, 15 clinical nutrition, 6 elective) |
| DI | $22,627 (MD resident), separate from tuition | About 41 weeks (September through June) | Not a credit-bearing degree on its own |
UMES runs all three pieces of the RD pathway at one HBCU: a DPD bachelor’s, a Dietetic Internship with a limited pre-select track for its own graduates, and a fully online clinical-nutrition master’s. UMES’s own DPD graduates get only a competitive shot at up to 6 pre-select internship slots, then compete nationally through DICAS for any remaining seats, the same as any outside applicant.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | B.S. (ACEND DPD); Dietetic Internship (separate ACEND accreditation, DI-only or combined with the M.S.); M.S. (Clinical Nutrition Track) |
| Format | B.S. and DI: Campus. M.S.: fully online |
| Credit Hours | B.S.: not clearly stated; M.S.: 30 (9 core, 15 clinical nutrition, 6 elective) |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes — DPD accredited through December 31, 2029; Dietetic Internship separately accredited |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes, on completing the Dietetic Internship together with a graduate degree (UMES’s M.S. or one from elsewhere) |
| Supervised Practice | Minimum 1,288 hours; a partial published breakdown (clinical/acute care 500, foodservice management 176, diabetes 160, school nutrition 160) does not fully account for the total |
| Intake | Up to 6 pre-select internship slots for UMES’s own DPD graduates (competitive, not guaranteed); remaining seats via DICAS; January 15 deadline; 6 full-time interns admitted a year; program runs roughly September through June |
| Fallback Credential | Students who complete DPD coursework but don’t enter an internship anywhere qualify to sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician, Registered (NDTR) exam |
| Tuition | B.S.: $9,366/yr in-state; $20,911/yr out-of-state; DI: $22,627 (MD resident) or $23,267 (nonresident), separate from tuition; M.S.: not clearly stated |
| Institutional Accreditation | MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education) |
Bachelor of Science, Human Ecology (Dietetics Concentration)
The estimated tuition for the B.S. at UMES is $9,366 per year in-state, or $20,911 per year out-of-state. The Dietetics Concentration follows the standard four-year, 120-credit bachelor’s timeline.
B.S. Curriculum
The Dietetics Concentration is UMES’s ACEND-accredited DPD, currently accredited through December 31, 2029, embedded in the Human Ecology major.
B.S. Admissions
Admission follows standard University System of Maryland freshman and transfer requirements; students declare the Dietetics Concentration to be on the DPD track.
Master of Science, Human Ecology (Clinical Nutrition Track)
UMES does not separately publish tuition for this master’s; it requires 30 units (9 core, 15 clinical nutrition, 6 elective), and program duration was not clearly stated on the pages reviewed.
M.S. Curriculum
The Clinical Nutrition Track is delivered fully online, and UMES’s own page lists the Dietetic Internship as available to qualified students in this track, meaning the M.S. and DI can be pursued as a combined pathway rather than only sequentially.
You Should Know
UMES’s B.S. and Dietetic Internship are campus-based, but this master’s is delivered fully online, not campus, despite any blanket “Campus” format sometimes applied to UMES’s nutrition programs as a whole. Classify each UMES nutrition credential’s format separately.
M.S. Admissions
Contact UMES’s Department of Human Ecology directly for current graduate admission requirements and tuition for this track.
Dietetic Internship
The estimated cost for UMES’s Dietetic Internship is $22,627 for Maryland residents or $23,267 for nonresidents, separate from any degree tuition. The program runs about 41 weeks, from early September through mid-June.
DI Curriculum and Structure
UMES offers both a DI-only option, for students who already hold or are completing a graduate degree, and a combined pathway through the Clinical Nutrition M.S. track, where the internship is available to qualified students alongside their coursework.
You Should Know
Completing UMES’s DPD and receiving a verification statement does not guarantee acceptance into an internship, including UMES’s own. UMES’s own graduates get a shot at up to 6 pre-select slots after a selection-committee evaluation, then must still compete in the national DICAS match for any remaining seats, the same as any other applicant. Students who complete the ACEND knowledge requirements without ever entering an internship qualify instead to sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician, Registered (NDTR) exam, a genuine fallback credential rather than a dead end.
DI Supervised Practice
- Minimum 1,288 hours; a partial rotation breakdown (clinical/acute care 500, foodservice management 176, diabetes 160, school nutrition 160) does not fully account for the published total, so additional rotation categories exist beyond what’s itemized
- Program runs roughly September 8 through June 17, about 41 weeks
DI Admissions
- DPD verification statement required
- Application via DICAS and the Dietetic Internship Central Application System
- Deadline January 15; notification by March 1, confirmation due March 15
- 6 full-time interns admitted a year, up to 6 pre-select slots reserved for UMES’s own DPD graduates
Tuition
UMES bills undergraduate tuition as a flat annual rate rather than per credit: $9,366 a year in-state, $20,911 a year out-of-state.
- $9,366/year in-state (Maryland resident, main campus)
- $20,911/year out-of-state
- $22,627/year for Maryland residents, or $23,267 for nonresidents, for the Dietetic Internship, separate from tuition
Be aware that:
⚠ A commonly cited “Eastern Shore regional rate” of about $9,568/year is UMES’s off-site/satellite-campus rate for Delaware and Eastern Shore-of-Virginia residents, not the main-campus regional rate. UMES’s own FY2025-26 fee schedule lists the main-campus Eastern Shore regional rate at $12,178.50/year, meaningfully higher than the figure sometimes quoted. Confirm which campus location and rate applies to your specific enrollment before budgeting.
Official figures are published on UMES’s FY2025-26 schedule of fees.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students who want all three RD-pathway pieces available at one HBCU, provided they understand the internship isn’t a guarantee even for UMES’s own graduates.
UMES’s own DPD graduates get a real but limited pre-select shot at up to 6 internship slots, ahead of the general national applicant pool, though acceptance still isn’t automatic.
Students who complete the DPD but don’t match into an internship anywhere have a genuine fallback: sitting the NDTR exam rather than the coursework going to waste.
The honest trade-off is that the widely cited Eastern Shore regional tuition rate applies to UMES’s off-site campus, not the main Princess Anne campus, and the Dietetic Internship adds a substantial $22,000-plus cost on top of any degree tuition.
Accreditation
UMES is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND accredits UMES’s Didactic Program in Dietetics through December 31, 2029, and separately accredits its Dietetic Internship, which can be completed on its own or alongside the Clinical Nutrition M.S. track.
Graduates of the Dietetic Internship are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam once the graduate degree, ACEND-accredited coursework, and supervised practice are all complete. Graduates of the DPD alone are not RD-eligible; those who don’t secure an internship placement can instead pursue NDTR certification, and those who do secure one must still complete a graduate degree, at UMES or elsewhere, to pursue the RDN credential.
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