Three universities with nutrition programs serve the Detroit area: Wayne State University in Detroit, Madonna University in Livonia, and Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Between them they run 11 credentials. Graduate tuition for residents runs from $866 per credit at Wayne State to $1,020 at Madonna and $1,046.50 at Eastern Michigan (2026-27), and durations run from about 18 months for Madonna’s supervised-practice certificate to four years for the bachelor’s degrees.
All three reach the RD credential through a master’s-level Coordinated Program that builds supervised practice into the degree, so there is no internship match in the metro. Wayne State’s and Eastern Michigan’s programs are accredited, while Madonna’s holds ACEND candidacy rather than full accreditation. Madonna also runs a fully accredited bachelor’s DPD and a supervised-practice certificate for applicants who already hold a master’s, and Wayne State and Eastern Michigan state that they have no DPD or internship.
Nutrition Programs in Detroit — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State University Detroit | M.S. Dietetics — ACEND Coordinated Program, 34 credits B.S. and B.A. Nutrition and Food Science — 120 credits, non-RD M.S. and M.A. Nutrition and Food Science — 32 credits, non-RD Ph.D. — 60 credits | Coordinated Program ~$33.4K in-state over four semesters; graduate $866/credit resident, $1,876 non-resident; online M.S. at the resident rate for all | Campus; Online (M.S. Nutrition and Food Science) | Yes — Coordinated Program only |
| Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti | Combined B.S. and M.S. in Dietetics — 147 credits, about five years M.S. Dietetics — 30 to 33 credits plus 41 foundational credits Both are ACEND Coordinated Program tracks | Combined ~$49.2K–$50.7K and M.S. ~$53.0K–$54.6K in-state (EMU’s 2025/2026 estimates); graduate $1,046.50/credit resident, $1,813 non-resident | Hybrid (campus cohort); Online coursework (distance cohort) | Yes — either track |
| Madonna University Livonia | B.S. Dietetics — fully accredited DPD M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — Coordinated Program at ACEND candidacy, 43 credits Graduate Certificate — 14 credits, supervised practice only M.S. Nutrition and Wellness — 31 credits, non-RD | M.S. ~$43.9K and certificate ~$14.3K (derived at $1,020/credit, private); B.S. $15,300/semester | Hybrid (M.S.); Campus (B.S.) | Yes — M.S., at candidacy status |
Costs are each profile’s published or derived totals and are not like for like: Wayne State’s uses 2026-27 rates, Eastern Michigan’s program estimates are labeled 2025/2026, and Madonna’s are derived. University of Michigan, Michigan State, and the state’s other programs are on the Michigan nutrition programs page.
Which Detroit Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose Wayne State if you hold a bachelor’s in any subject and want a public, campus-based route to the credential in Detroit. Its 34-credit Coordinated Program takes a cohort of 15 and builds in 1,032 supervised-practice hours over two years with no DPD required, though sites are assigned at random.
Choose Eastern Michigan if you need a distance option or a path that starts without a bachelor’s. Its Coordinated Program runs a campus cohort of 18 to 19 and a distance-online cohort of about 30, and the combined track awards both degrees in about five years, but distance students must secure their own preceptors.
Choose Madonna if you want a small private campus with a fully accredited bachelor’s DPD and a master’s carrying 1,000 practice hours, and you can accept that the master’s holds candidacy. Applicants who already hold a master’s can use the 14-credit certificate to complete only the supervised practice.
Detroit Nutrition Schools
Wayne State University
Detroit; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; campus-based, with one online degree.
- M.S. Dietetics (Coordinated Program) — 34 credits, four semesters, 1,032 practice hours
- B.S. and B.A. Nutrition and Food Science — 120 credits each, non-RD
- M.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in Nutrition and Food Science — research and essay-based; the M.S. is also fully online
The program is 34 credits, not 42, and no online coordinated program exists; the online M.S. does not lead to RD eligibility. Wayne State states accreditation since 1980 with a term to December 31, 2031, which ACEND’s pages do not show. Full Wayne State profile.
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti; School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Services; a campus cohort and a distance-online cohort.
- Combined B.S. and M.S. in Dietetics — 147 credits, Coordinated Program track for students without a bachelor’s
- M.S. Dietetics — any bachelor’s, 41 foundational credits plus 30 to 33 degree credits
Supervised practice is about 1,000 hours, not the 1,200 sometimes quoted, and the older online M.S. in Human Nutrition no longer appears in the current catalog. A program deck cites a 73% first-attempt exam pass rate (2019 to 2023). Full Eastern Michigan profile.
Madonna University
Livonia; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; a private Catholic university.
- B.S. Dietetics — fully accredited DPD, 120 credits, with an accelerated 3+2 option
- M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — Coordinated Program, 43 credits, about 21 months, 1,000 practice hours
- Graduate Certificate — 14 credits of supervised practice for applicants with a master’s and a verification statement
Madonna’s master’s is not “didactic only”: it includes supervised practice, and ACEND granted it candidacy in April 2023 with no later decision to full accreditation found. Full Madonna profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Detroit
Which programs carry the credential
Only the three Coordinated Programs do. Wayne State’s online and research degrees, Madonna’s wellness master’s, and every bachelor’s here except Madonna’s DPD fall outside the RD route, and a DPD alone still needs a graduate degree and supervised practice.
Accreditation status
Wayne State’s and Eastern Michigan’s Coordinated Programs have full and continued accreditation from 2023 decisions, and Madonna’s was granted candidacy that year. ACEND says graduates of a candidacy program have the same rights as graduates of an accredited one, but term end dates for all three come only from the schools or could not be found.
Delivery and placements
Wayne State is campus-only, with rotations at assigned Detroit-area sites. Eastern Michigan alone offers online coursework, and its distance students secure their own preceptors at least 100 miles from campus. Madonna calls its master’s hybrid, though its handbook says most courses are face to face.
Seats and timing
Wayne State takes 15 students a year with a February 1 DICAS deadline, and Eastern Michigan takes about 18 to 19 on campus and 30 online with DICAS due in mid- to late January. Madonna’s priority date is March 15, and its cohort size was not found.
Before applying in Detroit, confirm Madonna’s current ACEND status, how Wayne State assigns practice sites, and what rate Eastern Michigan charges out-of-state online students, since its own pages disagree. For University of Michigan and other Michigan programs, see the Michigan nutrition programs page.