College of Health and Wellness, Functional and Integrative Nutrition • Bloomington, MN • Online • $545/Credit (Graduate, Private)
Northwestern Health Sciences University offers 3 nutrition credentials, all online, and its catalog states that none leads to RD/RDN eligibility:
- Master of Health Science (MHS), Functional and Integrative Nutrition
- Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN), Functional and Integrative Nutrition
- Graduate Certificate, Functional Sports and Performance Nutrition
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MHS Functional and Integrative Nutrition | $19,620 (36 credits at $545); about $20.2K with fees (derived) | As little as one year, or at your own pace | 36 |
| DCN Functional and Integrative Nutrition | $42,975 (published); about $43.7K with fees (derived) | Just over one year per the school; 4 terms | 45 |
| Functional Sports and Performance Nutrition Certificate | $8,175 (15 credits at $545); about $8.4K with fees (derived) | 6 months to a year | 15 |
The lead fact is the credential boundary. The 2026-27 catalog says the nutrition programs do not lead to eligibility for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential, and ACEND’s live Minnesota directory and its 2019 through 2026 decisions pages show no Northwestern program. The master’s is designed as a pathway to the Certified Nutrition Specialist academic requirements, and the doctorate is described as a pathway to the Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition.
The three credentials stack: the certificate’s five courses are all master’s courses, and the master’s can lead on to the doctorate. The certificate is the one sports and performance credential in the set.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Online, mostly asynchronous, with three start dates a year |
| ACEND Accreditation | None |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | No; stated in the catalog |
| Supervised Practice | None required; up to 250 indirect hours through electives toward the CNS |
| Entrance Exams | None found |
| GPA Floor | MHS and certificate: 2.75 or a special-circumstances letter. DCN: 3.0 |
| Intake | Rolling; next MHS starts November 4, 2026 and January 6, 2027; DCN January 6, 2027 |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $545 per credit; DCN upper-level courses $1,160; $190 a term in fees |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Master of Health Science, Functional and Integrative Nutrition
The estimated tuition for the MHS at Northwestern is $19,620 (36 credits at $545), which matches the school’s published estimate, or about $20,190 with three $190 fees for a one-year pace (derived). The degree is 21 core credits across seven courses, including a 3-credit capstone, and 15 elective credits, with up to 9 transfer credits and no thesis.
MHS Curriculum
The catalog lists four specializations: Nutrition Specialist, Sports Nutrition, Health Coaching, and General Studies. Sports Nutrition requires courses in sports and human performance nutrition, advanced and applied sports nutrition, and functional nutrition technology and diagnostics, plus two more electives. Terms are 15 weeks with two 7-week sessions, and only certain health coaching electives need synchronous sessions, about 40 hours in total.
MHS Admissions
- A bachelor’s or professional degree, with a 2.75 GPA or a letter of special circumstances
- Prerequisites at C- or better in biochemistry, human physiology or anatomy and physiology, and introductory nutrition, due by the end of the first full term; a pre-program pathway lets students start while finishing them
- An online application with a one-page statement of purpose, transcripts, and a $50 fee, accepted until about two weeks before the term starts
- GRE, DICAS, and cohort size were not found
You Should Know
The school’s CNS wording differs by page: its nutrition page says the master’s “fulfills” the Certified Nutrition Specialist requirements, while the 2026-27 catalog says it is “designed as a pathway” and that the board reviews each candidate individually. The CNS also needs 1,000 supervised hours, of which Northwestern provides at most 250 indirect hours. The school’s “100% pass rate” on the CNS exam carries no year or cohort size, and its tuition page lists a 30-credit M.H.S. in Human Performance that is absent from the catalog.
Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Functional and Integrative Nutrition
The DCN is 45 credits: 30 core credits of 7000- and 8000-level courses at $1,160 per credit plus 15 elective credits at $545, for $42,975 in published tuition, which reconciles. It takes just over a year, with a 6-credit doctoral capstone and a publication seminar, no dissertation, and three start dates a year, though the next listed start is January 6, 2027.
- Admission needs a master’s or doctoral degree in nutrition or a related clinical field, a 3.0 GPA or a letter of special circumstances, and graduate prerequisites in nutrition science, biochemistry, physiology, clinical or life sciences, and behavioral science
- The nutrition page describes the DCN as a pathway to the Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, which requires 300 specialized training hours, a peer-reviewed publication, a year of practice, and an exam; the catalog never mentions it, and it was not checked with the board
- A combined MHS and DCN totals 81 credits, derived as 36 plus 45 with no stated overlap
Graduate Certificate, Functional Sports and Performance Nutrition
The certificate is 15 credits, five 3-credit courses taught in 7-week sessions, for $8,175 in tuition. The courses are foundations of functional and integrative nutrition, natural therapies (supplements, herbs, and pharmaceuticals), sports and human performance nutrition, advanced and applied sports nutrition, and functional nutrition technology and diagnostics. It is online and asynchronous and takes as little as six months.
- All five courses count toward the MHS, and the last three are exactly the Sports Nutrition specialization’s required electives, so the certificate is 15 of the MHS’s 36 credits
- Admission uses the MHS requirements, though the catalog lists none for the certificate, and its graduation criteria also admit professional-degree students past the midpoint
- The page names no certification, practicum, or outcomes; it is not a path to the sports dietetics specialty credential, which requires the RD, and its start months are listed two different ways
- The school calls it the only sports nutrition certificate in the U.S. with a functional approach, a claim not verified here
Tuition
Northwestern’s 2026-27 tuition is $545 per credit for the MHS and the certificate, and $545 for lower-level and $1,160 for upper-level DCN courses. It is private, so one rate applies to everyone, with a $190 fee each term.
- Derived all-in estimates: MHS about $20,190 in one year, certificate about $8,365 in one term, DCN about $43,735 over four terms
- Because the certificate credits count toward the MHS, taking both does not add their tuition together; the combined MHS and DCN is $62,595 in tuition plus fees
- Financial aid is available to those who qualify, and aid eligibility for the certificate was not confirmed
Be aware that:
The tuition page also shows estimates exactly one credit lower than the headline figures, which the school does not explain. Official figures are on Northwestern’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to health practitioners and graduates in related fields who want a low-cost, fully online graduate route into functional and integrative nutrition, built in stackable steps.
The stackable ladder lets a student start with a 15-credit certificate for about $8,200 in tuition, move into the 36-credit master’s without repeating courses, and continue to a clinical doctorate. The honest limit is that nothing here is a dietitian route, the CNS route needs 1,000 hours the school largely does not supply, and no outcomes are published beyond an unverified exam claim.
If you support athletes and already hold a degree, the certificate or the Sports Nutrition specialization fits. If you want the RD credential, choose an ACEND program instead.
Accreditation
Northwestern is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which the school says extended its accreditation to 2029 to 2030, a year the school’s article does not date. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid. Its programmatic accreditations cover chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and other fields, and none covers nutrition.
ACEND’s live directory for Minnesota lists nine programs, and none is at Northwestern. ACEND’s decisions pages for 2019 through 2026 and its Programs Under Review page contain no Northwestern entry, and the catalog’s licensure page states the nutrition programs do not lead to RDN eligibility.
A graduate holds a master’s or doctoral degree in functional and integrative nutrition and is not eligible for the CDR exam on that basis.