Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management • University, MS • Campus • $428.25/Credit (B.S., Resident)
Ole Miss offers 2 Nutritional Sciences credentials:
- B.S., Dietetics and Nutrition (DPD)
- M.S., Food and Nutrition Services (Coordinated Program)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $428.25/credit resident (2026-27) | 4 years (120-credit bachelor’s norm) | 120 minimum |
| M.S. | $571.00/credit resident, plus a $150/semester CP course fee (minimum 3 semesters) | 21 months (5 semesters) | 36 (nonthesis) or 39 (thesis), per the program description |
Ole Miss’s Coordinated Program lets B.S. graduates continue into supervised practice without a separate national internship match, but admission is competitive and space-available, not automatic, even for Ole Miss’s own DPD graduates; it admits outside DPD-verified applicants on the same basis. Ole Miss’s own catalog is internally inconsistent about the CP’s total credits, and a commonly cited ~$9.3K/year tuition figure for this program appears outdated: current resident undergraduate tuition alone runs closer to $10,300 to $12,800 a year.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus |
| Credit Hours | B.S.: 120 minimum; M.S.: 36 (nonthesis) or 39 (thesis) per the program description, though Ole Miss’s own itemized course list sums to 35 to 41 credits, an internal inconsistency not independently resolved here |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes — B.S. DPD and M.S. Coordinated Program in Dietetics, both independently confirmed on ACEND’s own 2015 accreditation-decisions page |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes, via the Coordinated Program, which combines coursework and supervised practice in one accredited credential |
| Admissions | CP: competitive, space-available; DICAS application (deadline January 15), GRE scores, virtual panel interview; open to outside DPD-verified applicants, not limited to Ole Miss’s own B.S. graduates. A commonly cited 3.0 GPA minimum could not be confirmed on Ole Miss’s own admissions page |
| Supervised Practice | At least 8 credit hours of supervised practice, beginning the summer between the first and second year and continuing through the final semesters; exact clock-hour total not published |
| Licensure Note | Ole Miss states directly it has not determined whether its curriculum meets licensure requirements in states outside Mississippi |
| Tuition | B.S.: $428.25/credit resident; M.S.: $571.00/credit resident, plus a $150/semester CP course fee (minimum 3 semesters) |
| Institutional Accreditation | SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) |
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics and Nutrition
The estimated tuition for the B.S. at Ole Miss is $428.25 per credit for residents (2026-27 rate). The program requires a minimum of 120 credits over the standard four-year timeline.
B.S. Curriculum
Dietetics and Nutrition is Ole Miss’s ACEND-accredited DPD, housed in the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management within the School of Applied Sciences.
You Should Know
Ole Miss states directly on its accreditation page that it has not determined whether the program curriculum meets licensure or certification requirements in other US states, territories, or the District of Columbia. Confirm licensure portability with your target state’s board if you plan to practice outside Mississippi.
B.S. Admissions
Admission follows Ole Miss’s standard undergraduate admission process; students declare Dietetics and Nutrition to be on the DPD track.
Master of Science, Food and Nutrition Services (Coordinated Program)
The estimated tuition for the M.S. Coordinated Program at Ole Miss is $571.00 per credit for residents, plus a $150 per semester CP course fee for a minimum of 3 semesters. The program runs 21 months across 5 semesters, requiring 36 credits in the nonthesis track or 39 in the thesis track, per the program description.
M.S. Curriculum
The Coordinated Program combines graduate coursework with exposure across education, research, and practice, and folds supervised practice directly into the same accredited credential rather than requiring a separate internship application afterward.
You Should Know
Ole Miss’s own catalog is internally inconsistent about this program’s total credits. The program description states 36 credits for the nonthesis option and 39 for the thesis option, but the catalog’s own itemized course list sums to somewhere between 35 and 41 credits depending on electives chosen. Confirm the exact total directly with the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management before planning your course sequence.
M.S. Supervised Practice
- At least 8 credit hours of supervised practice (NAHM 6990)
- Begins the summer between the first and second year, continuing through the final fall and spring semesters
- Exact total clock hours not published; only credit hours and timing are stated
M.S. Admissions
- Application via DICAS; deadline January 15, 11:59pm
- GRE scores, resume/CV, personal statement, 2 or more recommendation letters
- Specific prerequisite coursework, which varies by whether the applicant already holds a DPD verification statement
- Admission is described as competitive and space-available, including a virtual panel interview and possible waitlisting
You Should Know
A commonly cited 3.0 GPA minimum for this program could not be confirmed on Ole Miss’s own admissions page and should be treated as unverified. The program is open to qualified outside applicants with a DPD verification statement, not limited to students who completed their bachelor’s at Ole Miss.
Tuition
Ole Miss charges $428.25 per credit for resident undergraduates and $571.00 per credit for resident graduate students (2026-27 rates), with an additional $150 per semester CP course fee for the Coordinated Program.
- $428.25/credit resident undergraduate; $1,294.50/credit nonresident
- $571.00/credit resident graduate; $1,726.00/credit nonresident
- $150/semester CP course fee, minimum 3 semesters
- Estimated extras for the CP: roughly $800 textbooks, $75/year liability insurance, and $1,000 to $2,000 in travel costs
Be aware that:
A commonly cited ~$9.3K/year in-state figure for Ole Miss nutrition programs appears outdated. At the current resident undergraduate rate, a full-time course load (24 to 30 credits a year) runs approximately $10,278 to $12,847 a year in tuition alone, before the graduate program’s additional CP fees and estimated extras.
Official tuition figures are published on Ole Miss’s fees and financial aid page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students who want the didactic degree and coordinated supervised practice available at the same institution, without necessarily guaranteeing a spot in the graduate program.
Ole Miss’s own DPD graduates can apply to the Coordinated Program without leaving the university, though admission remains competitive and space-available rather than an automatic continuation.
DPD graduates from other accredited programs can apply to the same Coordinated Program on equal footing, since it is not restricted to Ole Miss’s own undergraduates.
The honest trade-off is that Ole Miss’s own catalog disagrees with itself on the Coordinated Program’s total credits, a commonly cited GPA minimum couldn’t be confirmed, and current tuition runs meaningfully higher than the ~$9.3K/year figure sometimes quoted for this program. Confirm all three directly before applying.
Accreditation
Ole Miss is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND accredits Ole Miss’s Didactic Program in Dietetics and its M.S. Food and Nutrition Services as a Coordinated Program in Dietetics, both independently confirmed on ACEND’s own accreditation-decisions records, not just Ole Miss’s self-description.
Graduates of the Coordinated Program are eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam on completing the program, since coursework and supervised practice are combined in one accredited credential. Graduates of the DPD alone are not RD-eligible and must complete a Coordinated Program or equivalent supervised practice plus a graduate degree, at Ole Miss or elsewhere, to pursue the credential.
More Nutrition Degrees in Mississippi
- Jones County Junior College - Ellisville
- Mississippi Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Mississippi State University - Mississippi State
- University of Southern Mississippi - Hattiesburg