School of Health Sciences, McQueary College of Health and Human Services • Springfield, MO • Hybrid and Campus • $414/Credit (Graduate, Public)
Missouri State University lists 5 nutrition credentials, and 2 of them lead to the RD credential:
- M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics, with the dietetic internship practica built in and a Population Health or Clinical track (the direct RD route)
- Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate, 16 credits for people who already hold a completed graduate degree (supervised practice only)
- B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics (the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- Accelerated master’s option for current Missouri State nutrition and dietetics majors
- Undergraduate nutrition minor and certificates in foundations of nutrition, sports nutrition, and cultural competence in international nutrition (not RD routes)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics | About $20,225 in tuition and fees (derived); the school estimates $19,685 | About 18 months over five semesters (derived) | 35; 38 with a thesis |
| M.S. accelerated option | Same rates; up to 12 credits count toward both degrees | Three semesters after the bachelor’s | 35 |
| Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate | $10,094 in tuition and fees by the school’s estimate | 9 months per the pages; the calendar runs about 11 | 16 |
| B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD) | $38,040 in tuition over four years before fees (derived, resident) | 4 years | 120 |
The lead fact is that ACEND accredits the Dietetic Internship, with the master’s as its degree option, so the supervised practice is inside the master’s. Five practicum courses in the 35 credits total at least 1,064 hours (derived) and replace the separate internship match for admitted students. The graduate certificate is for people who already hold a graduate degree.
The program has Population Health and Clinical tracks and concentrations in public affairs and rural health. Current Missouri State seniors can use an early-decision route capped at 12 places a year.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | The school never states a single format. ACEND lists a combination of in-person and online coursework; the traditional plan has one online track course, and interns more than 100 miles away join by Zoom |
| ACEND Accreditation | Dietetic Internship (with M.S. degree option) and Didactic Program in Dietetics: both accredited, terms end December 31, 2031 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | M.S. and certificate: yes on completion. B.S.: no on its own |
| Supervised Practice | At least 1,064 hours in the M.S. practica (derived); the handbook says a minimum of 1,000. Sites are mostly within 110 miles of Springfield and a car is required |
| Entrance Exams | No GRE found; DICAS and a virtual interview for non-dietitian applicants |
| GPA Floor | M.S. and internship: 3.0 over the last 60 hours. DPD: 2.9 |
| Intake | Summer; priority deadline February 1, final May 1; early decision for Missouri State seniors December 1 |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $414 per graduate credit resident, $825 non-resident for seated courses; $414 for everyone online |
| Institutional Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
The M.S. is 35 credits minimum: 26 to 29 in the core, including five practica in medical nutrition therapy, population health, food service, and a chosen concentration, and 9 in the track. The school’s estimate of $19,685 in tuition and fees does not reconcile with its own rate sheet; at 35 credits and the $414 resident rate, tuition alone is $14,490, and adding student, college, and program fees gives about $20,225 (derived).
M.S. Curriculum
The practica are 192 hours in medical nutrition therapy I, 320 in II, 192 in population health, 160 in food service, and at least 200 in the concentration. The Population Health track draws on public health courses, and the Clinical track on biomedical and dietetics courses. Students finish with a non-thesis scholarly paper and presentation, or a thesis with an oral defense.
M.S. Admissions
- Non-dietitian applicants need a DPD verification statement or declaration of intent within five years, a bachelor’s degree, a 3.0 GPA over the last 60 hours, a philosophy statement, two recommendations, a resume, and an interview
- DICAS costs $50 for the first application and $25 for each additional one; notification comes February 15, acceptance is due March 10, and a $500 deposit follows within 10 days
- Current Missouri State DPD seniors can apply for early decision by December 1, with notification December 20 and up to 12 places a year
- Registered dietitians apply through GradCAS with one recommendation and may transfer the first four practica
- The accelerated option needs 60 or more hours, a 3.0 GPA, and specific C- or better courses, and lets up to 12 credits count toward both degrees
You Should Know
The school’s pages disagree on several points: the internship is called nine months but its 2026-27 calendar runs June 3 to May 11, the transfer cap is 10.5 credits by the catalog rule and 11 on the program page, and ACEND approved an enrollment increase in July 2026 against a school-stated maximum of 12. A student with the DPD’s 2.9 GPA can complete the bachelor’s yet not meet the master’s 3.0.
Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate
The certificate is 16 credits of the same practica plus three one-credit courses, for people who hold or are finishing a graduate degree. Interns attend full time as a cohort of up to 12, with in-person orientations in June, August, January, and May and Zoom classes for those living more than 100 miles away. The school’s estimate is $10,094 in tuition and fees for residents and $15,848 for non-residents, which omits summer fees.
Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
The B.S. is the accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, 120 credits over four years. Entry to the major needs at least 45 hours, a C- or better in nutrition, anatomy, and chemistry courses, and a 2.9 GPA at Missouri State and combined, plus a signed honor code. The verification statement needs a 2.9 and a C- or better in all program courses. Tuition is $317 per credit resident, $38,040 for 120 credits before fees (derived).
- The school publishes outcome data with years: first-attempt exam pass rates of 92 percent for 2021 graduates and one-year pass rates of 100, 92.3, 94.1, and 100 percent for 2022 through 2025
- Its five-year internship acceptance summary reports 84.2 percent of graduates applying and 97.4 percent of applicants accepted, which differs slightly from its own counts of 91 of 93
- The internship and master’s report a lifetime 98.4 percent first-year pass rate and 100 percent employment since 2012, which are program-lifetime figures
- Undergraduate certificates in sports nutrition, foundations of nutrition, and cultural competence in international nutrition are 12 credits each and not RD routes
Tuition
Missouri State is public, so seated residency changes the price, but internet-based graduate courses are billed at the resident rate to everyone.
- Graduate: $414 per credit resident and $825 non-resident for seated courses; $414 for everyone online
- A $40 per credit college fee applies to graduate health courses, student services are $70 per credit up to 9 credits or $630 flat, with $200 athletics and $85 technology each fall and spring
- Program fees are $125 or $250 a term for the M.S., $500 a term for the internship, and $500 for the accelerated option at 7 or more credits
- Undergraduate: $317 per credit resident and $678 non-resident, up about 5 percent from 2025-26
- Other costs include $500 in books and a $58 Academy membership, and assistantship rules were not found
Be aware that:
The school’s estimated-cost pages carry no academic year and the M.S. figure does not match its rate sheet, so budget from the rates. Official figures are on the tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to DPD graduates and current Missouri State seniors who want the master’s and the supervised practice as one program in Springfield.
The built-in practice removes the separate internship match, and the school publishes dated exam pass and acceptance rates for its DPD. The honest limit is that sites are within driving distance of Springfield and a car is required, the cohort is small, the cost estimate does not reconcile, and the master’s needs a 3.0 that the DPD does not.
If you already hold the credential, the master’s can be completed with transfer credit. If you want sports nutrition without the RD route, the undergraduate certificate is a short option.
Accreditation
Missouri State is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which reaffirmed it in July 2026. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for Missouri lists the Dietetic Internship, with initial accreditation on February 22, 2012, and the Didactic Program in Dietetics, with initial accreditation on July 1, 1975, both with terms ending December 31, 2031. The directory has no separate graduate program entry, so the master’s is the internship’s degree option.
ACEND’s decisions show full and continued accreditation after a site visit for both in July 2023, approval of distance education for the DPD in April 2024, and an enrollment increase for the internship in July 2026 with no number stated. The Programs Under Review page lists no Missouri State program. A graduate of the M.S. or the certificate is eligible for the CDR exam; the B.S. alone is not.
More Nutrition Degrees in Missouri
- Missouri Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Northwest Missouri State University - Maryville
- Saint Louis University - St. Louis
- Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau
- University of Central Missouri - Warrensburg
- University of Missouri - Columbia