Queens College Nutrition Degree Programs

Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences • Flushing, NY • Hybrid (M.S.) and Campus • $470/Credit (Graduate, New York Resident, Part-Time)

Queens College offers 5 nutrition credentials, and the combined M.S./Dietetic Internship is the department’s integrated route to RD/RDN eligibility:

  • B.S., Nutrition and Dietetics (the Didactic Program in Dietetics)
  • M.S., Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, Nutrition Specialization
  • Dietetic Internship (stand-alone, verification statement only)
  • Combined M.S./Dietetic Internship
  • Accelerated B.S./M.S.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD)$6,930 a year resident tuition (derived)4 years120 minimum; 79 in the major
M.S. Nutrition Specialization$15,510 resident (derived, per-credit billing)Not clearly stated33
Dietetic Internship$8,460 resident for 18 credits (derived), plus fees9 months (36 weeks)18 billed
Combined M.S./Internship$18,330 resident (39 credits, published); about $18.1K at flat billing (derived)2 years; 3 maximum39
Accelerated B.S./M.S.Usually covered by undergraduate tuition for the creditsLast 2 undergraduate semestersUp to 12 graduate

Queens holds two ACEND programs, a Didactic Program in Dietetics and a Dietetic Internship, and neither is a Coordinated Program or Future Education Model program. The master’s is not itself accredited, so the combined M.S./Internship works by pairing the Nutrition Specialization with the internship over two years. Students who complete the DPD without a graduate degree qualify only for the New York State CDN credential.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
FormatB.S.: campus (ACEND lists in-person plus online). M.S.: mostly hybrid evening classes. Internship: in person
ACEND AccreditationDPD (initial 1976) and Dietetic Internship (initial 1988), both with terms to Dec. 31, 2028 per the directory
RD/RDN EligibilityCombined M.S./Internship: yes. B.S. and M.S. alone: no
Supervised PracticeAt least 1,000 hours over 36 weeks; up to 400 may be simulation
Entrance ExamsGRE policy not found
GPA FloorInternship: 3.2 cumulative and in DPD courses; M.S.: 3.0
Cohort SizeInternship: up to 12 full-time and 4 part-time interns a year
IntakeInternship: DICAS by October 23 (spring MS/DI entry) or February 15 (fall entry)
TuitionCUNY: $470 per credit graduate resident, $855 non-resident; $305 per credit undergraduate
Institutional AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education

Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Dietetics

The B.S. is 24 classes and 79 credits within a 120-credit minimum plus general education, and resident tuition is $3,465 a semester, or $6,930 a year before fees of about $608 (derived). It is the ACEND-accredited DPD and gives a verification statement but not the credential on its own.

  • Admission to the major comes after admission to the college, through a separate program application, with a 3.2 GPA advisable and not required
  • Retention needs a 3.0 across major courses with a C or better in each; the verification statement needs a 3.2 in nutrition and dietetics courses, a B or better in all of them, and 73 or higher on every knowledge assignment, so a student can earn the degree without the statement
  • The accelerated route needs a 3.2 science GPA, a 3.4 major GPA, an A- in two nutrition courses, and 50 hours of outside fieldwork, with applications due June 15 or January 7
You Should Know

The program page asks second-bachelor’s students for 45 credits at Queens while the handbook says 30. Lab material fees are listed as $85 to $105 in course descriptions and as $25 to $90 in the handbook.

Master of Science, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences: Nutrition Specialization

The Nutrition Specialization is 33 credits, with ten required courses of 3 credits (30 credits, derived) and an approved elective. The capstone is a research project or a comprehensive exam plus an extra course, with no thesis. Most classes are hybrid and held in the evening.

Admission needs a four-year nutrition and dietetics degree with a 3.0 GPA, advisor approval, and possibly an interview, with TOEFL 98 to 100 or IELTS 7 for non-native speakers. Deadlines and a GRE policy were not found, and the program page also says chemistry and biology majors may be considered, which the spring 2026 sheet does not allow. At per-credit billing it costs $15,510 for residents or $28,215 for non-residents (derived).

Dietetic Internship

The stand-alone internship is 36 weeks and at least 1,000 hours: a one-week orientation, community 14 weeks and 420 hours, clinical 14 weeks and 420 hours, and food service management 7 weeks and 210 hours. It earns a verification statement only, with no degree, at about $8,460 for 18 credits for residents plus $396.70 in fees and a $150 internship fee (derived), or $15,390 non-resident.

  • The program arranges local sites within about two hours’ commute, and interns pay their own transportation; the page says up to 12 full-time and 4 part-time interns are placed a year
  • Applicants need a master’s or enrollment in the combined M.S./Internship and a DPD verification statement within three years, with a 3.2 cumulative and DPD GPA and a science GPA of 2.8 on the page or 3.0 in the handbook; Queens DPD students with a 3.4 entering senior year can preselect
  • Applications use DICAS ($50 plus $25 for each additional program), with notification on November 1 and March 1 and decisions on November 10 and March 10; the $100 program fee is waived for 2026-27

Combined Master of Science and Dietetic Internship

The combined route is 24 graduate credits in year one and 9 credits including the internship in year two, for 39 credits over two years, with a maximum of three. Students who complete year one are guaranteed an internship placement. The published resident total is $18,330 (year one 24 credits at $470 is $11,280, and year two 15 credits is $7,050), though at 12 or more credits CUNY bills a flat $5,545, so year one would be $11,090 and the fees higher than the published $198.35 (derived).

Accelerated B.S./M.S.

Up to 12 graduate credits can be taken in the last two undergraduate semesters in place of undergraduate courses. The handbook says there is no extra cost, while the program page says the credits are typically covered by undergraduate tuition.

Tuition

Queens’ CUNY rates are $470 per credit part-time and $5,545 a semester full-time for graduate residents, $855 per credit for non-residents, and $305 per credit undergraduate residents. Graduate fees are $260.85 a semester at 12 or more credits and $198.35 below that.

  • Derived: a graduate resident full-time year is $11,611.70 including fees, which matches the bursar’s own figure
  • The 2025-26 DI handbook lists non-resident graduate tuition at $830 per credit against $855 on the current page
  • No program-specific differential or verification statement fee was found

Be aware that:

Queens’ bursar table is labeled “Effective Fall 2023” and no 2026-27 table exists, though CUNY’s own page states the same $305 and $470 rates for 2026-27. Official figures are on Queens’ tuition and costs page.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited to Queens students and New York residents who want the whole sequence in one department at CUNY prices and are comfortable with an evening hybrid master’s.

The in-house ladder covers the DPD, the master’s, the internship, and a guaranteed-placement combined route, with preselection at a 3.4 GPA for its own DPD students. The tradeoff is two quality gates: the verification statement has a stricter standard than the degree, and the internship takes about 16 interns a year, so outside applicants compete for few places.

If you plan to work only in New York, note that a DPD and an internship without a graduate degree qualify only for the state CDN credential, not the national exam.

Accreditation

Queens is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid. The handbook uses an outdated name for the commission.

ACEND’s directory lists a Didactic Program in Dietetics (initial accreditation August 1, 1976, B.S. offered) and a Dietetic Internship (initial April 1, 1988, M.S. offered, with a non-degree option), both accredited with terms ending December 31, 2028 and no closure flag. The internship page says it is fully accredited through 2028. ACEND’s decisions pages and the Programs Under Review page were blocked in this review, so decision dates are not verified, and a search summary suggesting a 2026 entry for the DPD could not be confirmed.

A graduate of the combined M.S./Internship completes the master’s and the supervised practice and can sit for the CDR exam, while a graduate of the B.S. alone is eligible for the technician exam and needs more steps for the credential.

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