Teachers College, Columbia University Nutrition Degree Programs

Program in Nutrition, Department of Health and Behavior Studies • New York, NY • Campus • $2,216/Credit (Graduate, Private)

Teachers College, Columbia University lists 7 nutrition credentials, and 3 of them are the master’s degrees of its ACEND graduate program, which leads to RD/RDN eligibility:

  • M.S., Nutrition Education (Integrated MS-RDN Track)
  • M.S., Nutrition and Public Health (Integrated MS-RDN Track)
  • M.S., Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (Integrated MS-RDN Track)
  • M.Ed., Community Nutrition Education (for people who already hold an M.S. in nutrition)
  • Ph.D., Behavioral Nutrition
  • Ed.D., Nutrition and Public Health (not accepting 2027 applications)
  • Ed.D., Nutrition Education (not accepting 2027 applications)

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
M.S. Nutrition Education$104,152 in tuition (derived)2 years full-time; 3 to 4 part-time47
M.S. Nutrition and Public Health$104,152 in tuition (derived)2 years full-time; 3 to 4 part-time47
M.S. Nutrition and Exercise Physiology$119,664 in tuition (derived)2 years full-time; 3 to 4 part-time54
M.Ed. Community Nutrition Education$132,960 in tuition (derived)Not clearly stated60
Ph.D. and Ed.D. programsNot clearly statedNot clearly stated75

Teachers College has one ACEND-accredited program, the Integrated MS-RDN Track, which ACEND lists as a Future Education Model graduate program. It combines coursework, more than 1,000 supervised hours, and a master’s degree in one admission, so there is no separate internship match. It is graduate-only: Teachers College has no bachelor’s program, no DPD, and, since August 2023, no standalone dietetic internship.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
FormatCampus full-time or part-time; ACEND lists in-person plus online and distance approval
ACEND AccreditationGraduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, term to Dec. 31, 2032 per the directory
RD/RDN EligibilityIntegrated MS-RDN Track: yes, with a verification statement. Doctoral degrees: no
Supervised PracticeMore than 1,000 hours of experiential learning, at least 700 at worksites, program-placed
Entrance ExamsGRE optional
GPA FloorNot found; GPA is a selection criterion. Prerequisites each need a B or better
Cohort SizeAbout 30 new students a year; 30 to 40 per cohort on one page
IntakeFall only; priority December 1, final January 15
Tuition2026-27 estimated: $2,216 per credit plus $538 per semester
Institutional AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education

Integrated MS-RDN Track: Three Master of Science Degrees

The estimated tuition for the Integrated MS-RDN Track at Teachers College is $104,152 for the 47-credit M.S. in Nutrition Education or Nutrition and Public Health (47 credits at $2,216) and $119,664 for the 54-credit M.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (derived). Adding the $538 semester fee for six terms gives about $107,380 and $122,892, and the health fee adds about $3,036 more (derived, assuming six terms).

MS-RDN Curriculum

The three degrees share a core with specialization courses, including advanced nutrition, food service operations and management, and disease pathophysiology and medical nutrition therapy. The exercise physiology degree is described as the first U.S. graduate program combining nutrition and exercise science, created in 1982, and it includes a practicum with collegiate athletes. Graduation requires a continuous quality improvement project at a worksite, presented at a fair, with no thesis, and progression needs a B in core nutrition courses and at least 4 of 9 on performance indicators.

MS-RDN Supervised Practice

  • More than 1,000 hours of supervised experiential learning, at least 700 at worksites, split across coursework, practicums, and worksites
  • The program places students, who need not find their own sites; rotations are clinical, community, and food service, mostly in New York City and sometimes the tri-state area, with fewer than half remote
  • Full-time students in the final year work about 10 to 15 hours a week in fall, 15 to 32 in spring, and 32 in summer; part-time students do worksite rotations about four weekdays a week from January to mid-August of their final year
  • Two advanced practicum courses carry placement fees, and the program runs 12 months a year

MS-RDN Admissions

  • Fall entry only: for September 2027 the application opens September 3, 2026, with a priority date of December 1, 2026 and a final date of January 15, 2027; decisions come four to six weeks later
  • DICAS ($50) plus a $75 Teachers College fee, two letters, an essay, a resume, and transcripts; the GRE is optional
  • Seven prerequisites each at B or better: general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, human physiology, microbiology, introductory nutrition, and statistics, with at least four done by the deadline and the introductory nutrition, biochemistry, and physiology courses within about five years
  • Information sessions are described as mandatory on one page and highly recommended on another; the program favors career changers and applicants who understand health disparities

Master of Education, Community Nutrition Education

The M.Ed. is 60 credits for people who already hold an M.S. in nutrition and want to become dietitians, costing about $132,960 in tuition (derived). Teachers College says it can meet the requirements to sit for the exam, but the page does not name ACEND and the directory lists only an M.S. degree, so confirm with the program whether it falls inside the accredited track. Its supervised practice hours are not stated.

Doctoral Programs

The Ph.D. in Behavioral Nutrition is 75 credits, with concentrations in nutritional epidemiology and nutrition and physical activity listed on another page. The two Ed.D. programs are also 75 credits and are not accepting applications for the 2027 cycle. None of the doctoral programs is an RD route.

Tuition

Teachers College’s estimated 2026-27 tuition is $2,216 per credit, with a mandatory college fee of $538 per semester, and as a private institution it applies no residency split. The college notes that a limited number of specialized cohort programs may follow different tuition structures.

  • Columbia Health fee: $759 per term at 9 credits (published as $1,518 a year) and $228 at 5 or 7 credits; Columbia student health insurance of $2,761 in fall and $4,487 in spring is required for international students
  • Course fees: $50 per core course, $175 per lab, and $500 per advanced practicum course, with books near $50 per credit and an exam fee of $250
  • Published term totals reconcile, for example 9 credits in fall is $24,002 with fees and insurance
  • The Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowship is $14,000 a year and is not automatically renewed, and scholarships are considered through the application with a December 1 priority

Be aware that:

Every figure is labeled estimated, the totals above assume the minimum credits and fees charged in six terms, and they exclude insurance, course and placement fees, books, and living costs. Official figures are on Teachers College’s tuition and fees page.

Why Choose This Nutrition Program?

Best suited to career changers who want to combine dietetics with public health, education, or exercise science in one integrated Manhattan program and can finance a six-figure master’s.

The cost verdict is a premium price: about $104,000 to $120,000 in tuition alone, which buys program-placed practice, no internship match, and a choice of three specializations. The pace is demanding, because the program runs 12 months a year and a final-year summer reaches about 32 hours a week at worksites.

If you are weighing the M.Ed., it is built for people who already hold a nutrition master’s, and its accreditation scope should be confirmed. If you want a doctorate, the Ph.D. is the open route, since both Ed.D. programs are paused for 2027.

Accreditation

Teachers College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, reaffirmed in June 2016 with a 2026 self-study under way, which matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.

ACEND’s directory lists a Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (listed initial accreditation September 14, 2020, M.S. offered, distance education approved) with a term ending December 31, 2032. That September 2020 date is the decision to reorganize the former Dietetic Internship into a Future Education Model graduate program, not Teachers College’s first accreditation. ACEND’s decisions pages, read through archived copies, show full accreditation of the internship in January 2020, the reorganization in September 2020, the internship’s closure effective August 1, 2023, continued accreditation after a complaint in April 2025, and full and continued accreditation after a site visit in July 2025. The substance of the complaint was not found, the pages print no term dates, and Teachers College is not on the Programs Under Review page.

A graduate of the Integrated MS-RDN Track completes the master’s and the supervised practice, receives a verification statement, and can sit for the CDR exam. Teachers College cautions that ACEND accreditation does not automatically confer state licensure, including in New York.

Compare More Nutrition Programs in New York