Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences • Clemson, SC • Campus • $654/Credit Part-Time Resident (Undergraduate, Public)
Clemson University lists 3 nutrition credentials, and the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics sits inside the first:
- B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition, Nutrition concentration with a Dietetics emphasis (the DPD)
- M.S. in Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences (thesis, or non-thesis with a Nutrition track or a Food and Culinary Sciences track)
- Ph.D. in Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Food Science and Human Nutrition, Dietetics emphasis | $15,120 a year in published tuition and fees; $16,620 if the $750 per semester program fee applies (derived) | 4 years, 8 semesters | 125 to 127 |
| M.S. Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences | $22,772 to $30,016 over four semesters, depending on a tuition tier the school does not state (derived) | 1.5 to 2.5 years | 30 |
| Ph.D. Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences | $6,070 per semester if the doctoral tier applies (derived); assistantships are common | 3.5 to 4 years after the M.S. | 60 |
The lead fact is that Clemson has a Didactic Program in Dietetics and no dietetic internship, coordinated program, or graduate dietetics program. The Dietetics emphasis gives a verification statement, and the RD route continues at an outside ACEND-accredited supervised practice program. The non-thesis Nutrition track of the M.S. is built so that a graduate student can earn the master’s degree the CDR now requires while completing the DPD coursework.
The other three emphases of the Nutrition concentration (basic and behavioral science, community health and wellness, and food industry) do not carry a verification statement.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus; the school says select courses are occasionally online, and ACEND lists a combination of in-person and online coursework |
| ACEND Accreditation | Didactic Program in Dietetics: accredited, term ends December 31, 2033 per ACEND’s directory |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | No on its own; the DPD gives a verification statement, then an outside internship; a master’s degree is also required |
| Supervised Practice | None at Clemson; the school says the RD route needs 1,200 hours elsewhere |
| Entrance Exams | Undergraduate: none. M.S.: GRE required unless an adviser petitions for a waiver |
| GPA Floor | Dietetics emphasis: 3.20 cumulative after 60 credits. M.S.: no program floor stated; the Graduate School applies a 3.0 for progress |
| Intake | Dietetics emphasis: fall and spring; M.S.: rolling for fall, spring, and summer |
| Tuition | 2026-27: $7,560 per semester resident and $21,551 non-resident full-time undergraduate; graduate tiers $4,970 to $6,781 resident |
| Institutional Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition, Dietetics Emphasis
The estimated tuition for the Dietetics emphasis at Clemson is $15,120 a year in published resident tuition and fees ($7,560 for each of two semesters), or $16,620 if the $750 per semester Food Science and Human Nutrition program fee applies (derived). Over eight semesters that is $60,480, or $66,480 with the program fee (derived at flat 2026-27 rates). The degree takes four years and 125 to 127 semester hours.
Dietetics Curriculum
Courses include nutrition assessment, medical nutrition therapy I and II, community nutrition, nutrition counseling, quantity food production, institutional food service management, food and culture, human nutrition and metabolism I and II, and professional development in dietetics. The emphasis itself uses about 17 to 18 credits. There is no thesis or capstone.
Dietetics Admissions
- Students apply to the Dietetics emphasis after about 60 credits, with a 3.20 cumulative GPA, a C or better in all biology and chemistry courses, a B or better in all nutrition courses, an information session, and an application packet; admission is competitive
- The 2025-26 cycle listed deadlines of January 10 for spring entry and July 30 for fall entry; other school pages give January and September, or January and June, so confirm with the program director
- The 2025-26 cohort was described as 22 students, 8 graduate and 12 undergraduate and 2 former students; no cap was found
- A verification statement needs a 3.0 overall GPA, a B or better in required nutrition and food science courses with one C allowed outside medical nutrition therapy, and a C or better in other required coursework
You Should Know
The school’s pages state the completion objective two ways, six years in one place and three years in another, both described as 150 percent of the program length. Costs for internship applications are quoted from 2021 and 2023 in different documents, and the school says supervised practice tuition averages $7,500 to $10,000 without a graduate degree and $20,000 or more with graduate credit. The link labeled as the undergraduate admission policy leads to the graduate-student version.
Master of Science in Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences
The M.S. is 30 credits in three formats, all on campus. The thesis format is 24 coursework credits and 6 research credits with an oral defense and takes about 2 to 2.5 years. The non-thesis Nutrition track is 30 credits set with the nutrition adviser to meet DPD requirements, requires a 3.3 GPA with only A or B grades, and takes about 1.5 to 2 years. The non-thesis Food and Culinary Sciences track is 30 credits built from required food science courses, electives, and 6 to 8 credits at the 6000 level or above.
- The M.S. is not ACEND-accredited and has no supervised practice; it supplies the master’s degree, and the graduate DPD route is available only to enrolled Clemson graduate students
- A faculty member must agree to be the major adviser before acceptance, and the GRE is required unless a prospective adviser petitions for a waiver
- A bachelor’s in a food, nutrition, or packaging field is desirable but not required
- Research assistantships are the most common support, usually up to two years for thesis students; nutrition non-thesis students are not described as typically funded
- The Food and Culinary Sciences track is a food science culinary program and is separate from the dietetics route
Doctor of Philosophy in Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
The Ph.D. is 60 credits, the 30-credit M.S. equivalent plus 30 more (12 coursework and 18 research), with written and oral comprehensive exams, two refereed manuscripts, and a dissertation defense. It is a research degree, takes about 3.5 to 4 years after the M.S., and does not admit directly from a bachelor’s. Doctoral assistantships normally run three years beyond the master’s.
Tuition
Clemson is public, so resident and non-resident rates differ. Figures below are for 2026-27 and come from its published fee tables.
- Undergraduate full-time: $7,019 academic fee plus $541 itemized fees is $7,560 per semester resident; $21,010 plus $541 is $21,551 non-resident. Part-time is $654 per credit resident and $1,869 non-resident
- The Food Science and Human Nutrition program fee is listed at $750 per semester full time or $63 per credit, but which semesters it applies to was not found. Library, athletics, and extra transit fees are listed separately, and lab fees run $75 to $600 per course
- Graduate full-time tuition by tier, per semester: Tier 1 $6,781 resident and $14,638 non-resident, Tier 2 $5,750 and $11,965, Tier 3 $4,970 and $10,294, doctoral $5,347 and $11,274, plus $723 in fees ($604 for assistants)
- The school does not state which tier the M.S. or Ph.D. uses, so the totals are ranges: resident M.S. over four fall and spring semesters is $22,772 (Tier 3) to $30,016 (Tier 1), and non-resident is $44,068 to $61,444 (derived)
- Assistants receive tuition discounts and a stipend, so funded students pay less; whether the discount changes a non-resident to resident rate was not found
- Non-resident undergraduate rates rose 3.6 percent from 2025-26, from $20,281 to $21,010 for the academic fee
Be aware that:
Supervised practice for the RD credential is a separate cost at another institution. Official figures are on Clemson’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited to students who want a long-established DPD with a master’s option on the same campus, and to students interested in the food science and culinary side of nutrition.
The built-in graduate route lets a student pair the DPD coursework with a non-thesis master’s in 1.5 to 2 years, which covers the CDR master’s requirement. The honest limit is that Clemson has no internship or coordinated program, entry to the Dietetics emphasis is competitive, the school’s self-reported 100 percent internship acceptance rate since 2021 carries no pass-rate data, and the M.S. tuition tier is not published.
If you want a research career, the thesis M.S. and the Ph.D. fit. If you want a coordinated RD route with supervised practice included, choose a program that offers one.
Accreditation
Clemson is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, reaffirmed in December 2023 with the next reaffirmation due in 2033. Institutional accreditation matters for transfer credit, graduate admission, and federal financial aid.
ACEND’s live directory for South Carolina lists the Didactic Program in Dietetics as accredited, with initial accreditation on November 1, 1983, a term ending December 31, 2033, and approval to offer distance education. ACEND’s July 2026 decisions page records full and continued accreditation after a site visit, without term dates; the 2019 through 2025 pages mention no Clemson entry, and the program is not on the Programs Under Review page. The school states that the program is accredited and gives no term date.
A graduate of the Dietetics emphasis holds a verification statement and still needs an accredited supervised practice program and a master’s degree before the CDR exam. The M.S. and Ph.D. are not ACEND programs.
More Nutrition Degrees in South Carolina
- South Carolina Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- South Carolina State University - Orangeburg
- University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Winthrop University - Rock Hill