Two universities with profiled nutrition programs serve Houston: the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. Between them they run 7 credentials, from $8,000 for the University of Houston’s dietetic internship to about $111,100 for four years of its bachelor’s out of state (derived). Durations run from 27 weeks for the internship to four years for the bachelor’s degrees.
Both schools hold a Didactic Program in Dietetics, and the University of Houston adds the city’s only profiled supervised-practice route: a dietetic internship offered onsite or at a distance, with an online master’s. Texas Southern has no master’s, internship, or Coordinated Program, so its graduates complete the rest of the route elsewhere. ACEND lists a pending reaccreditation decision for the University of Houston and a monitored history for Texas Southern’s DPD.
Nutrition Programs in Houston — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston Houston | B.S. Human Nutrition and Foods — ACEND DPD subplan Post-baccalaureate DPD plan Online M.S. Nutrition — 30 credits, for interns and RDs Dietetic Internship — onsite or distance Combined M.S./Dietetic Internship | Internship $8,000 flat; M.S. $12.7K to $18.0K (before fees); M.S./Internship $20.7K to $26.0K (derived); B.S. $47.6K in-state | Online (M.S.); Hybrid (internship); Campus (B.S.) | Yes — the internship, with a DPD first |
| Texas Southern University Houston | B.S. Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics — ACEND DPD Verification Statement Only — non-degree | B.S. $36.7K to $41.6K in-state (derived, tuition and fees); verification-only about $12.5K to $15.1K | Campus | Not directly — DPD only; no master’s or internship |
Costs are each profile’s published or derived totals at 2026-27 rates. The University of Houston’s resident M.S. price differs across its own pages, so both figures are shown. Other Texas programs are on the Texas nutrition programs page.
Which Houston Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose the University of Houston if you already hold a DPD verification statement and either live in Houston or cannot relocate. The onsite internship uses more than 50 sites, and the distance option lets you train near home if you secure approved preceptors before applying. The online master’s is open only to interns and credentialed dietitians.
Choose Texas Southern if you want accredited dietetics coursework at a historically Black university in Houston, either as a bachelor’s or through the verification-only option, and you plan the master’s and internship as a second stage elsewhere.
Houston Nutrition Schools
University of Houston
Houston; Department of Health and Human Performance, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; campus, online, and distance options.
- Dietetic Internship — 27 weeks, at least 1,000 hours, $8,000 flat
- Online M.S. Nutrition — 30 credits, about 16 to 17 months
- B.S. Human Nutrition and Foods — the ACEND subplan needs a 3.0 and a separate application
ACEND lists a September 20, 2026 site visit for both programs, with a decision pending. Full University of Houston profile.
Texas Southern University
Houston; Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; campus-based.
- B.S. Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics — the ACEND DPD, 120 credits
- Verification Statement Only — about 24 months full time
ACEND’s pages show a 2020 probation removal and progress-report decisions through 2024, and the June 2027 term end appears only on the school’s page. Full Texas Southern profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Houston
Which programs carry the credential
Both schools’ DPD gives a verification statement. Only the University of Houston’s internship and combined master’s complete the supervised-practice and graduate-degree steps, and both programs there require a DPD first.
Delivery and relocation
The University of Houston’s master’s is fully online and its internship can be done near home anywhere in the United States, but preceptor agreements must be in hand before applying. Texas Southern is campus-based with a few online or hybrid courses.
Cost architecture
The University of Houston’s internship is $8,000 flat for residents and non-residents alike, and its online master’s is either $421.76 per credit or a flat $600, depending on which of its pages applies. Texas Southern’s undergraduate price depends on a payment plan and an unconfirmed $50 per-credit health science differential.
Timing
The University of Houston’s internship uses DICAS deadlines of February 15 and October 15, with January and June orientations. Its master’s deadlines are November 15 and June 1.
Before applying in Houston, confirm the University of Houston’s pending ACEND decision and Texas Southern’s term end with ACEND. For Baylor, Texas A&M, and other Texas programs, see the Texas nutrition programs page.