Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science • Provo, UT • Campus • $188/Credit (Undergraduate, LDS Member Rate)
BYU offers 4 Nutrition and Dietetics credentials:
- B.S., Nutritional Science (not the RD pathway)
- B.S., Dietetics (the ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics)
- M.S., Nutritional Science and Dietetics – Dietetics Track (MSDI, combined with the Dietetic Internship)
- M.S., Nutritional Science and Dietetics – Nutritional Science Track (thesis-based, non-RD)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. Nutritional Science | $188/credit, LDS member rate (2026-27) | 4 years | 60 to 62 |
| B.S. Dietetics (DPD) | $188/credit, LDS member rate | 4 years | 77.5 to 81.5 |
| M.S./Dietetic Internship | About $8,384 at $262/credit, LDS member rate | About 1.5 to 2 years after the DPD | 32 (22 coursework, 4 supervised practice, 6 capstone project) |
| M.S. Nutritional Science Track | About $7,860 at $262/credit, LDS member rate | About 2 years | 30 (24 coursework, 6 thesis) |
BYU’s differentiator is a dual tuition structure tied to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership, on top of a genuine RD pathway that runs a separately accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics into a combined M.S./Dietetic Internship, rather than a single Coordinated Program. A parallel thesis-based M.S. track exists for students headed toward research, medical school, or other health professions rather than the RD credential.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Campus, Provo |
| Credit Hours | B.S. Nutritional Science: 60 to 62; B.S. Dietetics: 77.5 to 81.5; M.S./DI: 32; M.S. Nutritional Science: 30 |
| ACEND Accreditation | Yes, in two separately accredited pieces rather than one Coordinated Program: the Didactic Program in Dietetics and the Dietetic Internship, both full and continued accreditation as of an April 2023 site visit; no term end date published |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes, via the combined M.S./Dietetic Internship (or a parallel M.P.H./DI option) after completing the DPD; the B.S. Nutritional Science and the thesis-based M.S. Nutritional Science track do not lead to RDN eligibility |
| Supervised Practice | 1,000 hours across clinical, community, foodservice-management, research, and leadership rotations, mostly in Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties |
| DPD Admissions | Major and cumulative GPA above 3.0, NDFS course grades above B-, at least 150 hours of dietetics-related work or volunteer experience, 2 recommendation letters, a personal statement, a faculty interview; apply by February 15; cohort capped at 40 students |
| M.S./DI Admissions | Open only to BYU DPD graduates; at least 500 additional hours of dietetics-related experience; 9 openings a year; application deadline January 15, decisions by March 1 |
| Tuition | Undergraduate: $188/credit LDS member, $376/credit non-member; graduate: $262/credit member, $524/credit non-member (2026-27) |
| Institutional Accreditation | NWCCU (Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities) |
Bachelor of Science, Nutritional Science
The estimated tuition for this B.S. is $188 per credit for LDS members, or $376 for non-members (2026-27). The degree runs 60 to 62 credits over four years.
This is a separate major from Dietetics, aimed at students headed toward research, graduate school, or professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, or physician assistant studies rather than the RD credential. It carries no ACEND accreditation.
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics)
The estimated tuition for this B.S. is the same $188 (member) or $376 (non-member) per-credit rate, across 77.5 to 81.5 credits over four years.
DPD Curriculum and Admissions
- Major and cumulative GPA above 3.0, no NDFS course grade below B-
- At least 150 hours of dietetics-related work or volunteer experience
- 2 recommendation letters, a personal statement, a faculty interview
- Apply by February 15 for fall admission; cohort capped at 40 students
You Should Know
Completing the DPD alone does not make graduates RDN-eligible. Since January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration requires a master’s degree to sit for the exam, so DPD graduates need the combined M.S./Dietetic Internship (or the parallel M.P.H./DI option) to finish the pathway.
M.S., Nutritional Science and Dietetics – Dietetics Track (MSDI)
The estimated tuition for the MSDI is about $8,384 at $262 per credit for LDS members over 32 credits, or roughly $16,768 for non-members. The track combines coursework with the Dietetic Internship rather than a separate application.
MSDI Curriculum and Supervised Practice
- 32 credits: 22 coursework, 4 supervised-practice credits, and a 6-credit capstone project (not a thesis)
- 1,000 supervised-practice hours across clinical, community, foodservice-management, research, and leadership rotations, mostly in Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties
- A parallel M.P.H./DI option also confers RDN eligibility through the same 1,000-hour internship: 48 credits (39 coursework, 4 supervised practice, 5 fieldwork/capstone)
MSDI Admissions
- Open only to BYU DPD graduates
- At least 500 additional hours of dietetics-related work or volunteer experience, beyond the DPD’s 150
- Holistic review; 9 openings a year
- Application deadline January 15; decisions by March 1
M.S., Nutritional Science and Dietetics – Nutritional Science Track
The estimated tuition for this track is about $7,860 at $262 per credit for LDS members over 30 credits, or roughly $15,720 for non-members. It runs about two years.
This is a genuinely thesis-based track: 24 credits of coursework plus 6 thesis credits, aimed at students continuing to a Ph.D. or professional school (medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, podiatry) or moving into research, government, or industry. Faculty mentoring covers vitamin and mineral metabolism, muscle and bone energy metabolism, nutrition education, medical nutrition therapy, and international or community nutrition. It is not an RD pathway.
Tuition
BYU bills two tuition tiers tied to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership rather than residency, confirmed on BYU’s own tuition schedule (2026-27).
- Undergraduate, LDS member: $188/credit (2026-27), $182/credit (2025-26)
- Undergraduate, non-member: $376/credit (2026-27), $364/credit (2025-26)
- Graduate, LDS member: $262/credit (2026-27), $255/credit (2025-26)
- Graduate, non-member: $524/credit (2026-27), $510/credit (2025-26)
Be aware that:
Per-credit rates above are confirmed directly on BYU’s tuition schedule. A full-time flat-semester rate could not be confirmed consistently in this research; ask BYU’s Financial Services office for the current flat-rate figure before budgeting a full-time semester.
Official figures are on BYU’s detailed tuition schedule.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for students who want the RD credential built on a strong research foundation, or who want a genuine research master’s alongside a Latter-day Saints campus community.
Students aiming for the RD credential follow a defined DPD-to-MSDI ladder with 1,000 practice hours built into the combined master’s and internship, capped at a competitive 9 openings a year.
Students who want research training can take the thesis-based Nutritional Science track instead, aimed at doctoral or professional school rather than clinical practice.
The honest trade-off is that BYU splits accreditation across a separate DPD and DI rather than one Coordinated Program, and the MSDI’s 9-seat cap makes the RD pathway competitive even after finishing the DPD.
Accreditation
BYU is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), continuously since 1923, which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND accredits BYU’s Didactic Program in Dietetics and its Dietetic Internship as two separate programs, both full and continued accreditation following an April 2023 site visit; no term end date was published. BYU does not hold Coordinated Program or Future Education Model Graduate Program status. The B.S. Nutritional Science and the thesis-based M.S. Nutritional Science track carry no ACEND accreditation.
Graduates who complete the DPD, then the combined M.S./Dietetic Internship (or the M.P.H./DI option), hold a master’s degree, accredited coursework, and 1,000 supervised-practice hours, making them eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam. The DPD alone, and the Nutritional Science degrees, do not lead to RDN eligibility.
More Nutrition Degrees in Utah
- Snow College - Ephraim
- Southern Utah University - Cedar City
- University of Utah - Salt Lake City
- Utah Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Utah State University - Logan
- Weber State University - Ogden