Department of Health Professions, College of Health and Behavioral Studies • Harrisonburg, VA • Hybrid (M.S.) or Campus (B.S.) • $590/Credit (Graduate, In-State)
JMU offers 2 nutrition credentials:
- M.S., Applied Nutrition (a Graduate Program in Dietetics under ACEND’s Future Education Model, at candidacy status, the RD pathway)
- B.S., Dietetics (Professional Nutrition and Dietetics concentration is the ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics; a Pre-Professional Nutrition and Health concentration is not accredited)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. Applied Nutrition | About $27,730 in tuition (47 credits at $590, 2026-27) | About 2 years: four academic semesters plus two summers | 47 (32 core, 9 experiential learning, 6 capstone or thesis) |
| B.S. Dietetics | $14,768/yr (tuition and comprehensive fee, 2026-27) | 4 years | Not clearly stated |
JMU’s differentiator is a small, full-time master’s cohort: no more than 15 students a year start together each June, with supervised experiential learning built into the degree rather than matched separately. The catch is status. The M.S. holds ACEND candidacy, not full accreditation, while the undergraduate DPD is the accredited piece.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | M.S.: a mix of one fully online synchronous course, several hybrid courses, and off-site practicums; JMU gives no single label, so this profile classifies it as Hybrid. B.S. DPD: mostly in person with three hybrid courses |
| Credit Hours | M.S.: 47; B.S.: not clearly stated |
| ACEND Accreditation | M.S. (Graduate Program in Dietetics): candidacy, granted July 2023, with no later decision to full accreditation in ACEND’s 2024 through 2026 pages. B.S. Didactic Program in Dietetics: full and continued accreditation after a site visit, per ACEND’s January 2026 page. JMU’s former Coordinated Program closed in April 2019 |
| RD/RDN Eligibility | Yes, via the M.S., which includes supervised experiential learning and issues a verification statement (graduates of a candidacy program have the same rights as graduates of an accredited one, per ACEND); the B.S. DPD alone does not lead to RDN eligibility |
| Supervised Practice | At least 1,000 approved hours per JMU’s handbook, through three experiential courses (community, medical nutrition therapy, food service management) run alongside coursework, mostly at off-site practicums |
| Reported Outcomes | No pass rate, completion rate, or employment figures were found; the program’s first cohort began in 2023 |
| M.S. Admissions | JMU Graduate School plus DICAS; opens September 1 and runs rolling until full; $60 fee; 8 prerequisites; current ServSafe Manager certificate; 750-word statement; 3 recommendations; Zoom interview; no GRE; no minimum GPA stated; maximum 15 students a year |
| B.S. DPD Admissions | Apply in spring, usually sophomore year, by February 15, with a 3.0 GPA; JMU does not admit people who already hold a bachelor’s degree into its undergraduate programs |
| Tuition | Graduate program rate: $590/credit in-state, $1,130 out-of-state (2026-27); $573 and $1,128 in 2025-26. Undergraduate full time: $7,384/semester in-state, $16,288 out-of-state (2026-27) |
| Institutional Accreditation | SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges), reaffirmed December 2023 |
Master of Science, Applied Nutrition
The estimated tuition is about $27,730 in-state for 47 credits at the 2026-27 program rate of $590, or about $53,110 out-of-state at $1,130. The program is full time only, starts each June, and follows a plan of Summer 1, Fall 1, Spring 1, Summer 2, Fall 2, Spring 2.
Curriculum and Supervised Practice
- 47 credits: 32 core, 9 experiential learning, and 6 for a capstone project or thesis
- Three graded experiential courses (community nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, food service management), 3 credits each, each with an identified RDN site supervisor
- At least 1,000 approved supervised-practice hours; the capstone counts for up to 270 of them
- A required comprehensive exam in spring of year two: a timed, simulated RDN mock exam with a 70% pass mark and one re-exam allowed
You Should Know
JMU’s own pages disagree in several places. The program is 47 credits on the catalog, program, and FAQ pages, but one sentence in the 2026-27 handbook adds up to 50. The catalog allows a capstone or a thesis, while the program pages describe only a defended capstone. JMU’s cost page also says $26,931 in-state and $53,016 out-of-state at “2026-2027 rates,” but those totals equal 47 credits at the 2025-26 rates; at the 2026-27 rates the totals are $27,730 and $53,110.
JMU’s 2023 news story called the program “accredited,” while every current program page says “candidate status,” which matches ACEND’s record. Do not read this as full accreditation.
M.S. Admissions
- Eight prerequisites: nutrition, psychology, statistics, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, which may be finished during or after the bachelor’s, including at a community college or online
- Current ServSafe Manager certificate (or by the first fall semester), a 750-word personal statement, three recommendations, and a Zoom interview
- Preferred, not required: 25 or more hours of clinical experience or RDN shadowing
- No GRE and no stated minimum GPA, though JMU looks for strong science grades; the program calls itself competitive and selective, with no applicant counts published
JMU never describes the program as designed for career changers, but a 2023 news story says applicants from any major may apply, including those without prior nutrition education, once the prerequisites are done. A separate, competitive Sports Nutrition Apprenticeship also exists within the program.
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics
The estimated tuition is $7,384 a semester for Virginia residents at full time, about $14,768 a year (2026-27), made up of $4,273 in tuition and a $3,111 comprehensive fee. Non-Virginia students pay $16,288 a semester.
B.S. Concentrations
- Professional Nutrition and Dietetics: the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, four academic semesters of professional coursework, mostly in person with three hybrid courses
- Pre-Professional Nutrition and Health: not accredited
Students apply to the major in spring, usually sophomore year, by February 15 with a 3.0 GPA. The DPD issues a verification statement but does not by itself lead to RDN eligibility; graduates still need a graduate degree and supervised practice. Total credits were not clearly stated on the pages reviewed.
Tuition
JMU charges a special graduate program rate for Applied Nutrition rather than its standard graduate rate: $590 per credit for Virginia residents and $1,130 for non-residents in 2026-27.
- M.S. Applied Nutrition: $590/credit in-state, $1,130 out-of-state (2026-27); $573 and $1,128 (2025-26)
- Undergraduate, full time (12 or more credits): $7,384/semester in-state ($4,273 tuition plus $3,111 comprehensive fee); $16,288 out-of-state
- Other M.S. costs JMU lists: background check $150, drug test $50, immunizations $150 to $300, textbooks $500 to $1,200, ServSafe about $179, exam prep about $200
Be aware that:
JMU’s own cost page lists $26,931 and $53,016 as its 2026-27 totals, which match the 2025-26 per-credit rates. Use the per-credit rates above for planning, and confirm the total with JMU’s University Business Office.
Official figures are on JMU’s graduate program rates page.
Why Choose This Nutrition Program?
Best suited for applicants who want a small, full-time cohort with supervised practice built in, and who are comfortable with a program that is still early in its accreditation.
Students aiming for the RD credential get a master’s with at least 1,000 practice hours inside the degree and no separate internship match, in a cohort of at most 15.
Students from other majors can apply once they finish eight prerequisites, which can be completed after the bachelor’s.
The honest trade-off is certainty: the M.S. is at candidacy, no outcome data is published yet, and JMU’s own pages disagree on credits, capstone versus thesis, and cost totals.
Accreditation
JMU is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), most recently reaffirmed in December 2023, which governs credit transfer, graduate admission eligibility, and federal financial aid access across the university.
ACEND granted candidacy for accreditation to JMU’s Graduate Program in Dietetics in July 2023; no later decision appears in ACEND’s 2024 through 2026 pages, so full accreditation is not confirmed. ACEND defines candidacy as a status for a program with one site visit, whose graduates have the same rights and privileges as graduates of an accredited program. The undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics holds full and continued accreditation after a site visit, per ACEND’s January 2026 page. JMU’s earlier Coordinated Program in Dietetics voluntarily closed in April 2019.
Graduates of the M.S. complete a master’s degree, accredited coursework, and supervised experiential learning, making them eligible for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s national exam. The B.S. DPD alone does not lead to RDN eligibility.
More Nutrition Degrees in Virginia
- George Mason University - Fairfax
- Liberty University - Lynchburg
- Radford University - Radford
- Virginia Nutrition Programs & Online Degrees
- Virginia State University - Petersburg
- Virginia Tech - Blacksburg