Welcome to Nutrition & Dietetics
We have a LOT of exciting things happening in Klehm Hall, and so many opportunities for you to incorporate Nutrition & Dietetics into your academic study plans, your professions, and your lives!
Effective May 31, 2026, the Didactic Program in Dietetics will close as we convert our graduate program to Coordinated Program accreditation status. All students currently enrolled who can complete their undergraduate degree before May 31, 2026, will receive DPD verification statements when they graduate.
So.....what does that mean for YOU?
It means that we have MULTIPLE PATHWAYS for you to earn all the required components to be eligible for the RDN credential exam, and our academic advisors, Dr. Julie Dietz and Dr. Casey Strawser will help you figure out which one is right for you.
Other key points:
- BS Nutrition students who meet all the requirements for admission to the MSND: Coordinated Program are eligible for DIRECT ADMISSION --- NO DICAS MATCH REQUIRED.
- EIU students with a degree in other pre-clinical programs who meet all the requirements
for admission to the MSND:CP, and have taken the following courses, can ALSO be DIRECT
ADMITTED to the MSND:CP
-
- General Biology
- Chemistry I & II
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II
- Survey of Organic Chemistry (or higher)
- Survey of Biochemistry (or higher)
- Statistics
- Personal Nutrition
-
- Our accelerated programs allow you to take graduate coursework while you are still an undergrad — and double count those courses toward BOTH degrees.
Apply in spring of your junior year.
Take 18 credits of graduate courses your senior year.
Double count those 18 credits toward BOTH degrees.
Finish BS and MS in under 5 years -- 4 1/2 is possible!
Direction admission so no DICAS match!
Apply anytime after you have completed 60 credits.
Take up to 12 credits of graduate courses.
Double count those graduate courses toward BOTH degrees.
Direction admission so no DICAS match!
Apply during your senior year.
Direct admission so no DICAS match!
Complete master's degree in 4 terms after you graduate with your B.S.
Do NOT have to have a bachelors in Nutrition to be eligible for the Coordinated Program.
This 18-credit hour minor is designed for majors outside of Nutrition and Dietetics to develop professional skills in nutrition through experiential learning.
Accreditation information:
The undergraduate program is currently transitioning away from Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) accreditation. The DPD program will be retired effective May 31, 2026, and currently enrolled students must complete all requirements for their degree before May 31, 2026, if they wish to receive a DPD verification statement. the BS Nutrition & Dietetics remains accredited as a DPD program by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) through May 31, 2026.
The MS Nutrition & Dietetics: Coordinated Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) 120 Riverside Place, Suite 2190 Chicago, IL 60606-6995 (800) 877-1600, ext. 5400 www.eatrightpro.org/acend
In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about licensure per state click here.