Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
Graduate students in the Department of Nutrition and Health Science can earn a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with either a thesis or a non-thesis concentration. The graduate program, designed to provide flexibility and individualization for students with varying needs and interests, can include an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship with a Medical Nutrition Therapy focus. At present, the program is only intended for: 1) current dietitians who seek to complete a master's degree, and 2) aspiring dietitians who meet the verification requirements and who matched to Ball State's ACEND-accredited dietetic internship through DICAS or the pre-selection process. If you do not meet these criteria, but you are interested in becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, email a copy of your transcripts to the Dietetics Program Director at dpd@bsu.edu who will identify the courses you will need to complete in order to meet the verification requirements.
The MS Nutrition and Dietetics has four concentrations – two for aspiring dietitians (thesis or non-thesis) and two for current dietitians (thesis or non-thesis): 1) Dietetic Internship-Research (thesis), 2) Dietetic Internship-Applied (non-thesis); 3) Registered Dietitian-Research (thesis), and 4) Registered Dietitian-Applied (non-thesis). Aspiring dietitians who are accepted into Ball State’s dietetic internship must choose between the research (i.e., thesis) or the applied (i.e., non-thesis) concentration. Current dietitians must choose between the research (i.e., thesis) or the applied (i.e., non-thesis) concentration. It is possible for candidates to transfer up to 9 graduate credits into the program. Contact the Graduate Program Director for details.
Current Dietitians
Beginning in 2024, to be eligible to sit for the national registration exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, all candidates must hold a graduate degree. Our program provides the flexibility to help registered dietitians complete their degree while continuing to work, helping them remain competitive in the marketplace. Individuals with graduate coursework from more than 6 years prior can request that those credits be revalidated (“count toward the degree”). Candidates may transfer up to 9 graduate credits from other accredited institutions into their program. In addition, current dietitians may be granted up to 9 additional credits via the Prior Learning Policy if they completed a dietetic internship for which no graduate credit was received. Contact the Graduate Program Director for details.
Dietetic Internship
Students accepted into Ball State’s ACEND-accredited dietetic internship can complete the requirements of the Commission on Dietetic Registration, allowing them to sit for the National Registration Examination for Dietitians, while concomitantly earning a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. The Ball State combined MS/DI is a 16-month, full-time program that starts in fall semester each year. Although students must start in the fall semester, they are encouraged to begin taking graduate courses in the summer session. Students are placed in one of two supervised practice cohorts (25 weeks off-campus supervised practice plus Orientation Week) that run from January through August (i.e., January cohort) or from May through December (i.e., May cohort) of the year following the student’s acceptance into the program. Prior to beginning the supervised practice, students must complete a minimum of 9 graduate credits, including NUTR 642 Nutrition Assessment, a course that must be taken the semester prior to beginning the supervised practice. Effective in 2024, all students must complete a graduate degree prior to being eligible to sit for the National Registration Examination. The dietetic internship at Ball State University is currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312-899-0040.
36 credits
Concentration 1: Dietetic Internship: Research
Research component, 12 credits from
| EDPS 641 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| | or | |
| EDPS 642 | Analysis of Variance | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 687 | Statistical Theory and Methods in Health Science | 3 |
| NUTR 697 | Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics | 3 |
| THES 698 | Thesis | 1 TO 6 |
Students must take THES 698 for 6 credits.
Nutrition core, 18 credits from
Students must take NUTR 690 for 9 credits.
Nutrition electives, 6 credits from
Students must choose 6 credits (2 classes) from the following NUTR and HSC electives.
| NUTR 643 | Energy Balance, Obesity, and Weight Control | 3 |
| NUTR 644 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport | 3 |
| NUTR 645 | Nutrition and Food Policy | 3 |
| NUTR 650 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Pediatric Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 652 | Nutrition for Older Adults | 3 |
| NUTR 655 | Integrative and Functional Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 656 | Nutrition Counseling and Behavior Change | 3 |
| NUTR 660 | Advanced Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| NUTR 663 | Renal Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 664 | Nutrition in Cardiovascular Diseases | 3 |
| NUTR 695 | Independent Study in Nutrition and Dietetics | 1 TO 6 |
| NUTR 683 | Advanced Practice in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 696 | Seminar in Foods and Nutrition | 3 |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
Concentration 2: Dietetic Internship: Applied
Research component, 6 credits from
| EDPS 641 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| | or | |
| EDPS 642 | Analysis of Variance | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 687 | Statistical Theory and Methods in Health Science | 3 |
| NUTR 697 | Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics | 3 |
Nutrition core, 18 credits from
Students must take NUTR 690 for 9 credits.
Nutrition Electives, 12 credits from
Students must choose at least 6 credits (2 classes) from the following NUTR and HSC electives. Up to 6 credits (2 classes) may be taken outside of the Department of Nutrition and Health Science (any 500- or 600-level courses in CPSY, SOPS, EXSC, ACE, SEPS, NUR, SOCW, SPAA, or other as approved by the graduate program director). No more than 6 credits (2 classes) from 500-level courses.
| NUTR 643 | Energy Balance, Obesity, and Weight Control | 3 |
| NUTR 644 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport | 3 |
| NUTR 645 | Nutrition and Food Policy | 3 |
| NUTR 650 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Pediatric Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 652 | Nutrition for Older Adults | 3 |
| NUTR 655 | Integrative and Functional Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 656 | Nutrition Counseling and Behavior Change | 3 |
| NUTR 660 | Advanced Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| NUTR 663 | Renal Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 664 | Nutrition in Cardiovascular Diseases | 3 |
| NUTR 683 | Advanced Practice in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 695 | Independent Study in Nutrition and Dietetics | 1 TO 6 |
| NUTR 696 | Seminar in Foods and Nutrition | 3 |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
Concentration 3: Registered Dietitian: Research
Research component, 12 credits from
| EDPS 641 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| | or | |
| EDPS 642 | Analysis of Variance | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 687 | Statistical Theory and Methods in Health Science | 3 |
| NUTR 697 | Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics | 3 |
| THES 698 | Thesis | 1 TO 6 |
Students must take THES 698 for 6 credits.
Nutrition core, 6 credits from
Nutrition electives, 18 credits from
Students must choose at least 9 credits (3 classes) from the following NUTR and HSC electives. Up to 9 credits (3 classes) may be taken outside of the Department of Nutrition and Health Science (any 500- or 600-level courses in CPSY, SOPS, EXSC, ACE, SEPS, NUR, SOCW, SPAA, or other as approved by the graduate program director). No more than 6 credits (2 classes) from 500-level courses.
| NUTR 642 | Nutrition Assessment | 3 |
| NUTR 643 | Energy Balance, Obesity, and Weight Control | 3 |
| NUTR 644 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport | 3 |
| NUTR 645 | Nutrition and Food Policy | 3 |
| NUTR 650 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Pediatric Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 652 | Nutrition for Older Adults | 3 |
| NUTR 655 | Integrative and Functional Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 656 | Nutrition Counseling and Behavior Change | 3 |
| NUTR 660 | Advanced Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| NUTR 663 | Renal Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 664 | Nutrition in Cardiovascular Diseases | 3 |
| NUTR 680 | Supervised Practices in Food Systems Management | 3 |
| NUTR 681 | Supervised Practice in Nutrition Therapy | 3 |
| NUTR 682 | Supervised Practice in Community Nutrition/Business/Entrepreneur | 3 |
| NUTR 683 | Advanced Practice in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 695 | Independent Study in Nutrition and Dietetics | 1 TO 6 |
| NUTR 696 | Seminar in Foods and Nutrition | 3 |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
Concentration 4: Registered Dietitian: Applied
Research component, 6 credits from
| EDPS 641 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| | or | |
| EDPS 642 | Analysis of Variance | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| HSC 687 | Statistical Theory and Methods in Health Science | 3 |
| NUTR 697 | Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics | 3 |
Nutrition core, 6 credits from
Nutrition electives, 24 credits from
Students must choose at least 12 credits (4 classes) from the following NUTR and HSC electives. Up to 12 credits (4 classes) may be taken outside of the Department of Nutrition and Health Science (any 500- or 600-level courses in CPSY, SOPS, EXSC, ACE, SEPS, NUR, SOCW, SPAA, or other as approved by the graduate program director). No more than 6 credits (2 classes) from 500-level courses.
| NUTR 642 | Nutrition Assessment | 3 |
| NUTR 643 | Energy Balance, Obesity, and Weight Control | 3 |
| NUTR 644 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport | 3 |
| NUTR 645 | Nutrition and Food Policy | 3 |
| NUTR 650 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Pediatric Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 652 | Nutrition for Older Adults | 3 |
| NUTR 655 | Integrative and Functional Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 656 | Nutrition Counseling and Behavior Change | 3 |
| NUTR 660 | Advanced Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| NUTR 663 | Renal Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 664 | Nutrition in Cardiovascular Diseases | 3 |
| NUTR 680 | Supervised Practices in Food Systems Management | 3 |
| NUTR 681 | Supervised Practice in Nutrition Therapy | 3 |
| NUTR 682 | Supervised Practice in Community Nutrition/Business/Entrepreneur | 3 |
| NUTR 683 | Advanced Practice in Dietetics | 3 |
| NUTR 695 | Independent Study in Nutrition and Dietetics | 1 TO 6 |
| NUTR 696 | Seminar in Foods and Nutrition | 3 |
| HSC 683 | Principles of Epidemiology 1 | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 36