An Online Dietetics Master's Degree with Distance Dietetic Internship Option

Admission Requirements

All Applicants

• Both programs are for those who have completed (or are in the process of completing) a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) through an ACEND-accredited program. If you have not entered into or completed a DPD program, you may be interested in our online Dietetics B.S. or DPD-Only program.

• Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.

  If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.

  If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.

• Your application can be considered if you have cumulative GPA below 3.0, but all applicants must have a combined 3.0 GPA or better for all of your DPD courses, with at least a C grade for each course.

• Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

MS (Non-Internship) Applicants

• RD/RDN applicants must possess an active Registered Dietitian Nutritionist card from the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

• Non-RD/RDN applicants will be eligible via a DPD Verification Statement; or a Declaration of Intent for those who will complete their DPD prior to starting the MS program.

MSDI Applicants

• MS with Internship applicants will initially complete their applications (including DPD Verification Statement or Declaration of Intent) in the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS).

• If you choose to attend UNC after being admitted via the DICAS process, the UNC graduate school will require additional documentation in order for you to be recognized as a graduate student. Instructions will be provided after your DICAS application has been reviewed

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Eligibility by State

At this time, UNC can provide distance education to students from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. UNC cannot provide distance education in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.

Licensure Eligibility by State (MSDI Program)

All UNC professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure. However, since each state has their own educational preparation requirements, UNC's programs may or may not meet these requirements in each state. For a complete list of states where UNC has determined that this program will or will not fulfill educational requirements for licensure, please visit the UNC Licensure page.

UNC encourages all students entering a professional licensure program to understand licensure requirements in the state where they intend to seek employment. Please review the State Licensure Boards page to find contact information for licensing agencies in each state.

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International Student Eligibility

International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency, or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.

MS (No Internship) Students

Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United States. You will not need a student visa or receive any immigration documentation, and do not need to provide financial documentation.

Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements and applying as an international student.

MSDI Students

This program requires rotations to be completed in the United States. You will need to submit financial documentation before you plan to arrive in the U.S. (and again each time you travel to the U.S.). The financial documentation needs to demonstrate that you can pay for the cost of tuition and living expenses for the days that you will be in the U.S.

Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements, financial documentation and applying as an international student.

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Transferring Credit

UNC graduate school accepts applicable graduate credit with a grade of C or higher from accredited institutions. Please note that if your chosen program has a higher grade minimum for any program coursework, that minimum would apply to transfer requests for those courses. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.

• Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
• Courses requested for transfer must not be more than five years old for master's degree credit, and cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.

Students who are including the Dietetic Internship must complete all course credit hours tied to the internship.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

• We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
• There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry specific course fees to support additional services and materials.

Program tuition for the 2024-25 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $665 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2025-26 academic year will be determined mid-June 2025.

Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications. For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while completing your program.

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Financial Aid

Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).

Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.

Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.

Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.

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Student Health Insurance

The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended Campus Center, or Online.

Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.

Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.