Earn a Dietetics Bachelor's Degree or Take the Didactic Dietetic Coursework Only

Admission Requirements

Dietetics BS Applicants

• You must meet the UNC undergraduate admission requirements for the academic year for which you are applying. See the UNC Catalog for current admission requirements.

• Applicants to this program should have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, including courses to be transferred and those completed at UNC.

• Junior status (≥ 60 semester credit hours) or higher by time of program start.

DPD-Only (Certificate) Applicants

• 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.

Prerequisites For All Applicants

The following courses or transfer equivalents must be completed when you apply:

• BIO 110 Principles of Biology with Lab (4)
• CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
• CHEM 111L Principles of Chemistry I Lab (1)
• FND 245 Introduction to Nutrition (3) or FND 250 Principles of Nutrition (3)

It is expected that the following courses or transfer equivalents have been completed or are in progress prior to program admittance:

• BIO 245 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (4)
• FND 210 Medical Terminology (2)
• PSY 120 Principles of Psychology (3)
• STAT 150 Introduction to Statistical Analysis (3)

It is strongly recommended that the following course or its transfer equivalent be taken before the start of the program:

• CHEM 231 Principles of Organic Chemistry (3)

The Distance Dietetic Program suggests that you submit the transcript evaluation form and your sealed official transcripts for review and they will assist you with determining which requirements have been properly fulfilled.

Eligibility by State

At this time, UNC can serve online education to students from every state, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. We are not currently accepting students to our online programs who reside in the CNMIs.

Because some states may have additional requirements or limitations for certain programs, please check the following page to verify your eligibility. Note: if your state is showing "limited authorization" it means you are likely eligible with additional documentation, but please contact lisa.grimes@unco.edu for details.

Current State Authorizations for This Program

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 in order to be considered. Possible ways to demonstrate proficiency:

• Qualifying test scores: TOEFL iBT: 70, IELTS: 6.0, PTE: 50
• Completion of a degree in the U.S., or from an English speaking country (parts of Europe, Canada), within the last two years.

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

Transferring Credit

Students are considered transfer students if they have completed any college-level coursework after completing high school. As part of your UNC application, you will need to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.

Please visit the Transfer of Credits pages on the UNC Office of the Registrar website for information about:

• How many credits can transfer
• Requirements of credits transferred, such as your earned grade and institutional accreditation
• The transfer evaluation process
• Transferology – this service allows you to view our published course equivalencies for your previous courses. This can be done for free before you apply to UNC.
• For those students who have taken or are taking supporting courses at a Colorado public two-year institution, see the Transfer Articulation Guides.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

• A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
• There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
• Certain courses may carry specific course fees for additional services and materials

Program tuition for the 2021-22 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $444 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2022-23 academic year will be determined mid-June 2022.

Federal Financial Aid

Bachelor of Science Students

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 FAFSA priority filing date for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August) is March 1, although the form is now available by October 1 of the previous year and requests tax information from the year prior. For example, the FAFSA form for aid for the 2021-22 school year is released on Oct. 1, 2020, and is based off of 2019 tax return information.

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 March 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.

Bachelor's students must be enrolled in in a minimum of 6 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 12 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa 

DPD Certificate-Only Students

Certificate program students (non-degree seeking) are not eligible for aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Details about the federal aid program are available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. Your program coordinator may be aware of your eligibility for any discipline or campus-based aid if available.

All Students

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.

Student Health Insurance (for BS Students)

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 undergraduate students enrolled in 9 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.