- Below you will find a summary of the Dietetics MS (without internship), and a summary
of the additional requirements for the Dietetics MS with Dietetic Internship (MSDI).
- To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.
- If you are only interested in the internship, please visit our Dietetic Internship (Post-Baccalaureate) information.
Master of Science (No Internship)
Master of Science with Dietetic Internship (MSDI)
The Dietetics MS with Dietetic Internship is a three-year distance education program.
You will complete the same two years and 35 credit hours of master's coursework as
the degree-only students, plus the following requirements to support the Internship
portion.
- The 1-year Internship portion of the program begins the Summer term immediately following
completion of the master's degree coursework.
- You will complete 20 credit hours of supervised practice in support of your Internship
rotation hours.
- For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog and the department's MSDI program web pages. The graduate degree will be awarded after successful completion of all coursework
and rotation hours.
Online Orientation
All students must attend a 3-day online orientation in late June of the Summer they
begin the internship portion of the program.
Internship Oversight
- Students, with the program director’s guidance, will select the facilities where they
will complete their practice experience and will play a role in designing their program
of study. Although each intern has their own program of study, all of the Required
Competencies and Learning Activities must be completed by all interns.
- For specific questions regarding the Dietetic Internship component of the master's
degree, including required internship hours and categories, please visit the department's Dietetic Internship Year page.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
