Human Nutrition and Dietetics Schools and Programs in The United States

Human Nutrition and Dietetics Studies in The United States

Human nutrition and dietetics is the study of food, nutrients and health, and of how that knowledge is used to advise people and to treat illness. In the United States the subject has an academic side, nutritional science, and a professional side, dietetics, which leads to the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential. A student who wants to work as a dietitian needs to plan for more than a bachelor's degree.

How the degree is organised

The first degree is a Bachelor of Science (BS), which EducationUSA says is usually completed in four years of full-time study. At LIU Post, the Brookville campus of Long Island University, the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics is a four-year, 120-credit programme. Students take biology, chemistry and statistics, followed by subjects such as medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, food service management and food technology. The degree includes the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), the block of courses that the profession requires.

Many universities offer two routes side by side. Florida International University (FIU) has a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition as a Didactic Program in Dietetics and a second BS track in Nutrition Science, plus an MS, a PhD and a Dietetic Internship. Cornell University offers a BS in Nutritional Sciences, a dietetics programme for students who want to become RDNs, a research-based master's degree and a PhD. At New York University, the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies teaches Nutrition and Dietetics at undergraduate, master's and doctoral level.

After the courses comes supervised practice. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) explains that dietitians typically receive supervised training in an internship after graduation, and that some schools offer coordinated programmes that include it in the coursework.

The route to the RDN credential

The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) sets the national examination. Since 1 January 2024, the minimum degree needed to take the registration examination for dietitians is a graduate degree instead of a bachelor's degree. CDR also requires coursework and supervised practice in programmes accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which reports more than 600 accredited programmes.

Universities are adapting to this rule. The University of New Haven states that it is phasing out its undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics degree and now offers an accelerated bachelor's plus master's programme in Nutrition Sciences as the route to the RDN. At FIU, the Dietetic Internship is open only to MS students.

Admission and language

EducationUSA states that undergraduate applicants in general must have completed high school and be at least 17 years old, and that US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. The search for a programme should begin 12 to 18 months before the academic year. To study on an F student visa, students must first be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Students who already hold a nutrition degree from another country follow a separate path. ACEND's checklist for international students starts with an evaluation of the foreign transcripts by one of the agencies approved by CDR, and CDR requires the foreign degree to be equivalent to a US degree. ACEND also publishes an International Student Guide with accredited programmes that accept international students.

Where to study nutrition and dietetics in the United States

The schools on this page are spread across many states. Universities on the list include Cornell University in Ithaca, New York University, LIU Post in Brookville, Florida International University in Miami, The Ohio State University in Columbus, the University of Maryland in College Park, The University of Arizona in Tucson, The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and The University of California at Berkeley. Community and technical colleges such as Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny and Central Ohio Technical College in Newark offer two-year programmes; EducationUSA describes how credits from a community college can count towards a bachelor's degree.

Recognition and licensing

Passing the CDR examination is not the last step everywhere. According to the BLS, many states require dietitians and nutritionists to be licensed in order to practise; other states require only registration or certification to use certain titles, and a few have no regulations for the occupation. A US credential does not carry over automatically to other countries, so students who plan to return home should ask the professional body there how a US degree is recognised.

Careers

Dietitians and nutritionists work in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, cafeterias and for state and local governments, according to the BLS. FIU lists health care systems, home health care, food service, private business, research and educational organisations as fields for its graduates. Dietitians and nutritionists held about 86,300 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to the BLS.

Frequently asked questions

Can I become a registered dietitian in the United States with a bachelor's degree?

No longer. Since 1 January 2024, CDR requires a graduate degree to take the registration examination, in addition to ACEND-accredited coursework and supervised practice.

What is the difference between a nutrition degree and a dietetics degree?

A dietetics programme contains the accredited courses needed for the RDN route. A nutrition science degree is academic and suits research or further study; at FIU the two are separate tracks of the same BS.

Is my foreign nutrition degree valid in the United States?

Not directly. ACEND advises students with foreign degrees to have their transcripts evaluated by a CDR-approved agency and then to contact an accredited programme about the remaining coursework and supervised practice.