Dietetics Master's Degree

All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.

Additional Requirements

• Credentialed as a registered dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), or must be registration-eligible OR
• If the applicant does not hold the registered dietitian credential, you must provide a verification statement issued by a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)

Program-Specific Deadlines

• U.S. Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): March 1
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Oct. 1

• International Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): Jan. 8
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Aug. 1

Additional Documentation
Your application must include the following:

• A completed applicant form detailing interest, skills and experiences
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Three professional recommendations
• CDR registration card or other official documentation of registration status
• Official transcripts from each institution attended
  • Failure to list any colleges or universities from which the applicant received a degree or enrolled in graduate coursework may result in dismissal from the university.
  • If transcripts are not in English, the applicant must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority.

Many dietitians work in health care facilities or public health settings, including:

• hospitals
• extended care facilities
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs
• food stamp programs
• programs for the elderly
• noncommercial and commercial food service operations

Required (9 credits)

• HM 775 - Research in Health Sciences OR *equivalent (3 credits)
• FNDH 891 - Environmental Scanning and Analysis of Current Issues in Dietetics (3 credits)
• STAT 701 - Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics (3 credits) OR
  STAT 703 - Introduction to Statistical Methods for the Sciences (3 credits) OR *equivalent
  

*Equivalent courses must be approved by the supervisory committee

Electives (21-27 credits)

Additional FNDH courses (minimum 21 credits), or equivalent courses approved by the supervisory committee, at the graduate level are required. The major professor and supervisory committee will work with you to select courses that will meet the requirements and support your professional development. Of the required 36 credits for the master's degree, 18 credits should be at the 700 level or above, including the thesis/research or report/problems hours required by those options, outlined below.

View a list of electives on the Great Plains IDEA website.

Thesis Option
The thesis option includes 21 credits of electives and completion of FNDH 899 - Research in FNDH (6 credits).

You may select to complete a written thesis under the direction of your major professor and committee. The thesis topic must be compatible with ongoing research in hospitality management. You will present a formal seminar of your research findings followed by an oral examination with your committee.

Non-Thesis Option
The non‐thesis option includes 27 credits of electives. If you are a non-thesis student, you may take 6 additional credits from program electives or pursue 3 additional credits from program electives plus a 3-credit dietetics practice/work-related project (FNDH 780 - Problems in Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health) under the direction of your major professor and committee. You will present a seminar about your project to your major professor and committee. You also will sit for a written final examination over core course content followed by an oral examination with your supervisory committee.