The M.S. in nutrition and dietetics is designed to prepare both students and current professionals who are interested in community nutrition. Applicants who have previously completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) prior to admission into this program can go on to work as registered dietitians in a variety of public and private health organizations in county, state, and government agencies or as patient-care dietitians in hospitals and other health care settings. The program also prepares students to continue their studies in doctoral programs. Applicants who have not previously completed a DPD, can go on to work in food science, dietary supplement development, food service management or food and nutrition related research.
Applicants interested in becoming a registered dietitian, post-baccalaureate students who do not have DPD verification may earn this credential by consulting with the NIU undergraduate DPD director to determine the required course work needed to fulfill DPD verification. To earn DPD verification through NIU, post-baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours at NIU with a grade of B or better. Note that the post-baccalaureate students who complete DPD requirements at NIU may be eligible for a second bachelor of science degree. Consult with the College of Health and Human Sciences undergraduate academic advisor for degree requirements.
Students-at-large intending to take courses required by this program should meet with the nutrition and dietetics program coordinator.
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
In addition to the standard requirements for admission to the Graduate School at NIU (bachelor’s degree, 2.75 overall GPA, English proficiency), the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics program requires the following materials:
Prerequisite Courses
A 3.0 minimum GPA in the following courses, this is separate from the minimum GPA requirement set by the Graduate School.
general chemistry (with lab)
organic chemistry and biochemistry
general or cellular biology
human anatomy and physiology (with lab)
nutrition
research methods or statistics
Statement of purpose
Your statement of purpose should be 250 to 750 words long. In it, you should describe how you’ve prepared for graduate studies in nutrition, specify your primary area of interest within nutrition, outline your goals for graduate school and the future, and explain why you think the NIU program is the ideal fit for achieving your goals.
Letter(s) of recommendation
2 (two) letters of recommendation from individuals speaking to your ability to be successful in completing a graduate-level degree program. Your recommenders should be individuals who have a professional or academic relationship with you as the applicant.
Application deadlines and admit terms:
The Nutrition and Dietetics MS program admits new graduate students during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Applications must be received by the Graduate School no later than:
Fall admit term: January 15 (priority deadline) - July 15
Spring admit term: December 10
Admission review process/timelines
The Nutrition and Dietetics MS program employs a faculty committee to review completed applications on a rolling basis. Official notification will be released by the Graduate School.
A combined total of no more than 12 semester hours of graduate credit earned as a student-at-large plus transfer hours will be counted toward the M.S. degree.
Requirements
Students must complete the required courses listed here and fulfill the thesis or non-thesis option, with corresponding requirements listed below:
3 additional semester hours in consultation with the assigned graduate program advisor.
Graduate Credit
A minimum of 35 semester hours of graduate credit is required for the degree with the non-thesis option.
Dietetic Internship
The internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for the Education of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and is available only to majors enrolled in the M.S. program in nutrition and dietetics. The dietetic internship offers on-site supervised practice experiences in dietetics, nutrition, and food service; completion fulfills the practice requirements to qualify for the Registration Examination of the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR).
The combined M.S. and internship program involves six terms: two orientation terms comprised of course work only, and four terms comprised of both on-site supervised practice experience (20-40 hours/week) and graduate study. Students in the internship must have completed at least 15 semester hours toward the degree before they can be placed in a supervised practice site.
Admission is limited and competitive; admission to the major does not constitute admission to the internship. Although a student may apply for admission to the internship while acceptance to the major is pending, internship acceptance cannot be finalized until the student is accepted into the major.
Applicants must have completed the academic requirements for the DPD of ACEND. A grade point average of 3.00 or better in key DPD course work is required. These courses are identified in the applications packet.
Applicants must have successfully completed 150 clock hours of paid work or volunteer experience related to the profession.
Students may apply in the spring semester. Applicants should inquire about application deadlines. Applications will be screened and ranked with the highest ranking applicants being invited to interview. Following the interviews, students are matched through the online Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) of the Academy. Late applicants will be considered only if openings are available after computer matching.
Requirements
In addition to the courses required for the M.S. in nutrition and dietetics, including NUTR 652 (1) and NUTR 653 (1), students electing the practicum must complete the following internship courses:
When all requirements of both the M.S. degree and dietetic internship have been met, students will be issued the ACEND Verification Statement of dietetic internship completion.
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