Description
The Bachelors of Science in Dietetics and the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Arkansas State University are administered by the Dietetics Program in the College of Nursing & Health Professions. The program provides for the achievement of knowledge and performance requirements for entry-level dietitians through integration of didactic instruction with a minimum of 1080 hours of supervised practice. The supervised practice experiences occur in the undergraduate portion of the program and include foodservice, community and clinical settings. The program features a 'clinical' concentration, which allows students to build upon foundation knowledge and competencies for future proficiency in the clinical area of dietetics.
Students apply for admission to the undergraduate program in the spring semester of the sophomore year. The undergraduate requires two years to complete the didactic instruction and supervised practice rotations. Students must have reliable transportation for travel to various practice sites for the rotations. A Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics is granted upon completion of the required 126 hours.
Students must apply for admission to the graduate school and master’s program in the spring semester of the senior year. The Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics degree (MSND) consists of a minimum of 36 hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree. Upon successful completion of the MSND, students are eligible to take the national credentialing examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). After passing the examination, they become registered dietitians.
In addition to RD credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. Frequently these state requirements are met through the same education and training required to become an RD.
Goals and Objectives
The successful graduate will:
1. Perform as a knowledgeable, competent entry-level dietitian.
*At least eighty percent (80%) of program students complete program/degree requirements
within 4.5 years (150% of the program length).
*Of graduates who seek employment, eighty percent (80%) are employed in nutrition and
dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation
*Eighty percent (80%) of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian
nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
*The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one
year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least
eighty percent (80%).
- Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors and attitudes.
Eighty percent (80%) of graduates working in dietetics will receive a score of “average or higher” for professional conduct when rated by employers on satisfaction surveys.
Eighty percent (80%) of graduates who respond to alumni surveys will rate the dietetics program “average or higher” in preparing them to demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors and attitudes.
- Value service to the community and the profession of dietetics.
Fifty percent (50%) of graduates who respond to alumni surveys participate in one or more community service activities.
Fifty percent (50%) of graduates responding to alumni surveys are active in one or more professional organizations.
Outcomes data are available upon request.
*Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) required objectives.
Fees and Expenses
Tuition and Fees Estimate
2022-2023
| Student Category | Estimated Total Professional Program Only |
| BS Degree Resident | $23,330.00 |
| BS Degree Non-Resident/International | $40,000.00 |
| MS Degree Resident | $12,819.00 |
| MS Degree Non-Resident/International | $22,791.00 |
The above estimates do not include prerequisite or general education courses.
The above estimates do include dietetics program courses only.
Housing and Meals Estimate
2022-2023
| Category | Estimated Undergraduate Total Professional Program Only |
Additional Information |
| Campus Housing Five Semesters | $12,500.00 | Costs vary; many students choose to live off campus |
| Campus Flex Meal Plans Average Five Semesters |
$9,750.00 | Costs vary; many students choose to live off campus |
Additional Program Estimates
2022-2023
| Category | Three-Year Program Expenses |
Additional Information |
| HESI A2 Exam | $50.00 | Prior to acceptance |
| Child maltreatment check | $10.00 | Semester 1 |
| Criminal background check | $95.00 | Upon program acceptance |
| CPR Healthcare Provider Certification | $50.00 | Semester 1 |
| Drug screen | $45.00 | Required by some clinical facilities |
| Exam review course | $400.00 | Semester 9 |
| Immunizations | $300.00 | Prior to Semester 1; includes 1st TB skin test |
| Physical examination | $35.00 | Student health center; required by some clinical facilities |
| Registration examination | $200.00 | Following program completion |
| Scrubs and slip-resistant shoes | $150.00 | Semester 1 |
| Student name tag | $10.00 | Semester 1 |
| TB Mask | $25.00 | Semester 4 |
| Typhon Group Scheduling System | $100.00 | Semester 1 |
| TOTAL | $1,470.00 |
| Category | Annual Program Expenses |
Total Program Expenses |
Additional Information |
| Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics membership |
$58.00 | $174.00 | Annual membership |
| Books | $1,024.00 | Semesters 1, 2, & 3 | |
| Books | $502.00 | Semesters 4, & 5 | |
| Books | $1,025.00 | Semesters 6, 7, 8, & 9 | |
| Computer | $500.00 | ||
| Flu vaccine | $20.00 | $40.00 | Costs vary by health insurance plan |
| Health Insurance | $1,800.00 | $3,600.00 | Costs vary by plan |
| Lab Coat | $30.00 | $60.00 | White |
| Professional travel to state association annual meeting |
$200.00 | $400.00 | Semesters 2 & 5; includes registration, shared travel/lodging & meals |
| Project supplies | $100.00 | $200.00 | Class and supervised practice |
| Student nutrition and dietetic association membership |
$20.00 | $60.00 | Annual dues |
| Student professional liability insurance |
$25.00 | $50.00 | Semesters 1 & 4 |
| 2nd year TB skin test | $10.00 | Costs vary by health insurance plan |
|
| Transportation/parking | $550.00 | $1,100.00 | Costs vary by supervised practice location |
| Vehicle insurance | $1,800.00 | $3,600.00 | High estimate; costs vary by plan |
| Total | $12,345.00 |
| Resident | Non-Resident/ International | |
| Total Estimate for Three-Year Program (including tuition, fees, housing, meals and additional program expenses |
$72,314.00 | $99,856.00 |
Financial Aid
Students may qualify for financial aid or scholarships through Arkansas State University. Consult the web site at www.astate.edu/a/finaid/ for more information.
Admission Requirements
Students must apply for admission to the undergraduate program by April 1 in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Class size is limited due to the availability of supervised practices sites and all applicants may not be accepted into the program. A screening procedure is used to select the most qualified students. Letter of application, academic status, entrance examination, reference forms and completed application, including answers to particular questions are used in the selection process.
Undergraduate admission requirements include:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale of all college work attempted
- English proficiency requirements, if foreign born
- Completion of program prerequisites with a minimum grade of “C” required in all courses
- Program prerequisites must be completed prior to the start of the junior year.
- HESI A2 (entrance examination)
Required prerequisite courses include:
| Area | Course | Credit Hours | Course Title |
| English | ENG 1003 | 3 | Composition I |
| English | ENG 1013 | 3 | Composition II |
| Math | MATH 1023 | 3 | College Algebra |
| Biology | BIO 2203 | 3 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
| Biology | BIO 2201 | 1 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab |
| Biology | BIO 2223 | 3 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II |
| Biology | BIO 2221 | 1 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab |
| University College | UC 1013 | 3 | Making Connections |
| Psychology | PSY 2013 | 3 | Introduction to Psychology |
| Sociology | SOC 2213 | 3 | Principles of Sociology |
Fine Arts |
ART 2503 MUS 2503 THEA 2503 |
3 |
Fine Arts Visual or Fine Arts Musical or Fine Arts Theatre |
| Humanities | ENG 2003 ENG 2013 PHIL 1103 |
3 |
Intro to World Literature I or |
| Chemistry | CHEM 1043 | 3 | Fundamental Concepts of Chemistry |
| Chemistry | CHEM 1041 | 1 | Fundamental Concepts of Chemistry Lab |
| Chemistry | CHEM 1052 | 2 | Fundamental Concepts of Organic and Biochemistry |
| Nutritional Science | NS 2203 | 3 | Basic Human Nutrition |
| Communication Studies | COMS 1203 | 3 | Oral Communication |
| Social Sciences | HIST 2763 HIST 2773 POSC 2103 |
3 | The United States to 1876 or The United States Since 1876 or Introduction to US Government |
| Statistics | STAT 3033 | 3 | Statistics for Health Professions |
| Biology | BIO 2103 | 3 | Microbiology for Nursing & Allied Health |
| Biology | BIO 2101 | 1 |
Microbiology for Nursing & Allied Health Lab |
Admission requirements for the Graduate Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
To be considered for admission to the MSND degree program, applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate Admissions and the specific program requirements. All applicants must complete an ACEND accredited undergraduate coordinated program in dietetics and have obtained a bachelor’s degree, which includes the course work and minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours. The Nutrition and Dietetics program admits students on a space-available basis. Current resume, personal statement, and letters of recommendation are used in the selection process.
In order to complete the application process for the Nutrition and Dietetics program, the applicant must complete the following:
- Apply to the Graduate School
- Graduate school admission requirements include:
- Submit a completed online application for admission and the application fee.
- Achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale or a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours.
- Graduate school admission requirements include:
- Submit official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School.
- Apply to the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics Program –
- Graduate program admission requirements:
- Have earned an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics with successful completion of an ACEND accredited coordinated program with a minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours.
- Graduate program admission requirements:
The undergraduate portion of the program is hybrid, with a mix of online and face-to-face courses. The master’s addition will be online.
Application Procedure
Apply for admission to the undergraduate Program in Dietetics by April 1 in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Application packet is available on this website each January.
Submit the completed application packet to: dietetics@astate.edu
Application packet includes:
- Letter of application
- Program application
- Official transcripts of all college work completed
- Documentation of English proficiency, if foreign born
- Completed reference forms (three)
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Students will be notified of their acceptance into the program by May 15.
Apply for admission to the graduate Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics program and the graduate school by February 1 in the spring semester of the senior year. Application packet is available on this website each November.
Submit the completed application packet to: dietetics@astate.edu
Application packet includes:
- Letter of application
- Program application
- Official transcripts of all college work completed
- Documentation of English proficiency, if foreign born
- Completed reference forms (three)
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Students will be notified of their acceptance into the program by April 15.
Dietetics Curriculum
The undergraduate program requires 72 semester hours which includes 17 hours in supervised practice rotations in a variety of food service, community and clinical settings.
The following is a typical course sequence:
Year One Fall Semester
| NS 3113 | Life Cycle Nutrition |
| NS 3123 | Nutritional Biochemistry |
| NS 3133 | Food Service Management |
| NS 3153 | Food and Society |
| NS 3163 | Nutrition Education |
Year One Spring Semester
| NS 3253 | Nutrition Assessment |
| NS 4553 | Nutritional Counseling |
| NS 3263 | The Nutrition Care Process |
| NS 3143 | Food Science and Lab |
| NSP 3213 | Practicum I |
Summer One
| NSP 3323 | Practicum II |
| NS 3243 | Quantity Foods |
Summer Two
| NSP 4433 | Practicum III |
| NS 4453 | Community Nutrition |
Year Two Fall Semester
| NS 4413 | Medical Nutrition Therapy I |
| NS 4442 | Professional Development |
| NS 4443 | Food Chemistry and Lab |
| NS 4463 | Sports Nutrition |
| NSP 4544 | Practicum IV |
Year Two Spring Semester
| NS 4523 | Medical Nutrition Therapy II |
| NS 4533 | Infant and Child Nutrition |
| CLS 4212 | Interpreting Lab Data |
| NS 4573 | Introduction to Research |
| NSP 4654 | Practicum V |
The Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics requires 36 semester hours
The following is a typical course sequence:
Summer I
| NS 6253 | Nutrition in Critical Illness |
| NS 6113 | Food and Nutrition Public Policy |
Summer II
| NS 6003 | Topics in Food Service |
| NS 6123 | Health Care Delivery in the U.S. |
Fall 5
| HP 5113 | Leadership in Health Professions |
| NS 6263 | Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy |
| NS 6303 | Nutrition and Dietetics Research |
| STAT 6833 | Biostatistics |
Spring 5
| NS 6013 | Management of Nutrition Services |
| NS 6243 | Metabolic Nutrition |
| NS 6313 | Nutritional Epidemiology |
| NURS 6843 | Ethics of Health Care |
Academic and Program Schedule
During the program, students will have holidays consistent with the ASU academic calendar. Individual course syllabi and the Supervised Practice Rotation Schedule will provide additional information about the program schedule. Policies and procedures specific to the dietetics program including supervised practice rotations will be available in the Dietetics Student Handbook.
Graduation and/or Program Completion Requirements
In order to receive a B. S. in Dietetics from Arkansas State University a student must:
- Complete all didactic course requirements with a grade of C or above in all dietetics courses
- Successfully complete five supervised practice rotations
- Complete all general education and university requirements pertaining to the major
- Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Have no outstanding financial or other program obligations (examples include community service hours, exam review course attendance, self-assessment tool survey completion, exit survey completion, etc.)
In order to receive a M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Arkansas State University that signifies completion of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics, a student must:
- Complete academic course requirements with a grade of C or above in all degree courses (A degree course is any course that is listed in the graduate bulletin as a Major Requirement for the Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (http://www.astate.edu/a/registrar/students/). This includes Dietetics courses and one
Statistics course.) - Complete all education and university requirements pertaining to the major
- Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Have no outstanding financial or other program obligations (examples include exam review course attendance, self-assessment tool survey completion, exit survey completion, etc.)
Based on the ACEND benchmark for program completion (within 150% of the time planned for completion), this would equal a period of 4.5 years to complete the B.S. in Dietetics and the M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Program Delay/Interruption
If progress in the CP is interrupted for health or other reasons, the student must meet with the program director to discuss the circumstances and options for program completion. This situation may take the student outside of the benchmark window.
If the student withdraws from the university, he/she must apply for readmission to the program. Readmission status will be dependent upon space available. See the undergraduate/graduate bulletin for additional information.
Verification Requirements
After January 1, 2024, once students complete the BS in Dietetics, which includes the didactic portion and supervised practice, and the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics, they will have completed the requirements for receipt of a verification statement. Upon successful completion of the CP, each student will receive Verification Statement form(s). This is the form used by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics to verify that the student has met all academic and supervised practice requirements for program completion in accordance with Arkansas State University and accreditation guidelines. The verification statement is also required by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for eligibility for the Registration Examination for Dietitians. Once the required paperwork is completed, the program director submits the registration eligibility applications to CDR. Upon notification from CDR, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to schedule and take the Registration Examination.
