In order to be a well-qualified marketable dietitian-nutritionist, we recommend completion of one of our master's degrees in nutrition, in addition to completion of our Dietetic Internship Program. Please note that your existing bachelor's degree does not need to be in nutrition to complete a master's degree in nutrition.
The Program in Nutrition at Teachers College offers three master-of-science (M.S.) degrees in nutrition in:
Each of our M.S. degrees consist of similar core courses with added courses allowing for specialization in the respective areas. The M.S. degrees in nutrition and education and in nutrition and public health consist of 42-47 credits, whereas the M.S. degree in nutrition and exercise physiology consists of 55 credits.
To be eligible to apply to and complete one of the three M.S. degrees, prerequisite courses are necessary. Successful completion of the prerequisite courses will enable you to attend graduate courses in nutrition and to glean all that is necessary from these courses.
In addition to completing a master's degree in nutrition, becoming a registered dietitian-nutritionist (RD or RDN) is highly recommended. Having the RD/RDN credential alongside the M.S. degree enables you to be highly marketable in the nutrition field. Becoming an RD/RDN requires completion of a Dietetic Internship Program (DI) and successful completion of an exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The Program in Nutrition at Teachers College administers a fully accredited Dietetic Internship Program. To be eligible to apply to and complete the DI, specific prerequisite courses — called the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) — are required. TC does not have its own accredited DPD program at this time. However, in collaboration with Lehman College, which has a DPD-accredited program, our M.S. students are able to complete all DPD course requirements for Dietetic Internship Program eligibility. Lehman College verifies completion of all DPD course requirements and issues the necessary Verification Statement opening the door to apply for admission to the Dietetic Internship Program at Teachers College or elsewhere.
To review, if you wish to become a registered dietitian and nutritionist, you will need to complete M.S. prerequisite courses, one of our M.S. degrees in nutrition, all DPD courses, a DI, and the national registration exam in dietetics and nutrition. This may sound overwhelming, but the process isn't.
With proper advisement, you can complete the whole process (excluding completion of the M.S. prerequisite courses) in roughly three years of full-time study. However, you are always welcome to complete the process on a part-time basis.
To learn more, please join Dr. Lora Sporny during a conference call information session.
In order to be a well-qualified, marketable dietitian-nutritionist, we highly recommend obtaining a master of science (MS) degree in nutrition as well as the registered dietitian-nutritionist (RDN) credential. By completing one of our ACEND-accredited integrated MS-RDN degrees, you will complete a combination of didactic and practice courses that together deliver the MS and prepare you to sit for the registration examination for dietitians-nutritionists administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. You can complete all requirements in two years when attending full-time, September through August. No separate Dietetic Internship Program is needed. We also offer a tailored program for individuals who would like to complete the integrated MS-RDN degree part-time.
Our master’s degrees in nutrition will prepare you to take on different roles, from entry-level to leadership, in a wide variety of settings within the nutrition field. The MS will also make you more marketable. As of January 2024, anyone interested in becoming an RDN will be required by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to have a master’s degree.
The Program in Nutrition at Teachers College offers three MS degrees in:
Each of our MS degrees consists of similar core courses with added courses allowing for specialization in the respective areas. Each integrated MS-RDN degree also offers the supervised experiential learning opportunities required to become an RDN. These occur both within the classroom and at community, clinical, nutrition education, media, research, and food service worksite locations. The integrated MS-RDN degree in Nutrition Education and in Nutrition and Public Health consist of 50 credits, whereas the integrated MS-RDN degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology consists of 57 credits.
To be eligible to apply to our master’s program, prerequisite courses are necessary. Successful completion of the prerequisite courses will enable you to attend graduate courses in nutrition and glean all that is necessary from these courses. Please note that your existing bachelor’s degree does not need to be in nutrition to complete a master’s degree in nutrition.
To learn more, please join Dr. Lora Sporny during a Zoom information session.