Program Requirements

Upper-level requirements

You need 121 or more credit hours to earn a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. At least 40 of the 121 hours must be upper-level (300 or higher) courses.

After your graduate: Verification statement, internship and exam

When you complete your degree, the program director issues you a verification statement.

The verification statement shows you have completed all course work for a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).

To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), there are a few more steps.

Completing your internship

First, you’ll need to complete an accredited dietetic internship.

Your verification statement makes you eligible to apply for this internship.

You must hold a GPA of 2.9 or higher in order to remain eligible for the verification statement and your internship.

Information about the dietetic internship application process can be found in the DPD student handbook.

You can also learn more about the process by visiting the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) information center for students.

Final step: Registration exam

You’ve completed your degree and internship.

Now, it’s time to take the registration exam for dietitians.

If you pass the registration exam, you’ll become an RDN.

Graduate degree requirement

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a graduate degree (master's degree or higher) to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

In order to be approved for the registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, you must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before midnight on December 31, 2023.

For more information about this requirement, go to the CDR website.

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information, review CDR’s state licensure requirements.

Students with prior degree seeking verification statement

In order to receive a verification statement from Missouri State, students not seeking a second degree must:

• Complete at least 18 hours of upper-level dietetics courses at Missouri State, including DTN 532, DTN 536, and DTN 546.
• Must have completed a minimum of a 300-level anatomy and physiology course(s) within the past five years.
• Maintain a cumulative and institutional GPA of 2.9 or above.
• Must have a “C” or better in all courses required.
• Must meet courses and course requirements necessary to accomplish all Knowledge Requirements for Dietitians (KRDs; as required by ACEND Accreditation Standards), which is determined by transcript review and meeting with the program director.

You may be asked to refresh skills, meet recent education requirements, or show competence at the level to which you’re re-entering.

Schedule a meeting with the program director if you decide to take this route.

More information about prior assessment of learning can be found in the DPD student handbook.

International students

If you seek a verification statement or want to complete your degree at MSU, let’s talk.

Meet with our program director; they’ll review any courses you have completed at your previous university.

All other academic requirements must be met as well.

Check out ACEND’s international fact sheet for more information.

Returning students

It’s our policy that you meet all Knowledge Requirements for Dietitians (KRDs) as set in the 2022 ACEND Accreditation Standards.

You may have to retake program-required courses if you completed the course more than five years ago.

Professional work and/or graduate work in closely related fields may meet some requirements for courses.

Review the nutrition and dietetics/DPD student handbook (.pdf) for more information about the program and requirements.