Master of Science in Nutrition/ Didactic Program in Dietetics

Bastyr’s MSN-DPD program is designed to train students who are primarily interested in becoming registered dietitians (RDNs) and includes an integrative clinic practicum as part of coursework.

Master of Science in Nutrition/Didactic Program in Dietetics Overview

There are many ways to turn your passion for food and nutrition into a fulfilling profession. Through a hands-on curriculum and holistic education, Bastyr’s Master of Science in Nutrition/Didactic Program in Dietetics (MSN/DPD) gives you the training you need to feel confident in pursuing a successful career in nutrition.   

Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), this program will prepare you to practice nutrition counseling in a vast number of clinical settings such as private practice, hospitals, eating disorder treatment centers, rehabilitation and addiction centers, and more.

Next start date
Location
Seattle
Program Length

2 years, full time

Cost

Tuition & Fees

$475/Cost Per Credit

MSN/Didactic Program in Dietetics Highlights

ACEND Accredited

92

Number of Clinical Hours of Training

Internship Match Rates 100%

Expected Didactic Program in Dietetics Outcomes

Upon completion of Basytr’s Nutrition/Didactic Program in Dietetics program, students will be prepared to:

  • Apply for and be successful in a supervised practice program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
  • Complete the academic and competency requirements for registered dietitian (RDN) eligibility.
  • Become RDNs who will be agents of change in bringing the perspective of whole foods, environmental awareness of food choices, and integrative medicine into their dietetic and nutrition-related practices

Program Details

Biostatistics

Research Methods in Health Sciences

Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients

Nutrition in the Life Cycle

Disease Processes 1

Advanced Nutrition: Micronutrients

Counseling Skills for RDNs Lecture/Lab

Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1

Disease Processes 2

Whole Foods Production

Advanced Nutrition: Bioactive Compounds, Nutrigenomics, and Microbiome

Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 2

Nutrition Clinic Entry

Introduction to Dietetics

Food Safety and the Principles of Quantity Food Production

Food Science

Contemporary Nutrition: Global and Ecological Issues

Clinic Nutrition Practicum 1

Food Service Management Skills

Nutritional Supplementation

Contemporary Nutrition: Community and Culture

Therapeutic Cooking: Illness and Recovery

Food Service Capstone

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Nutrition: Public Health

Clinic Nutrition Practicum 2

 

Learn more

Students may take individual, science-based prerequisites as a non-matriculated student. If you wish to discuss taking specific prerequisites at Bastyr, please contact Admissions. Here is a list of courses offered.

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university.  
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate degree required to be considered for admission.  
  • Entering students must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university and a minimum GPA of 3.0, or a 3.0 in the last 45 credits in their undergraduate degree, or a B or better in Human Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, and a C or better in all other prerequisite courses. Exceptional candidates who do not meet these standards will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Human Physiology or a combined Human Anatomy and Physiology course - 1 course

Organic Chemistry* - 1 course

Biochemistry* - 1 course

Introductory Nutrition - 1 course

General Psychology - 1 course 

College Algebra or Statistics - 1 course

Microbiology - 1 course

*Must be science-major level (not survey level) with at least one lab in either organic chemistry or biochemistry

Note: Biochemistry course must have been taken within seven years of program start.   

View list of prerequisite courses available at Bastyr University.

Bastyr accepts graduate and undergraduate transfer credits earned at accredited colleges and universities. Learn what you need to make this process go smoothly.

For more information on loans and scholarships, visit financial aid.

 

Some available careers in nutrition are as follows:

  • Registered Dietitian Nutritionist* in a vast number of clinical settings such as private practice, hospitals, eating disorder treatment centers, rehabilitation and addiction centers, and more. 
  • Public health programs and administration 
  • Corporate wellness 
  • Food and nutrition consulting and writing 
  • Future academic career in a university, administrative, government or public health setting 
  • Research in a clinical or laboratory environment 

*Upon graduation, students have fulfilled the academic requirements to pursue a dietetic internship on the path to gaining the RDN credential.

In addition to successful completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) a student must accomplish the following:

  • Obtain a minimum of a master's degree at a US regionally accredited university or college. 
  • Receive a verification statement of coursework completion from an ACEND-accredited program (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics), which is required for admission to ACEND-accredited supervised practice programs/dietetic internships. 
  • Apply for a supervised practice program/dietetic internship through an online platform called the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS). More information about DICAS and preparing the online application on the DICAS Portal.
    • Further explanation of the DICAS application and computer matching process can be found here. 
  • Complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program, i.e., a dietetic internship and receive a verification statement of completion.
  • Successfully pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing examination for registered dietitian nutritionists.

To practice as an RDN, one must also obtain state-specific certification or licensure, as applicable. Additional information regarding state licensing agencies and requirements can be found here and here. Potential applicants should also be aware that effective in 2024, a master’s degree will be required to take the credentialing examination for registered dietitian nutritionists. For more information regarding careers in the field of dietetics, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.