Just how important is the work you do as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN)?
Graduate Degree Required for New RD/RDNs
Quick Facts
Next Start Date:
May 11, 2026
- Delivery: 100% Online
- Major Credits: 36
- No GRE required
- Thesis and non-thesis options
- Designed for current RD/RDNs
It is so critical that, beginning in 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration will require all new registered dietitian nutritionists to have a graduate degree.
Registered dietitian nutritionists are the nutrition experts charged with helping individuals understand the complex role diet plays in their overall health and how nutrition is used in the treatment and prevention of illness.
Your Career Continues
Ball State’s master of science in nutrition and dietetics is designed to prepare current RD/RDNs for this ever-expanding practice. And it’s offered online so you can continue your career full- or part-time while taking one or two courses at a time.
Although the program is offered fully online, your professors are the same top-notch faculty who teach our on-campus courses. Our faculty, committed to teaching and research, receive the resources and support they need to create engaging online classes to help meet your personal and professional goals.
Faculty Advisor
Bryant Keirns, PhD , PhD
Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics and Graduate Program Director
The
Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for registered dietitian nutritionists would grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.
As the competition grows for such positions, graduates of programs such as Ball State’s master of science in nutrition and dietetics will typically transition into two occupation groups—larger mid-level healthcare therapists and fitness and wellness.
Potential Positions
The growing demand for nutrition and dietetic professionals will exceed supply for the next several years. Nationwide, there’s a promising job market for positions such as . . .
- Dietitian
- Registered dietitian nutritionist
- Clinical dietitian
- Nutritionist
- Director of wellness
- Health coach
- Clinical nutrition manager
- Fitness manager
- Pediatric dietitian
- Health wellness coordinator
Job postings suggests that these positions will require skills in a number of areas, including:
- Nutrition and diet
- Basic patient care
- Advanced patient care
- Medical support
- General medicine
- Public health and disease prevention
- Building effective relationships
Credits
Total: 36
Research Core (non-thesis, 9 credits) or Thesis (15 credits)
Statistics (6 credits)
- HSC 683 Epidemiology (3 credits)
- HSC 687 Statistical Methods in Health Science (3 credits)
Research Methods (3 credits)
- NUTR 697 Research Methods in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)
Nutrition Core (6 credits)
- NUTR 647 Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids (3 credits)
- NUTR 648 Vitamins and Minerals (3 credits)
Directed Nutrition Electives (9-12 credits)
- NUTR 642 Nutrition Assessment (3 credits)
- NUTR 643 Energy, Balance, Obesity, and Weight Control (3 credits)
- NUTR 644 Nutrition for Exercise and Sport (3 credits)
- NUTR 645 Nutrition and Food Policy (3 credits)
- NUTR 650 Maternal and Infant Nutrition (3 credits)
- NUTR 651 Pediatric Nutrition (3 credits)
- NUTR 652 Geriatric Nutrition (3 credits)
- NUTR 660 Advanced Healthcare Administration (3 credits)
- NUTR 663 Renal Nutrition (3 credits)
- NUTR 664 Nutrition in Cardiovascular Diseases (3 credits)
- NUTR 683 Advanced Practice in Dietetics (3 credits)
- NUTR 696 Seminar in Foods and Nutrition (3 credits)
Elective Courses (9-12 credits)
- Courses inside or outside the Department of Nutrition and Health Science (no more than 6 credits from 500-level courses)
- The NHS Graduate Program Advisor must approve all non-NUTR elective courses.
View Catalog
Take Note:
- You can transfer up to 9 graduate credits into the program.
- You have six years to complete the degree.
As you consider a master’s in nutrition and dietetics, it’s important to find a program that provides both
quality and
value.
Ball State Online is known for its prowess and innovation in online learning. Online classes are subject to a peer-review process to assure they meet national, best practice standards. Each year our online programs rank among the best in the nation, according to
U.S. News & World Report. And online is how we offer a number of student support services—such as academic support, study skills and strategies, technology support, even career planning—all geared to online, working adults.
Calculate the Cost of a Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics
It's important to you to understand the expenses associated with your education. We encourage you to use our cost calculator to estimate the costs of your education and plan for your future. Need assistance? We are ready to support you.
Calculate Your Costs
Friesen's Passion is Helping Others Make Healthier Food Choices
Change is coming to the field of nutrition and dietetics and professor Carol Friesen is ready for it.
Read Her Story!
Nutrition and Dietetics Student Likes Program She Can Put on Pause
When discussing her graduate work, it is only fitting that Jenny Anttonen would use the term “digestible.”
Read Her Story!
Previous
Next
More about Online Learning
Ready to Apply?
You will first want to check if you m
Meet the admission requirements for the Ball State Graduate School. Then you may apply.
Get Started
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We’re here to help! You may request more information using our online form, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.
REQUEST INFO CONTACT US