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Program Overview

Program Overview

 

Your passion is to help others bring about a healthier lifestyle through food and nutrition. We provide experiences to prepare you to become a registered dietitian through our Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Program (MS DI). Whether your interest is clinical, outpatient, community, wellness, sports nutrition or food service operations, we’ll ensure you reach your goal. Gain in-depth experience through Lipscomb University’s five-semester MS DI.

Our Master of Science in Nutrition is also an excellent program for current registered dietitians who want to enhance knowledge and skills, as well as contribute to the field of research by completing courses in a format that works for a professional.

Expect excellence in our graduate-level curriculum designed to help you advance in knowledge and competencies for dietetics practice and research. Gain invaluable experience by serving the community and maintaining commitment to the Code of Ethics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Through the MS DI program, you will gain the required hours of practice experience along with your graduate degree for eligibility to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialing exam.

More details on cost, program mission, goals and objectives and calendar are available in the linked handbook below. 

Dietetic Internship Handbook Graduate Student Handbook

Why Choose Lipscomb University’s Nutrition Graduate Program?

When you complete our program, you will have the skills and experience necessary to take the next steps in your career as a dietitian — and live out your calling to help others live healthier lives.

But don't take our word for it. Hear from some of our students about their experiences at Lipscomb and why they chose to further their education with us.

Learn More about the Master of Science in Nutrition

Are you ready to work in the field of dietetics and nutrition or advance your career as a registered dietitian with a graduate degree? Earn a master’s degree in nutrition with the opportunity to complete a dietetic internship. Request information to learn more about Lipscomb’s nutrition graduate programs.

*Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website

In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete Lipscomb's ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship Certificate Program by May 2022 or the Master of Science in Nutrition Combined Program after December 31, 2023, are eligible to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. Learn more about state licensure requirements.

Access more information about educational pathways to become an RDN.

Admissions Requirements

Admissions Requirements

M.S. in Nutrition

  • Completed Lipscomb University graduate school application

  • Completed one of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited undergraduate or certificate nutrition programs

  • United States Registered Dietitian (RD) verified by CDR
  • Excellent reference/recommendations
  • GRE optional

MS DI Program

  • Completed Lipscomb's DICAS application
  • Completed one of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited undergraduate or certificate nutrition programs providing a verification statement
  • Minimum DPD GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Verification statement from an approved undergraduate or certificate program in dietetics 
  • Excellent reference/recommendations, with one from your academic advisor
  • Applicable nutrition courses from within the past five years
  • GRE optional

Browse the steps to becoming a registered dietitian.

Courses

Courses

The Master of Science in Nutrition Combined Program (MS DI) is a full-time program consisting of five semesters of coursework in the Master of Science in Nutrition, including approximately 32 weeks of experiential rotations in clinical, outpatient, community, wellness and foodservice/management settings of dietetics in the Middle Tennessee area (drive time expected up to 1 hour for some rotations) as well as concentration experiences and opportunities to participate in professional meetings. Our program also includes an RD exam review, as well as other professional meetings, workshops and service opportunities that become available each year. Lipscomb is currently approved for 20 interns during the spring match, but cohort size depends on the number of hospital placements available each year.

Tuition & Aid

Tuition & Aid

Lipscomb University's world-class education is a smart investment in your future. And both the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Combined Program and the Master of Science in Nutrition are eligible for federal financial aid dependent on individual FAFSAs. As you consider the cost of your internship, here is a comprehensive list of all the costs related to this Lipscomb University program.

  • Graduate School Application Fee ($50) and Non-Refundable Acceptance Fee ($500)
  • Tuition: $1,065* per credit hour
  • DI Clinical Fees: $500 per semester in Year 2

For the combined program, you should also expect some professional expenses: 

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Student Membership: $58
  • Student Malpractice Liability Insurance: $24
    Obtain student AND member coverage here. Once your application is complete and paid, you will receive the certificate of liability immediately. Follow instructions. If you are a DTR, you will apply as a professional, and your cost will likely be between $70 and $80.
  • Items such as background checks, immunizations, titers, TB skin tests, drug tests, personal health insurance and individual malpractice liability insurance are requirements for participants.
  • Interns are responsible for food and miscellaneous personal expenses incurred during attendance at professional meetings, as well as transportation and meals during rotations.
  • Slip-resistant shoes and appropriate food-service attire are required for certain rotations. Professional clothing, lab coat and closed-toe dress shoes are the accepted attire for clinical and community rotations, unless scrubs and tennis shoes are facility approved.
  • A laptop computer with webcam and reliable internet access, personal printer and scanner application, textbooks and online resources, as well as other school supplies are necessary for successful completion of program expectations. 

*Tuition and fees are estimates and subject to change.

Financial Aid

Please contact the financialaid [at] lipscomb.edu (Financial Aid Office) with questions you may have concerning your eligibility for financial aid once you have filed your FAFSA and have been admitted to the university.

100%

Graduation Rate

Networking

Both our deeply connected faculty and our experiential learning opportunities offer myriad ways for you to form relationships with leaders in the industry. These connections will serve and support you throughout your career.

Nashville, TN

A big city. An even bigger opportunity. We consider Nashville, Tennessee, an extension of our classroom, and as a leading city in many industries, that means you’ll gain experience and insight you won’t find anywhere else.

Research Opportunities

We know that you want to be an innovator in the field. That’s why we offer unique research opportunities in our state-of-the-art facilities with our world-class faculty so that you can hone your expertise.

95%

RD exam pass rate over 5 years

Our Faculty

  • Autumn Marshall headshot

    Autumn Marshall

    Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition

    Long-tenured Lipscomb faculty member in nutrition, extremely well-connected throughout the region in all things nutrition and dietetics.

    Meet Autumn Marshall
  • Anne Lowery headshot

    Anne Lowery

    Associate Professor

    Lowery is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist in the state of Tennessee who gained her bachelor's degree in Dietetics from Lipscomb; she completed her dietetic internship at National HealthCorp;...

    Meet Anne Lowery
  • Tracy Noerper headshot

    Tracy Noerper

    Associate Professor

    Noerper is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist in the state of Tennessee. She comes to Lipscomb with five years teaching nutrition at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She received her...

    Meet Tracy Noerper
  • Ann Toy headshot

    Ann Toy

    Assistant Professor

    Toy is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). She came to Lipscomb in 2013 as a member of the athletic department...

    Meet Ann Toy
  • Nancy Hunt headshot

    Nancy Hunt

    Associate Professor

    Nancy Hunt came to Lipscomb in 1986. She completed her BS degree and dietetic internship at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Hunt holds a master's degree in education with an...

    Meet Nancy Hunt
38+

Health & Community Partnerships

Career Paths

Dietitians and Nutritionists

Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal.

Agricultural and Food Scientists

Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products.

Certified Health Coaches

Certified health coaches guide clients to achieve health goals through lifestyle and behavior choices, providing expert advice in the areas where they have nationally recognized credentials and/or professional designation, following an established professional scope of practice and code of ethics.