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
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
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
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.
Graduation Rate
RD exam pass rate over 5 years
Our Faculty
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.