Incoming freshmen and transfer students should complete the five-year BS/MS accelerated program in Dietetics. Students who apply to the Dietetics Concentration (see below for process) by June 15, 2025 and are accepted will be able to complete the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and earn an ACEND Verification Statement. The ACEND Verification Statement and MS degree enables students to apply to a post-graduate ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship, the completion of which is the final prerequisite to taking the Registration Examination to become an RDN.
Students who enter the BS-Dietetics Concentration after the June 15, 2025 deadline will not be enrolled in the DPD. Instead, these students can complete the BS-Dietetics Concentration (non-DPD) and apply to the MS-Dietetics Concentration, a new program for which we have applied to ACEND as an ACEND-accredited Graduate Program (GP) to prepare RDNs in Fall 2026. Our eligibility application was accepted by ACEND, and we are in the pre-candidacy process for our proposed program. The MS-Dietetics Concentration (GP) is not accepting applications at this time but will do so upon successful completion of the candidacy for accreditation process to achieve ACEND accreditation. For more information about the ACEND accreditation standards, visit 2022 ACEND Accreditation Standards.
Admission Requirements for BS-DPD (on or before June 15, 2025)
Students in the Applied Nutrition and Wellness, Food Science, or Food Systems concentrations who wish to be admitted to the Dietetics concentration must apply after having met the application requirements below:
- Completed at least 14 credits of coursework at Montclair State University including NUFD 150, NUFD 192, CHEM 113, and STAT 109 (or equivalent coursework at other institutions)
- Achieved a minimum GPA of 3.2 with no grades lower than a “C” (2.0) in DPD courses
Evidence of leadership roles and/or nutrition-related experience will also be considered; however, an applicant’s GPA will be given the highest consideration.
To apply, the following materials must be submitted via the CANVAS application portal during the application period.
- Application form (online application)
- Unofficial transcript(s) from college(s) attended other than Montclair State University
- Unofficial Montclair State University transcript (must reflect final grades from most recently ended semester)
Applications for the Fall 2025 semester will only be considered if the online application is completed and received by June 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Decisions will be mailed by July 1.
Admission Requirements for MS-DPD
Undergraduates in the BS-DPD track are automatically enrolled in the BS/MS-DPD. Students will be permitted to continue in the accelerated BS/MS-DPD so long as the required 3.4 GPA is earned by the end of Junior year. At that time, students will be permitted to enroll in two graduate courses per semester in the Fall and Spring semesters of their Senior year. These “swing” courses will count toward both the BS and MS degrees. Students will receive an expedited application from Graduate Admissions to complete for the MS-DPD.
Students who have not earned a 3.4 GPA as rising Seniors will be switched back to the BS-DPD program and will need to submit a separate application for the MS, to begin after graduation from the BS. More information about the application process can be found on the BS/MS Admission and Retention Policies page.
Maintenance of a minimum 3.2 GPA is needed throughout the DPD program. Students must demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors and academic integrity. Formal learning assessments will be conducted during and throughout the culmination of any given course. Learning assessments will entail examinations, laboratory reports, oral presentations, and evidence of formal writing assignments. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.2, a meeting with the faculty adviser is required to establish a plan of action for academic improvement.
To receive an ACEND Verification Statement for completing the DPD, students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all DPD coursework and demonstrate attainment of every dietetics core knowledge requirement (KRDN) throughout the program. Students with minimal chances of success in the program will be counseled into an alternative path in the combined BS/MS program.