Department Website
Program Description
The Master of Science program in nutrition and dietetics prepares students for a wide range of careers as dietitians and nutritionists. It provides training for registered dietitians and other students who seek to become registered dietitians or to obtain advanced academic training in clinical nutrition, which meets all academic and internship requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) registration eligibility.
Concentrations
Students may choose from three study options:
40-Credit Clinical Nutrition
This concentration is a 40-unit pre-professional curriculum for students who would like to obtain the registered dietitian (RD) credential.
34-Credit Clinical Nutrition
This concentration provides advanced clinical dietetics training to students who already have Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credentials or have completed a dietetic internship.
34-Credit Foods and Nutrition
This concentration is for students who already hold professional credentials in a health field (such as RDN, MD, DDS, or RPh). Our Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition provides advanced academic training in food and nutrition to further your career.
Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification
The NYU DPD is currently accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (200 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000 Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600) until 2030.
Evaluation and verification of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ DPD requirements for dietetic registration eligibility may be obtained by students who have completed at least 29 credits in residence at NYU. Students must request and file a formal application.
Dietetic Internships
The mission of New York University’s Dietetic Internship is to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for practice as entry-level registered dietitians. The internship prepares graduates to integrate theory with practice and apply critical thinking and analytical skills in order to help improve the dietary intake, nutritional status, and overall health of individuals and groups.
The NYU Dietetic Internship is housed in the Clinical Nutrition MS program and requires enrollment for 13 months total. Admission to the NYU Dietetic Internship is not open to all MS Clinical Nutrition students and requires a separate application. The full-time program, which offers fall and spring matches, includes one full semester of coursework followed by 27 weeks of on-site supervised practice for a total of 1,200 full-time, supervised hours. It also fulfills 18 of the 40 credits needed for an MS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics: Clinical Nutrition (completion of this degree is not required, but is recommended). It meets the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) requirements for supervised clinical practice for registration eligibility.
Interns must complete five graduate courses (12 credits) before entering supervised clinical practice:
Interns complete supervised clinical practice rotations in clinical nutrition therapy (13 weeks and one week of Pediatric Dental Clinical), community nutrition (three weeks), food service management (six weeks), specialties (one week), and staff relief (three weeks) — a total of at least 1,200 practice hours, along with 23 hours of classroom instruction. The supervised practice takes place in one of the many affiliated hospitals, institutions, and agencies located throughout the New York metropolitan area. Because some of these sites train more than one dietetic intern, starting dates for the supervised clinical practice may vary.
Concurrently with the supervised practice, interns register in two consecutive semesters for NUTR-GE 2146 Clin Prac in Dietetic I, NUTR-GE 2147 Clin Prac in Dietetic II. Class sessions cover the Code of Ethics of the AND/Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and the Standards of Practice for dietetic professionals; political, legislative, and economic factors affecting dietetic practice; and development of effective communication and counseling skills.
Career Opportunities
The program is designed to train students to help individuals and the public choose foods that promote health and prevent disease; manage human, financial, and physical resources to improve the nutritional status of individuals and population groups; monitor trends and issues in the field of nutrition and translate this information into education and training programs; and apply research principles and processes to the examination of nutrition problems.
Accreditation
The NYU Dietetic Internship is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
- Résumé/CV
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts
- Proficiency in English
See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to each concentration:
Program Requirements
40-Credit Clinical Nutrition
This concentration is a 40-credit pre-professional curriculum for students who would like to obtain the registered dietitian (RD) credential.
In order to become a registered dietitian, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics requires students to fulfill the following three separate sets of training requirements prior to taking the dietetic registration examination:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college;
- Completion and verification of a specific sequence of undergraduate prerequisite courses that meet defined educational competencies and are known collectively as the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD); and
- Completion of an AND-accredited dietetic internship. The department provides an internship option, discussed below.
- Complete a Master's degree in nutrition or nutrition-related.
Students who do not hold a Bachelor’s degree from an AND-accredited nutrition program should take the following steps:
- Enroll in the 40-credit clinical nutrition graduate program;
- While enrolled, take undergraduate (DPD) prerequisite courses;
- Apply for admission to a dietetic internship (which may involve master’s-level coursework); and if accepted,
- Complete the dietetic internship and courses for the master’s degree. All DPD courses must be completed prior to entering a dietetic internship program. For more information about DPD prerequisites, see Nutrition and Dietetics.
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| |
| NUTR-GE 2037 | Medical Nutrition Thrpy | 4 |
| NUTR-GE 2146 | Clin Prac in Dietetic I | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2147 | Clin Prac in Dietetic II | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2196 | Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam 1 | 2 |
| NUTR-GE 2198 | Nutrition Counseling Theory & Practice 1 | 3 |
| |
| NUTR-GE 2077 | Field Experience | 1-2 |
| NUTR-GE 2139 | Advanced Nutrition: Protein, Fats & Carbs | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2144 | Advanced Nutrition: Vitamins & Minerals | 3 |
| NURSE-GN 2005 | Intro Stats Health Profs | 3 |
| or APSTA-GE 2085 | Basic Statistics |
| |
| 6 |
| Pediatric Nutrition | |
| Critical Care Nutrition | |
| Sports Nutrition | |
| Weight Management | |
| Nutrition and Aging | |
| Nutritional Aspects of Eating Disorders | |
| Nutrition: Diseased Gut | |
| Malnutrition Screening, Assessment & Intervention | |
| Adv Nutr: Nutrition for Musculoskeletal Health | |
| NUTR-GE 2190 | Research Methods in Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2061 | Research Applications in Nutrition | 3 |
| or NUTR-GE 2063 | Res Appren in Foods & Nutrition |
| Variable |
| NUTR-GE 2000 | Nutrition: New Graduate Student Seminar | 0 |
| Total Credits | 40 |
34-Credit Clinical Nutrition
This concentration provides advanced clinical dietetics training to students who already have the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential or have completed a dietetic internship.
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| NUTR-GE 2139 | Advanced Nutrition: Protein, Fats & Carbs | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2144 | Advanced Nutrition: Vitamins & Minerals | 3 |
| NURSE-GN 2005 | Intro Stats Health Profs | 3 |
| or APSTA-GE 2085 | Basic Statistics |
| |
| 6 |
| Pediatric Nutrition | |
| Critical Care Nutrition | |
| Sports Nutrition | |
| Weight Management | |
| Nutrition and Aging | |
| Nutritional Aspects of Eating Disorders | |
| Nutrition: Diseased Gut | |
| Malnutrition Screening, Assessment & Intervention | |
| Adv Nutr: Nutrition for Musculoskeletal Health | |
| NUTR-GE 2190 | Research Methods in Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2061 | Research Applications in Nutrition | 3 |
| or NUTR-GE 2063 | Res Appren in Foods & Nutrition |
| Variable |
| NUTR-GE 2000 | Nutrition: New Graduate Student Seminar | 0 |
| Total Credits | 34 |
34-Credit Foods and Nutrition
This concentration provides advanced academic training in food and nutrition for students who already hold professional credentials in a health field (such as RDN, MD, DDS, or RPh).
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Educate individuals and the public on food choices that will optimize health and prevent disease.
- Apply nutrition principles and diet assessment to the treatment of diet-related disease conditions.
- Manage human, financial, and physical resources to improve the nutritional care of individuals and population groups.
- Help improve the nutritional status of individuals and population groups.
- Monitor trends and issues in the discipline of nutrition, and translate this information into curriculum, education, and training programs.
- Apply research principles and methods to the examination of current problems in nutrition and health.
Policies
Program Policies
MS Nutrition Policies Regarding Classes
- No graduate level course may be taken pass/fail unless that is the only grading option.
- Not all courses listed are offered every semester. Classes run only if enrollment is sufficient.
- Students must take 40 or 34 credit classes with NYU to receive an NYU degree. We do not allow transfer credits from other colleges.
- Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the program. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA will result in academic probation. After two semesters of academic probation, students will sign a memorandum of understanding indicating possible dismissal after the third semester on academic probation. Students will return to good standing once their cumulative GPA returns to 3.0 or above.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is required to graduate from the program.
- If students are dropping classes, they MUST notify their advisor; it is the student's responsibility to reorganize the DPD or MS sequence map appropriately.
- Students are only permitted to retake DPD courses one time should they receive below a C.
- Students are not permitted to take more than 7 credits during summer sessions.
STEM OPT Benefits for International Students
If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in this program may also be eligible for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Steinhardt Academic Policies
Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.