Program Overview

• The UTMB MS/DI combined program is specifically intended for those seeking eligibility to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians and become credentialed as a Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN).
• Our 16-month, 44 credit Master of Science + Dietetic Internship combined program begins every Fall and ends the following December.
• We aim to enroll 20 students every Fall semester.
• Although ACEND no longer requires programs to have an official concentration, the program remains shaped and guided by the original concentration of Clinical and Translational Research and then beginning in 202, Patient/Client-Centered Care. Many of the faculty and research opportunities remain available to students while the current curriculum emphasizes the National Academies five core competencies of providing patient-centered care, working in interdisciplinary teams, employing evidence-based practice, applying quality improvement, and utilizing informatics.
• Supervised practice sites are located in Galveston and the greater Houston metropolitan area. Applicants are required to have their own reliable transportation.
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required. On average, overall GPA for applicants is 3.58 +/- 0.3. Please see our admissions requirements page for further details.
• Our program consists of registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition research faculty engaged in a variety of human and behavioral health research involving muscle physiology, protein metabolism, women’s health, pediatrics, global health, and physical activity interventions. Students are encouraged to complete a supervised practice research rotation, but it is not required.
• For more information about our program, view our pre-recorded Virtual Open House.

Graduate Performance on RD Registration Exam

Ten cohorts have graduated from the UTMB MS/DI program since 2015. These cohorts comprise a total of 179 matriculants, of which 176 completed the program (98.3%). Testing results are provided to program directors twice per year, February and August. RDN exam test statistics for the graduating class of December 2024 are unavailable until August 2025. For the 161 remaining graduates, two did not take the RDN exam. Of the 159 with testing results provided by CDR's testing company, Pearson, as of December 2024, 155 (97.5%) passed the RDN exam within 1-year of first attempt (the current ACEND metric).

 The latest RD exam statistics provided by the Commission on Dietetic Registration provides more details on RD exam pass rates.

Graduate Degree Requirement for 2024

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a graduate 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) by December 31, 2023 before 12:00 Midnight (CST).

For more information about this requirement, please visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration website.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN, please visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.

Accreditation

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics is the Academy's accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as registered dietitian nutritionists or dietetic technicians, registered. ACEND exists to serve the public by establishing and enforcing eligibility requirements and accreditation standards that ensure the quality and continued improvement of nutrition and dietetics education programs. Programs meeting those standards are accredited by ACEND.

The UTMB Dietetic Internship has been granted full accreditation status through 2033. For verification, you may contact ACEND:

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995

P: 1-800-877-1600, ext. 5400
P: 312-899-0040
F: 312-899-4817
E: acend@eatright.org
W: www.eatright.org