Master of Nutrition and Dietetics
Be a guide to health through nutrition
Engage with real world projects that improve lives through two-track options in nutrition and dietetics.
An experienced clinical educator will schedule your supervised experiential learning experiences. No need to find your own preceptors, we do it for you. Bluffton has long standing relationships entities including hospitals in Findlay and Lima, extension offices in Hancock and Allen counties, and school food service with Cory-Rawson, Lima City, Wapakoneta and Pandora.
With tuition at $530 per credit hour for a 37-hour program, you could earn a graduate degree and complete 1,000 hours of experiential learning for $19,055.
After earning a bachelor’s degree, you must have a master’s degree and at least 1,000 hours of supervised experiential learning before and meet all ACEND competencies before taking the credentialing exam to become an Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
At Bluffton University, you can complete these requirements in one calendar year.
Start your Master’s program in summer 2026
- The one-year program begins in the summer with four online courses. Computer access is extremely important as many activities require research and writing. Students must provide their own laptop computer.
- For fall and spring semesters, spend one day per week taking in-person graduate courses and four days in supervised experiential learning.
- Course descriptions
- Eating disorders
- Focus on theory, best practices, research methods, seminars and clinical observation sessions focused on eating disorder prevention and treatment.
- Increased supervised experiential learning hours at eating disorder sites including Divergent Dietitian.
- Complete a capstone project on a relevant eating disorder topic
- Students are encouraged to attend the Academy of Eating Disorders or International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation conference.
- Sports nutrition
- Focus on prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries and illness through nutrition intervention.
- Increased supervised experiential learning hours at sports nutrition sites including with University of Toledo NCAA Division I athletes
- Complete a capstone project on a relevant sports nutrition topic
- Students will be encouraged to attend the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association conference.
The master in nutrition and dietetics program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, located at 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400 While state interpretations of statutes may vary, it is ACEND’s considered opinion that the program meets the educational requirements for dietetics licensure and certification in all states. However, completing an ACEND-accredited academic program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure or certification as a dietitian in any state.
Individuals should review their state’s licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license. In Ohio, a registered dietitian must also be a licensed dietitian. Licensure requirements for other states can be found on the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) website.
The graduate program generally follows the university academic calendar However, graduate Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) hours may not necessarily follow the academic calendar. For example, the SEL hours may begin shortly after the New Year’s holiday, which is earlier than the start of classes. Due to the nature of SEL hours we cannot guarantee that students’ holiday breaks will coincide with the academic calendar.
Bluffton’s master of nutrition and dietetics program is fully accredited through the
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
For more information
Contact Brycen Boyle
Adult and graduate studies graduate assistant
boyleb@bluffton.edu
Request more information online.