Master of Dietetics and Nutrition Frequently Asked Questions

There is no "right" undergraduate major to enter the MDN program. Examples include health sciences, exercise science, psychology, nutrition or another health-related field. A health-related major seems to best prepare students for entry in the program; however, as long as the student performs well academically and completes the prerequisite courses, the major of their choice is best.

The final opportunity to apply for the coordinated undergraduate program will be during the January 2020 admission deadline. The program will transition to the new Master of Dietetics and Nutrition to meet new educational guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®), recommending that the level of educational preparation for the RDN be elevated to a graduate level to provide a greater depth of knowledge and skills needed for future practice in the profession by the year 2024.

The new MDN program will raise the level of practice to a graduate level and the assessments of learning and practice will be based on a competency-based model. As the program provides the didactic knowledge and the supervised practice experiences, some of the content will be similar to that of the undergraduate DPD curriculum. Some prior learning credit will be offered for students with a DPD verification statement and students will be considered to have met all of the prerequisite courses. However, because the didactic content will be elevated to a higher level and competency-based assessments will be used to document success, there will be a limited number of courses that will be eligible for prior learning credit. No student may earn more than 20% of the program credits from prior learning.

The new MDN program will be a tagged clinical degree for dietetics and nutrition. If a student in interested in furthering their graduate training, the master of science degree could be combined with the MDN. Adding the MS degree would provide more targeted training to support preparation for a doctoral program, but would require another year to complete the MS requirements, including the thesis.

Because the new MDN program will be a tagged clinical degree for dietetics and nutrition, a thesis project will not be required. To earn a graduate degree, the Graduate School requires an evidence-based project experience.  All students in the MDN will complete either a case study or a project to meet this requirement.

The requirement for the graduate degree will only impact those seeking to take the exam. Existing registered dietitian nutritionists will not be required seek a graduate degree to maintain their credential.  For those who wish to seek a graduate degree, Ohio State offers many programs to meet the needs of working RDNs that wish to expand their training and practice.