Nutrition and Dietetics Admissions

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill opened a new and exciting program in Fall 2018 to prepare Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) released the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for programs in nutrition and dietetics (see www.eatrightpro.org/FutureModel). UNC-Chapel Hill is one of only eight institutions in the country to be selected for the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards. These accreditation standards integrate didactic coursework with supervised experiential learning in a competency-based curriculum designed to prepare nutrition and dietetics practitioners for future practice.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has demonstrated its leadership in education and is part of the first cohort of programs to be accredited by ACEND under these new standards.

Program graduates will be eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. For more information on pathways to becoming a Registered Dietitian, please visit this site.

Contact Amanda S. Holliday MS, RD, LDN for more information.

Minimum Requirements for Admission

• Applicants must hold an appropriate baccalaureate degree from a four-year college or university or its international equivalent with a 3.0 GPA or better.
• The following prerequisite courses are required. They do not need to be completed at the time of application, but applicants must show that they will be able to complete them prior to enrolling in the program if admitted. Applicants should have no more than two remaining pre-requisites to complete during the spring and summer terms before enrolling. Pre-requisites may be completed at most any regionally accredited two- or four-year institution.
  • Chemistry (Chemistry I and Lab, Chemistry II and Lab, and at least one semester of Organic*)
  • Biochemistry*
  • Human Anatomy*
  • Human Physiology*
  • Microbiology with lab
  • Human Nutrition
  • General Psychology
  • Introduction to Anthropology or Sociology I

*For these courses, a lab is recommended but not required for admission

• All international applicants, with some exceptions, are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Please visit The UNC Graduate School’s admissions instructions for additional information.
• The program no longer requires GRE scores.

Application Requirements

• Complete SOPHAS application before submitting The Graduate School application
• Submit a personal statement stating reasons for applying to this program (see application for specific questions). The statement should identify career goals and discuss why the student is a good “fit” for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MPH program.  At the end of the statement, list completed prerequisite courses.  If a prerequisite has not been completed, applicants should indicate a detailed plan for completing the requirements before enrollment.
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae, which details paid and volunteer experiences. Applicants are encouraged to have work and/or volunteer experience in areas relevant to nutrition, health or other areas related to management, education, fitness or social services and public health.
• Provide three reference letters. While not required, it is recommended that at least one of your references be from an academic source.

Application Deadlines

We highly recommend that you submit online your completed application prior to December 1. Decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applications received after December 1 will be considered until the class is filled.

Applications received prior to December 10 will be eligible for consideration for The Graduate School fellowships.  Financial aid information for graduate students can be found on the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid’s website.

Need more information?  Please fill out a Prospective Student Inquiry Form.

State Certification/Licensure

The University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health is an Accredited School of Public Health under the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics concentration is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), following the Future Practice Model.

The MPH-RD track of the UNC program leads to a Master’s degree in Public Health and eligibility for the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam. This program does not itself lead to a license. State and federal statutes and regulations may specifically require or exempt licensure in order to practice. Additionally, individual facilities may have requirements that are above or separate from state-specific regulations. For most states, registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, graduation from an accredited program, fulfilling fieldwork requirements, and passage of an exam, fulfills the baseline licensure requirements.

The table found here provides a state-by-state breakdown of comparable licenses, including a determination of eligibility for licensure. This information is designed as a baseline determination of whether the program meets individual state-specific requirements. Other licenses may be more applicable and/or require additional standards. Licensure requirements and appropriate pathways are subject to change and may differ based on individual student backgrounds, including coursework taken outside the scope of the program. Students should do their own due diligence and determine the appropriate pathway and license type for themselves. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides an overview of regulation and licensure laws across the US.

Protection of Student Information

Please visit https://privacy.unc.edu/protect-unc-information/ferpa/