Nutrition and Dietetics, B.S.

The field of nutrition and dietetics celebrates the central role of food in shaping health and enhancing well-being. This interdisciplinary field blends nutrition science with practical applications to promote healthy lifestyles, prevent disease, and enhance quality of life. Saint Louis University students in this program delve into the nuances of nutritional assessment, meal planning, and the broader influence of food on physical and mental health. Whether preparing for a career in healthcare, the culinary world, or public health, the SLU nutrition and dietetics program prepares students to be food and nutrition experts in their chosen careers.

Spend time in the Fresh Gatherings Café and Farm — a modern culinary food lab and student-run dining facility — to gain experience planning, preparing and serving meals. Meals are prepared from scratch using locally grown and cultivated ingredients from Missouri and Illinois, including our farm and orchard on the Saint Louis University campus.

Join the Saint Louis University Dietetics Association, SLU's on-campus student organization known for its food-centric outings, guest speakers, and strong network of like-minded peers. 

Food is Medicine: Nutrition for Pre-Med and Pre-PA Students

The nutrition and dietetics program provides a strong foundation for pre-health pathways, emphasizing a unique "food as medicine" approach. Students will explore how nutrition is a powerful tool in preventing and managing chronic diseases. This major distinguishes itself by blending medical, biological, and behavioral sciences with the creativity of cooking and lifestyle innovation. Additionally, students gain hands-on patient care experience and refine their clinical assessment skills, preparing them for medical school, physician assistant programs, or other healthcare careers. For more information, visit SLU’s Pre-Health Office.

Becoming an RDN

Students can also choose to become registered dietitian nutritionists. RDNs are food and nutrition experts dedicated to improving lives through nutrition. RDNs use their nutrition expertise to help individuals and groups make lifestyle changes to prevent and treat nutrition-related illnesses. Given the program’s focus on sustainable foods and culinary arts, students are prepared to practice as RDNs with a strong food-first approach.  

The ND Scholars Program allows direct entry into the 12-month Dietetic Internship/Master of Science Program. For more information, contact a DCHS recruitment specialist at dchs@health.slu.edu. 

To become an RDN, students must:

• Earn a minimum of a graduate degree
• Complete a supervised practice program
• Pass a national examination
• Meet requirements to practice in your state
• Complete continuing professional educational requirements

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited program at Saint Louis University are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program/apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN. Please click here for more information about educational pathways to becoming an RDN.

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. More information about state licensure and certification can be found at this link: State Licensure.

Didactic Program in Dietetics Mission

To thrive in a community that promotes and seeks truth about food and nutrition. Woven into the fabric of this community are multifaceted educational pursuits to promote a food-centered culture for health and wellness, scholarly exploration and an appreciation of the global and ecological community in which we exist.

Curriculum Overview

The nutrition and dietetics program at Saint Louis University offers students an exceptional education.

• The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics has a legacy of more than 90 years of excellence in dietetics education, cultivating students who are both critical thinkers and change-makers.
• Majoring in nutrition and dietetics is a strong foundation for students pursuing careers as RDNs, physician assistants, physicians, and other healthcare professionals.  
• Fresh Gatherings Café + Farm offers students a practical learning experience, showcasing the application of food-as-medicine principles in a real-world environment.
• Our curriculum is unique, with a food-first philosophy and strong foundation in culinary arts and sustainable foods, offering courses such as Cultural Aspects of Foods and World Cuisines. 
• Class sizes are small, averaging five to 30 students. Instructors are recognized for their expertise and enhance their courses through service learning, on-site experiences and guest lectures by alumni and local experts.
• The Doisy College of Health Sciences is in the Allied Health Building on the SLU's South Campus. The school boasts modern labs, including a gait lab for assessing motion analysis, a culinary lab, and a simulated medical office suite and exam rooms complete with videotaping capabilities and one-way mirrors for student observation.

Clinical and Research Opportunities

All students will participate in a two-semester clinical practicum course to gain experience in a hospital setting. Students utilize the hospital’s electronic medical record system, interview patients under the supervision of a registered dietitian nutritionist and prepare a nutrition care plan. 

Students in SLU's nutrition and dietetics program can work in the Fresh Gatherings Café + Farm, operated by the department's students and faculty. The café, which has been ranked as a top dining hall, emphasizes local foods and sustainability. The nutrition and dietetics program maintains an award-winning urban farm and garden that students can use to enhance their learning experience.

Students can explore research opportunities with the nutrition and dietetics faculty. Faculty research areas include performance nutrition, maternal and child health, sustainable food systems, and transgender health and nutrition. 

Careers

Registered dietitian nutritionists work in a wide variety of areas, including hospitals, food service, private practice, community and public health settings, universities, research, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness, schools and industry.

Earnings vary according to the area of dietetics practice, level of education, additional certifications and the practice location. Nationally, the median salary for dietitians and nutritionists in 2024 was $69,680, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Admission Requirements

All applicants are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration of all submitted credentials. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. 

Freshman Applicants

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70 on a 4.00 scale.
• Four years of high school English and three years of high school math and science, recommended one year of chemistry and one year of biology.
• Saint Louis University has a test-optional admission process for all undergraduate programs. Applicants may submit standardized test scores, but those who choose not to will not be disadvantaged in any way in the admission process. 

Transfer Applicants

• GPA of 2.75/4.00

Currently, the average GPA of admitted students is 3.8 on a 4.0 scale and the average ACT score is 26.

If students are interested in transferring to the undergraduate program or have already earned an undergraduate degree, staff can help students plan a strategy for the transfer of credits and program completion.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students, along with the following:

• You must demonstrate English language proficiency.
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding your time at Saint Louis University.
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of your study at the University.
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need. In addition to SLU scholarships, the Doisy College of Health Sciences offers scholarships to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.
• Financial Aid: Provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration of merit-based scholarships, applicants should apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 1.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Program-specific Additional Costs

More Information on Tuition and Fees 

Accreditation

Saint Louis University's MS-DI program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
312-899-0040 ext. 5400
eatrightpro.org/acend

1. Graduates will be able to demonstrate effective professional communication in the transmission of food and nutrition information.
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the ability to develop patient-centered care plans that reflect a value for the inherent worth of others.
3. Graduates will be able to demonstrate nutrition education methods to facilitate diet changes in diverse populations.
4. Graduates will be able to articulate the value of nutrition and dietetics professionals in an interprofessional care context.
5. Graduates will be able to evidence the proper use of professional literature to make evidence-based nutrition care decisions.

Program Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: To prepare a generalist, internship-eligible graduate who has achieved basic competencies as identified by the core knowledge requirements and expected learning outcomes.

• The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
• At least 70% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
• Nearly 100% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation if they choose to go on to a dietetic internship.
• A minimum of 80% of students completing dietetic internships and/or post-baccalaureate programs will indicate that they “strongly agree” or “agree” that their undergraduate education adequately prepared them for their post-B.S. education.
• At least 80% of students completing dietetic internships and/or post-baccalaureate programs will indicate that they strongly agree or agree that their undergraduate education made them competitive with colleagues from other programs.
• At least 80% of program students* complete program/degree requirements within three years (150% of the program length). Program completion rate is calculated by tracking students from the beginning of the junior year. 
  *ACEND-specific objectives

Goal 2: To prepare a graduate who is knowledgeable about nutritional care in multiple settings and demonstrates specific personal and professional competencies.

• A minimum of 80% of dietetic internship directors will indicate that graduates were more than satisfactorily prepared for success in their dietetic internship program.
• A minimum of 80% of students will indicate that they strongly agree or agree that they felt adequately prepared for the dietetic internship program.  

Goal 3: To provide a basis for further development and lifelong learning that will assure continued competence.

• A minimum of 85% of graduates will answer that they agree or strongly agree that the DPD program instilled a desire for continued development as a self-learner.

Goal 4: To prepare a graduate who will contribute to society based on the development of a sense of community and social/civic responsibility.

• A minimum of 75% of graduating seniors will have participated in a total of at least 20 hours of service learning by the end of the DPD program.
• A minimum of 85% of graduates will indicate that they agree or strongly agree that the DPD program supported development of judgments respectful of the inherent dignity and worth of individuals.  

A Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics requires successful completion of: 

Continuation Standards

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Elective Recommendations

Apply for Admission

Contact Doisy College of Health Sciences
Recruitment specialist
314-977-2570
dchs@health.slu.edu

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution. 

Nutrition and Dietetics, B.S. (STLCC 2+SLU)