For someone considering becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, graduate school is one part of a larger professional pathway.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Online Master of Science in Dietetics is designed to fulfill the graduate-degree component of that pathway while giving students the flexibility of online graduate study.
Understanding the graduate degree requirement
CPP states that becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist requires three major components: a graduate degree, supervised dietetic internship experience, and successful completion of the Commission on Dietetic Registration examination.
The graduate degree requirement became mandatory on Jan. 1, 2024.
Cal Poly Pomona’s 30-unit Online MS in Dietetics fulfills the graduate-degree requirement for RD/RDN eligibility.
However, there is an important distinction prospective students should understand.
The master’s degree and supervised practice are separate
The Online MS in Dietetics is not an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program.
Students who have a Didactic Program in Dietetics verification statement must still complete the required dietetic internship, either while completing the degree or afterward.
Cal Poly Pomona also offers a Dietetic Internship, but CPP currently states that the internship cannot be combined with the Online MS in Dietetics. Students in the master’s program may apply to CPP’s internship during the year they graduate to begin supervised practice that fall.
Understanding that distinction can help prospective students plan their education and supervised practice rather than viewing the master’s degree as the entire RD/RDN pathway.
Graduate study designed with flexibility in mind
The program is 100% online and asynchronous.
Students complete 30 semester units and can finish in one year as a full-time student or take two years for greater flexibility. The GRE is not required.
That structure can matter for students already balancing professional and personal responsibilities.
Current student Angela J. specifically points to that flexibility as one reason she selected CPP. She describes being able to balance work, family, and study while preparing to grow professionally in clinical nutrition.
For prospective dietetics students, the question therefore extends beyond “Do I need a master’s degree?”
It becomes: How does graduate education fit into my complete pathway toward becoming the nutrition professional I want to be?
Ready to map out your next step? Explore Cal Poly Pomona’s Online Master of Science in Dietetics and request the program guide and RD pathway information.