Admission Requirements
- Admission is Fall semester only.
- Undergraduate degree from an accredited university with GPA of at least 3.0 preferred (overall and major).
- Completion of all prerequisites (minimum 34 credits) by the end of July preceding the Fall semester of expected entry. A 3.3 GPA in all required prerequisite coursework with a minimum grade of “B” for Introductory Nutrition and Food Science, and a minimum grade of “C” for all other courses.
Prerequisites may be taken at a two- or four-year accredited institution, either in a traditional setting or online. - TOEFL exam if undergraduate degree is from a country where English is not the official language.
- Minimum score: 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (internet-based).
Application Requirements
- Online DICAS (Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service) application
- Electronic official transcript(s) from all institutions of higher learning attended
- Statement of interest (500 words maximum)
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Resume
- GRE* scores (Hunter ETS GRE code =2301) and TOEFL scores, if applicable. *GRE is not a requirement for application or admission to the MS Programs.
- Hunter College Graduate Admissions Application once accepted into the program
Application Deadline: February 15
- Non US-institution: Applicants who have completed all or part of their university studies in a non-US institution and/or require student visas must submit their applications by January 15.
- Completed applications submitted by the application deadline, and demonstrated compliance with all application requirements, will be reviewed by the admissions committee. The Program Director will notify applicants who meet admissions requirements on or before March 1, 2025. Candidates must notify the Program Director of their acceptance decision no later than March 15, 2025.
Prerequisites
As a science-based didactic program, the IPND requires a strong foundation in chemistry and the biological sciences. Appropriate science/lab classes are a single semester and often denoted as appropriate for health professions. It is preferred that the two Nutrition (NFS) prerequisite courses be completed at Hunter College or by our Challenge Exam (see below) although this is not required. Please note that you do not need prerequisite courses to be approved in advance. To help as a guide in prerequisite selection, see this course equivalency link showing select institutions previous applicants have attended.
| TOTAL Minimum Credits | 34 Credits |
| Prerequisite Courses | Minimum Credits |
| General Chemistry (with lab) | 4 (1 semester) |
| Organic Chemistry (with lab) | 4 (1 semester) |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II (both with lab)** | 8 (2 semesters) |
| Microbiology (with lab) | 3 |
| Biochemistry (should require an organic chemistry prerequisite) | 3 |
| *Intro to Nutrition (or via Challenge Exam) | 3 |
| *Intro to Food Science (or via Challenge Exam) | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
| Psychology or Sociology or Anthropology or Economics | 3 |
*Introduction to Nutrition (NFS 14100) and Introduction to Food Science I (NFS 13100) can also be taken on a self-study basis, with the “Challenge Exam” option (guidelines below.) NFS 14100 and NFS 13100 are also available at Hunter as online courses. Please see the Hunter College Schedule of Classes.
**A 1 (one) semester course in Anatomy with lab (4 credits) plus a 1 (one) semester course in Physiology with lab (4 credits) can be substituted for classes A&P 1 & 2.