Nutritional Science MS degree

The Master of Science degree in Nutritional Science is an individualized program designed to develop specialized professional competence in selected areas of dietetics, nutrition, and food science. The program is designed for students preparing for positions as public health nutritionists, supervisors in dietetics and food production and service, or doctoral study in nutrition and dietetics.

Admission to the graduate program in Nutrition is a two-step process. The department will review the application pool and select applicants meeting all requirements and based on their readiness for study.

Information about how to apply can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.

To apply, please visit Cal State Apply.

Students must select the Nutritional Science MS degree program and provide the requested material online.

Applications deadline: February 15, 2024

To be accepted, students must have a grade point average of at least three from the last 90 quarter units (60 semester units) and appropriate undergraduate preparation in nutrition or a related field. Students with undergraduate or graduate degrees in areas other than nutrition may be required to take an additional set of predetermined undergraduate prerequisite courses or a post-baccalaureate degree in Nutritional Science specific to the various options of the graduate nutrition program.

NOTE- This program does not provide the DPD coursework to prepare you to apply to supervised practice (Dietetic Internships). You will not be issued a verification statement after the MS degree.

If you wish to be an RD and have a different background as an undergraduate, please apply for our Post Bacc. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Nutritional Science program at Cal State LA provides students with the knowledge and skills required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Education (ACEND) to become an entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

For more information about the Post Bacc certificate, please visit Post-Baccalaureate Program in Nutrition.

For specific information about options, please contact:

MS Nutrition

If you still have questions after reading the following information and accessing the web pages, please feel free to email or call the department to request a faculty advisor to respond to specific questions.  Please note the Coordinated Program (CP) is on inactive status, and the Didactic Program (DPD) is not accepting applications through the MS program.

Graduate degree applicants must meet the university requirements for admission, which include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. To be admitted into the Master of Science degree program in Nutritional Science, applicants must also meet the following:

1.    Apply to the University to be eligible for Fall Semester entry; admission is limited to Fall
       Semester only.

2.    Grade point average of at least 3.0 in last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) attempted.

3.    Two letters of recommendation. Letter of professional and research goals.

4.    Submission of G.R.E. (completed within the past five years) with recommended minimum scores of Verbal 400 (146 on new test); Quantitative 500 (144 on new test); and Analytical Writing- 3.5.

5.  Completion of the following prerequisites. Students who have a verification statement or are Registered Dietitian Nutritionists do not need to satisfy the following prerequisites.


Below is information about the Application Process.

Apply to Cal State LA.  Cal State Apply   https://www2.calstate.edu/apply
Information about how to apply can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.  /admissions/graduate-application-and-admission

The university will need several documents, including your official transcripts and GRE scores.