Application Portal

Admission requirements

  • Minimum Bachelor’s Degree (BS or BA)
  • Valid DPD Verification Statement.
    • If you are currently enrolled in a DPD program, then a letter of intent to graduate from the program director of your DPD program must be submitted.
    • If your DPD verification statement is more than five years old, you may need to meet additional requirements. See Recency of Education below.
  • Overall GPA ≥ 3.0 (4.0 scale)
    • ***Applicants with GPA between 2.75-3.0 may be considered, if you can explain in your personal statement any extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to your lower GPA.***
  • DPD GPA ≥ 3.0 (4.0 scale)
  • GRE not required
  • Statement of Purpose (AKA Personal Statement) is required (750 words or less) and must include the following:
    • Why you want to become an RDN?
    • Your reasons for applying to the MPP
    • What personal qualities will allow you to be successful in this online program?
    • Your long and short-term goals
    • Your strengths and weaknesses
    • Please include any additional information that would help us evaluate your professional and leadership potential, or any extenuating circumstances of which the committee should be aware (such as those that may have contributed to a lower GPA).
  • Three letters of Recommendation (from faculty, work supervisors or those who can attest to the applicant’s ability to succeed in an online program and in the field of dietetics are also required.)
    • Note: your recommenders will be sent an email with a link to their form to provide their letter of recommendation for you, only after you have completed and submitted your application. 
  • Nationwide applicants are required to submit the schedule for the first rotation and commitment letters from preceptors.
  • Iowa based applicants are required to submit the IA location preference form.

If you have prior paid work and/or volunteer experience, you may be eligible to apply for prior learning assessment & recognition (PLAR).

International Students

International students who will require an I-20 for F-1 status are not eligible to apply to the MPP.  International applicants residing in the US in other statuses (such as J-2, H-1B, H-4 or green card holders) that allow them to pursue higher education, are eligible to apply. For additional information, please contact the International Students and Scholars office.

TOEFL/IELTS: All “non-native English speakers” who do not have a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally-accredited college or university are required to provide a TOEFL or IELTS score. The ISU Graduate Admissions Office determines if a TOEFL/IELTS score is required.

Recency of education

Applicants who graduated from a DPD program

  1. 5-10 years ago, must retake a minimum 3-credit Medical Nutrition Therapy or Advanced Nutrition course that specifically includes the topics of nutrition care process and nutrition focused physical exam. Coursework must be completed for credit with a minimum grade of C earned in the updated coursework.
  2. More than 10 years ago: contact the program director. In addition to the Medical Nutrition Therapy or Advanced Nutrition course, applicants may be required to retake nutrient metabolism or nutritional biochemistry. Additional coursework requirements may vary based on whether the applicant has work experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics, since graduating from the DPD program.

Updated coursework may be completed either in an on-campus or online class in an accredited dietetics program. Check out the list of dietetics programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Completing the recommended coursework does not guarantee acceptance into the MPP program.