1. Home
  2. Admissions and Aid
  3. Graduate Student Admissions
  4. Graduate Nutrition Admission Requirements
Graduate Nutrition Admission Requirements

Apply Today

 August  |  January  |  May

 

 For more information contact Graduate Admissions  email mekellogg@viterbo.edu 

or Dr. Kelsey McLimans at kemcLimans@viterbo.edu

 

Apply          Join Us! Virtual Information Sessions                 Inquire

 

Admission Requirements

Admission to Viterbo University’s Master of Science in Community Medical Dietetics program is selective and will consider students with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.  To be considered for admission generally, a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale will be required. In addition, students must satisfy the following multistep admission requirements:

  • Official graduate and college transcripts
    • Candidates must submit official transcripts from all schools where degrees have been earned, including graduate programs. Viterbo University requires that all schools (degree-granting and transfer credits) be regionally accredited higher education institutions. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to Viterbo University, Office of Enrollment Operations, 900 Viterbo Drive, La Crosse WI 54601. 
    • Submit official transcripts for any pre-enrollment courses not taken at the degree-granting institution. 
  • A written statement of purpose (Essay). In 500 words, address the following question:
    • How will this program help you to reach your professional goals? Discuss your strengths and potential challenges.
  • One letter of recommendation (submit request inside your application portal)
    • Letters of recommendation should come from academic faculty or supervisors from work or volunteer experiences. Please complete the recommendation request form on the supplemental items page in your portal and an email notification will be sent to your recommender.
  • Pre-enrollment requirements (for students applying to the MS in Community Medical Dietetics – Initial RDN license preparation/ Direct Entry program)
    • Successful completion of the following pre-enrollment courses with a grade earned of 'C' or better. Coursework must be completed prior to enrolling and official transcripts must be sent.
      • Anatomy and Physiology I
      • Anatomy and Physiology II
      • Microbiology
      • Demonstrated coursework in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry must also be completed, with a grade earned of C or better.

For guidance and pre-approval of pre-enrollment courses contact us.  We recommend looking at your local two-year university. Portage Learning Center/Geneva College, and  SUNY Online courses.

  • Verification Statement (required only for students entering Dual Master's with Dietetic Internship - Thesis and Clinical tracks)
    • Submit your Verification Statement; OR
    • Submit a signed document from your DPD Director, verifying your completion (and, the projected date of completion) of all didactic requirements.  Candidates must graduate and have all didactic requirements completed in order to enroll at Viterbo.
  • Student Financial Responsibility Agreement
    • Read, sign, and submit. The link will be available on your supplemental items list inside your application portal after the application is submitted.
    • This form will provide you will important Business Office policy information including items such as late fees, payment information, tuition deposits, refund policies, etc. 

Admission Interview and Decision

  • An interview for admission is required.  Once an application file is complete the Admissions Committee will reach out to schedule a Virtual Interview.  Interviews will be one hour in length. 
  • Admission decisions are made by the Community Medical Dietetics Admissions Committee and applicants are notified of the decision through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

 

International Students or Degrees | Additional Requirments

The MS in Community Medical Dietetics (direct entry or Dual paths) does allow for U.S.A.-based international F-1 visa students.  Candidates must live in the greater La Crosse area and attend courses in person.  A counseling elective track was created specifically to support International candidates interested in becoming a licensed Registered Nutritionist Dietitian.  Please review the additional admission requirements below, and please reach out to Graduate Admissions with any questions. 

In addition to the above admissions requirements, international candidates seeking an F-1 Student Visa, or those who are on an immigration status allowed to study in the USA, or citizens who earned a bachelor's or master's degree outside of the USA, please follow these additional instructions.  International applications are processed in conjunction with International Admissions  (international@viterbo.edu or phone 608-796-3171).

English Language Requirements

International applicants who are non-native English speakers will need to provide evidence of proficiency in the English language.  These are the approved testing agencies and scores necessary for Graduate programs at Viterbo.

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 79 on the Internet-based exam. 
  • International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) score of at least 6.5
  • Duolingo English Test with a score of 115 or higher
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of at least 53

 English language (ESL) courses are also offered at Viterbo University and may be required as a condition to acceptance into the MBA program.

Viterbo University reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant it deems unfit to participate in its MBA program.

Transcript Evaluations

Candidates applying for admission to a graduate program may submit official transcripts/marks for evaluation by the institution.  Alternatively, Graduate Admissions highly recommends seeking a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from an approved National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) organization.  The evaluation must be submitted directly by the Evaluation Agency to Viterbo University.  They can be sent to transcripts@viterbo.edu or graduateadmissions@viterbo.edu.  Many of these agencies also offer Document Translation services, so you do not need to seek a separate agency if your transcripts are not written in English. 

Below is a list of a few agencies that candidates have utilized in the past with positive experiences. 

Internationally Educated but not an International Student

You are only considered an International Student if you will need an F-1 Visa to enroll at Viterbo University.  However, if you obtained your undergraduate degree outside of the U.S.A., please see the Transcript Evaluations information above.  We highly recommend that you submit your marks/transcripts for an official evaluation to an evaluation agency listed above.  Please contact your graduate admission representative for guidance. 

Transfer and Waiver of Credit

Transfer Credits upon Admission

Individual consideration will be granted in the awarding of transfer credits.

  • Up to six graduate-level credits may be transferred into the 30-credit MS in Community Medical Dietetics for the current RDN path, if equivalent.
  • Up to 15 hours may be transferred into the 62-credit MS in Community Medical Dietetics - initial RDN/Direct Entry practice path. 

Credits must have been earned from a regionally accredited program, taken within the last five years, have an earned grade of 'B' or better, and be equivalent to the course it is replacing in the requirements at Viterbo. Coursework older than five years may be waived or given credit based on an individual review. Students who wish to transfer credits need to contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for details on the process. Courses will be evaluated for equivalency, and written notification of acceptance of transfer credit will be provided to the student by the director. Transfer credit is only eligible for coursework taken prior to enrollment and petitioned for before matriculation.  

To petition for Transfer Credit, please connect with Dr. Kelsey E. McLimans (kemclimans@viterbo.edu) and submit all syllabi for the courses you are seeking transfer review.