The Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) leverages the resources and exceptional faculty from three top universities to offer an online, 32-credit hour master's degree in dietetics and nutrition.
You can enroll for all courses through your home institution, such as KU Medical Center, but the actual courses are delivered online from any of the participating universities and their respective faculty members.
Admission requirements for this program include a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and having completed specific prerequisite courses. Students without the RD credential or who have not completed a DPD program may apply, but they will not be eligible to enroll in the clinical nutrition courses without the RD credential.j
Note: until summer 2024, this program was offered as the Great Plains IDEA online master's degree program in dietetics and nutrition, and now is offered as simply a program from the Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA).
How long does the program take?
Several factors affect the time it will take to complete the degree requirements:
- the semester start date,
- the specific courses offered each semester and,
- the student's desired course load each semester.
Many students in this program are working professionals with job and family responsibilities, and this program allows the flexibility to take the number of courses that work in the student's schedule.
Taking two courses each semester (including summers) should allow students to complete the program in approximately two years. Visit the course planner on the IDEA website.
Contact Us
Eligibility and admissions questions
Kendra Spaeth, M.S., RD, LD
IDEA Campus Coordinator and Course Advisor
913-588-8992 or kspaeth@kumc.edu
Research questions
Jeannine Goetz, Ph.D., RD
IDEA Program Director
913-588-1449 or jgoetz@kumc.edu
After Completing the Degree
KU's master's degree program in dietetics and nutrition does not provide eligibility for professional licensing for employment at this time. Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration will require a minimum of a master's degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).