Admission Requirements

Important Note: California State University, Long Beach has applied to to open a new and innovative Graduate Program (GP) to prepare Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Spring 2025. Our eligibility application was accepted by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and we are in the process of completing our accreditation process. 

The GP is not accepting applications at this time but will do so upon successful completion of the eligibility application process if the program receives accreditation status from ACEND, expected in summer 2024 for a start in January 2025. This information is subject to change as we undergo the eligibility process. 

Successful GP Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements: 

1. Hold a Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) as conferred by a U.S. institutional accredited college or university

Note: We do not require applicants to have an undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics, or a related field.

2. Minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA out of a 4.0 scale
3. Prerequisite coursework with "C" or better. 
The following courses are required without exception. CSULB course numbers are provided for reference: 
  • College algebra or higher (MATH 113)
  • Statistics (PSY 110/STAT 118)
  • General chemistry + lab (CHEM 111A)
  • Organic chemistry + lab (CHEM 227)
  • Microbiology (BIOL 201)
  • Anatomy + lab (BIOL 208)
  • Physiology + lab (BIOL 207)
  • Psychology (PSY 100) 
  • Introductory nutrition (NUTR 132)
  • Fundamentals of food preparation (HM 176)
  • Food science (FSCI 232)*
  • Life course nutrition (NUTR 331)* 
  • Advanced Nutrition (macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism) or equivalent. This is usually offered as an upper-division course (NUTR 436A/B) **

* These courses are less likely to be found at a community college

** Offered together online at CSULB in 1 semester or in summer (6 weeks of 436A and 6 weeks of 436B)

See the FAQs below for more information about required coursework. You may download the GP Prerequisite Course Checklist which also gives much more detail about the courses, as well as places where it can be taken. 

4.  Relevant volunteer or work experience in the field of nutrition. Work experience is preferred, but not required. 
5. Meet all application requirements, including:
  • 3 letters of recommendation: 2 from faculty members who can speak to your potential success as a graduate student, 1 from an employer, volunteer supervisor, or other relevant professional reference
  • Personal statement following the given prompt 
  • A GRE writing score of 4.0 or a writing sample showing evidence of your scientific writing ability. This can be a short essay for a nutrition or health-related course, a thesis project, a laboratory assignment, or anything that is at least 1,000 words and is completed entirely by you (no group work). Ideal writing samples should show critical thinking, such as an opinion piece or an essay about a topic that requires you to provide research sources. Writing samples will be reviewed for plagiarism or the use of artificial intelligence. 
  • Interview 
  • For applicants with degrees earned outside the United States: Evidence of English language proficiency via a TOEFL iBT test, with the following minimum scores:
    • Overall minimum TOEFL score: 90
    • TOEFL reading score: 22+
    • TOEFL listening score: 22+
    • TOEFL speaking score: 25+
    • TOEFL writing score: 22+
  • Readiness to comply with supervised learning facility requirements, which include:
    • Access to a vehicle and consistent transportation 
    • Evidence of a clear criminal background
    • Clear drug test and willingness to be drug tested 
    • Proof of health insurance (can be obtained through CSULB)
    • Proof of all required immunizations through titers and willingness to maintain current vaccination as needed by facility (e.g. flu shot, etc) 
    • Basic Life Support certification (American Heart Association approved)
    • Professional liability insurance 

FAQs About Admission Requirements 

First, start with the GP Prerequisite Course Checklist. 

This is the tool we use to determine if your courses will be accepted by the GP. 

If you took classes at a California community college, you can easily see if your course meets CSULB requirements by using www.assist.org and searching for “CSU Transferable Courses.”

When in doubt, you can expect that we will require a clearly equivalent course versus waive a course that may only partially meet the requirements. This is to ensure all GP students start out with the same knowledge so you can be successful on day 1. 

Yes – non-enrolled students may take up to 24 units of coursework through Open University at CSULB. Open University allows anyone to enroll in a course without being admitted.  Please review their website for details. 

Some disclaimers:

  • If an Open University course requires prerequisite courses, you will have to provide evidence.
  • You must work with Open University and/or the individual instructor of the course, not the GP Director or other nutrition faculty, to determine eligibility and course availability.
  • Course availability is not guaranteed and is based on demand.
  • You are not guaranteed acceptance into the GP if you take your courses at CSULB.

No. You just need to ensure your prerequisite courses address the required content outlined in the GP Prerequisite Course Checklist.

One benefit of taking courses with us is that you can get to know other students and our faculty before applying, which may be helpful for going through the admissions process and receiving letters of recommendation if needed. However, it is not necessary. 

No. As long as students meet the admission requirements, they are eligible to apply to the GP.

No. While completing a DPD is certainly an asset, we do not use a DPD Verification Statement as our standard for admissions, as not all DPDs may require all of our prerequisite coursework (e.g. anatomy, psychology).

We encourage applicants to focus on the admissions requirements to ensure they are eligible to apply. 

 

No. However, we prefer that applicants have taken at least 1 college-level nutrition course in the past 5 years. This could be any of the three required options (Introduction, Life Cycle, or Metabolism).

Taking coursework again may be less important if you have been working actively in the field of nutrition and are able to demonstrate in your application that you are currently using/engaging in nutrition skills professionally.

No. As long as you have completed all required coursework by the start date (mid-January) of the GP, you may apply.