We welcome your application for 亚色影库鈥檚 Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (MSND) program. Students start once each year, in the Fall semester (beginning in late August).
Admission procedures are different for students seeking to enter the MSND program as Entry-Level (having a completed bachelor's degree at the time of enrollment), or as a 3+2 Dual Degree student (currently enrolled undergraduate students at St. Kate鈥檚). See below for more information.
If you have questions along the way, don鈥檛 hesitate to contact your admission counselor. They鈥檙e here to help!
Eligibility and Prerequisite Course Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- A completed bachelor's or graduate degree from an institution that is accredited by one of the (e.g. Higher Learning Commission), or an approved dual-degree plan* for completing the bachelor's degree during the MSND program.
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or higher on a 4.0 scale. If the applicant's GPA is less than 3.0, an explanatory statement should be submitted (see Admission Essay instructions below).
- A minimum of 125 hours of recent volunteer or paid work experience in a relevant setting (such as a food shelf volunteer, hospital diet technician, or nutrition assistant, hospital kitchen staff, restaurant kitchen or wait staff, etc.)
- Specific prerequisite courses are required for the MSND program; review the next section for details.
Dual-Degree applicants (currently enrolled undergraduate students at St. Kate's) will complete the required prerequisite courses as part of their approved bachelor's degree plan.
Entry-Level applicants who have completed (or are completing) a bachelor's degree with a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) must have either a or an completed and submitted by their undergraduate program's director.
Entry-Level applicants who do not have a bachelor's degree with a program accredited by ACEND must complete the prerequisite courses below.
Prerequisite coursework must be completed for a letter grade of C or higher (pass/fail or S/U grading is not acceptable), with a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. If prerequisites are retaken, only the grade received in the most recent course is calculated into the prerequisite GPA.
It is strongly recommended that prerequisite courses are completed within five years of starting the graduate program.
At least five prerequisite courses, including the foundational nutrition course, must be completed at the time of application. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program.
If an applicant appears to be missing the required number of credits in several prerequisite areas, the Admission Committee has the authority to deem the applicant ineligible to continue in the review process.
We will accept AP credits for statistics and general psychology only. To verify results, applicants must submit official College Board scores directly to 亚色影库 using the code 6105.
We will consider courses completed in an online format from a regionally accredited institution. However, we encourage students to complete courses that include a lab component in a face-to-face format, if possible.
Human Anatomy with lab (3-4 semester credits)
St. Kate's equivalent: BIOL 2610 or BIOL 3120
Human Physiology with lab (3-4 semester credits)
St. Kate's equivalents: BIOL 2620 or BIOL 3140
General Chemistry with lab (6-8 semester credits)
St. Kate's equivalent: CHEM 1110 and CHEM 1120
General Psychology (3-4 semester credits)
St. Kate's equivalent: PSYCH 1000/PSYCH 1001
Statistics (3-4 semester credits)
St. Kate's equivalent: STAT 1090, STAT 1094, ECON 1080, ECON 1090, HLTH 1090, PSYC 1090
Introduction to Microbiology with lab (3-4 semester credits)
St. Kate鈥檚 equivalent: BIOL 2200
A foundational course in nutrition (3-4 semester credits)
This course must be completed, with the final grade posted, at the time of application to the MSND program.
St. Kate鈥檚 equivalent: FSNU 2300
Use the online resource to determine if a specific course you have taken (or plan to take) will fulfill an MSND prerequisite requirement. All St. Catherine course equivalencies listed in TES are fully verified by our Registrar鈥檚 Office.
How to use TES
- Make note of the St. Catherine department abbreviation (BIOL, CHEM, MATH, etc.) and course numbers in the MSND prerequisite list.
- Connect to
- Identify the institution from which you have completed courses (or plan to complete courses). You may search for institutions using the 鈥淔ind Transfer College by Name鈥 search box, or use the alphabetical index provided.
- Enter the course code for one of our MSND prerequisites (e.g., MATH 1080). Select 鈥淗ome Course鈥 and click on Search. This will identify any courses from the institution that are equivalent to the St. Catherine prerequisite course. You could also enter the code for the other institution鈥檚 course, and select 鈥淭ransfer Course鈥 and Search. This will identify any St. Catherine courses that might be equivalent to the other institution鈥檚 course. Be sure to review any notes with additional information for a given course.
If you have searched via TES and can鈥檛 find a specific school or course listing, contact your admission counselor for assistance. Please include the institution, course name and number, and course description in your email.
How do I apply?
Timelines and Deadlines
The priority deadlines for Fall enrollment are December 1 (Dual-Degree) and February 1 (Entry-Level). Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
We strongly encourage candidates to complete their application prior to the deadline. This program has a limited number of spaces available each year. Completed applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates will be notified of their admission status within 3-4 weeks of completion.
We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2025 enrollment.
Applicants who have completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree, or will have a completed bachelor's degree at the time they begin the MSND program, should apply as entry-level graduate students.
Admission essay
The admission essay should be approximately 800 words in length. The admission committee considers both the quality of content and written communication skills. The admission essay should address the following:
- What drew you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? Please describe some formative experiences that were involved in your draw to the field.
- What personal skills and attributes have you identified that will likely serve you well in this program and profession?
- Beyond academic knowledge, what do you hope to gain from this program such as professional connections, research opportunities, or practical skills?
-
How do you envision using your graduate degree in nutrition and dietetics to make a positive impact in your community or the world at large?
In addition to the 800-word essay, please share the following information about your paid and/or volunteer work experience that is relevant to the field of nutrition and dietetics:
- name(s) of organization(s)
- duration of experience(s) (span of dates, for example)
- the roles and responsibilities that you had in the experience(s)
- how the experience(s) will serve you in this program and in your career in nutrition and dietetics
Explanatory statement
For applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0: Please include an explanation of factors that influenced your previous academic performance, as well as your plan to ensure academic success in a graduate program. This essay should be limited to 400 words and may be included at the end of the Admission essay (as a separate section).
References
Two recommendations are required for MSND entry-level applicants. Please complete the Recommendations section of the application form, including names/contact information for your recommenders, before you submit the application form. Recommender information cannot be added to the application after it has been submitted.
MSND recommendation forms should be completed by individuals who can attest to the intellectual ability, professional competence and leadership ability of the applicant. Only relevant clinical/professional or academic references will be considered (one of each is preferred, if possible); personal references are not acceptable.
A link to the recommendation form will be sent when the Recommendations section of the MSND application form has been completed. Please alert your references in advance to expect an email from 亚色影库. These are confidential recommendations submitted directly from the references to the Office of Graduate Admission; applicants who wish to view the recommendations are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements with their references.
Transcripts
To review your admission file, we'll need transcripts from the college or university from which you earned your bachelor's degree (and graduate degree, if applicable), as well as the institution(s) where you completed prerequisite courses (if other than your degree-granting institution). The Office of Graduate Admission can review your admission file and make an offer of acceptance using unofficial transcripts uploaded by you to your St. Kate's admission portal.
Upon acceptance, official transcripts are required from your bachelor's (and graduate, if applicable) degree-granting institution(s), as well as prerequisite institutions (if applicable), and must be received before course registration in your graduate program will be allowed.
All transcripts, whether official or unofficial, must be up-to-date and include your name, institution name, and all courses taken with grades and degrees received. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded using your applicant status page (a link is sent once you鈥檝e started an application) or sent as an attachment to graduateadmission@stkate.edu.
To be considered official, electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing college or university to St. Kate's (at graduateadmission@stkate.edu). Paper transcripts must be mailed in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing college or university to St. Kate's (see mailing address below).
Need assistance finding out how to order your official transcripts? Contact your admission counselor for help! See contact information at the bottom of this page.
TOEFL Scores
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to complete the (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 80 on the iBT. This requirement is waived for students who have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the United States.
Credential Evaluation
Applicants with a college or university degree completed outside of the United States must submit an official course-by-course evaluation from . All costs related to document evaluation are the applicant鈥檚 responsibility.
亚色影库 offers a "3+2" Dual-Degree option for a limited number of St. Kate's students enrolled as bachelor's degree-seeking students in the Nutrition and Dietetics major in the College for Women. In their senior year, qualifying students will begin taking MSND courses, which will fulfill the remaining portion of their bachelor鈥檚 degree requirements as well as counting toward the MSND degree. The bachelor鈥檚 degree will be awarded upon successful completion of the first year of the MSND program. Dual-Degree applicants must meet all admission requirements listed on this page.
Interested St. Kate鈥檚 students should consult with their advisors early to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements for dual-degree enrollment, and should plan to apply for admission to the graduate program in their junior year.
Admission essay
The admission essay should be approximately 800 words in length. The admission committee considers both the quality of content and written communication skills. The admission essay should address the following:
- What drew you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? Please describe some formative experiences that were involved in your draw to the field.
- What personal skills and attributes have you identified that will likely serve you well in this program and profession?
- Beyond academic knowledge, what do you hope to gain from this program such as professional connections, research opportunities, or practical skills?
-
How do you envision using your graduate degree in nutrition and dietetics to make a positive impact in your community or the world at large?
In addition to the 800-word essay, please share the following information about your paid and/or volunteer work experience that is relevant to the field of nutrition and dietetics:
- name(s) of organization(s)
- duration of experience(s) (span of dates, for example)
- the roles and responsibilities that you had in the experience(s)
- how the experience(s) will serve you in this program and in your career in nutrition and dietetics
Explanatory statement
For applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0: Please include an explanation of factors that influenced your previous academic performance, as well as your plan to ensure academic success in a graduate program. This essay should be limited to 400 words and may be included at the end of the Admission essay (as a separate section).
Recommendations
Dual-degree students are not required to submit references as part of the application process.
Transcripts
On the application form, list all post-secondary schools you have attended, including 亚色影库. The Graduate Admission Office will obtain any transcripts currently on file with St. Kate鈥檚 Registrar; if any prerequisite courses were taken outside of St. Catherine and the transcript(s) is not currently on file, it is the applicant鈥檚 responsibility to have an official transcript submitted to the Graduate Admission office.
Once you鈥檝e submitted your online application form, you will have access to your Application Status page to upload any supporting documents (instructions for accessing the status page are emailed at the time you submitted the application). If you are unable to upload electronic documents to your Application Status page, you may send items as an attachment via email to graduateadmission@stkate.edu. Paper documents may be mailed to:
亚色影库
Graduate Admission #4027
2004 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their application is completed by the deadline. The Admission Committee will not review your application until we have received all required documents. Fulfillment of the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. No credentials will be returned to the applicant.
International Applicants
The following information pertains to applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Please review the information below regarding other application materials that may be required for international applicants.
Deadlines
Earlier deadlines may apply for international applicants to ensure that all immigration requirements can be met in time for you to enroll in the desired term. Contact your admission counselor with questions.
International Student Forms
International applicants for graduate study must complete the International Information section of the application form.
The U.S. government requires international applicants to provide proof of ability to pay tuition and living expenses before the University can issue forms necessary to obtain a visa. International applicants must submit a form.
Additional Documentation
Some international applicants may be required to submit additional documentation, such as a credential evaluation, language test scores, etc. Please review the application instructions for your graduate program for more information.
Questions about the application process?
Email your admission counselor at any time, or call us during office hours (8:30 a.m.鈥5 p.m.).