The University of Wyoming recently received accreditation for a new graduate program in nutrition and dietetics, housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (GPND) will prepare students to become registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs).
RDNs can provide a variety of services, from assisting with medical conditions to creating personalized nutrition plans to improving food access for those who are facing food insecurity.
“The leading causes of death in the U.S. are related to diet and nutrition,” says Jill Keith, RDN and head of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. “Our Wyoming communities need these practicing nutrition professionals to help prevent and address those health outcomes.”
UW has offered an undergraduate program in dietetics since 1923. As of January 2024, the RDN credential now requires a graduate degree.
The new graduate program gives UW students an opportunity to become a RDN without leaving the state for additional training. The program also prepares students to take the registration exam for dietitians and enter the workforce on an accelerated timeline. Students can complete their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and required supervised experiential learning hours in just five years.
The program trains graduates for careers anywhere in the U.S., or even around the globe. However, GPND Director and RDN Jeff Gilis emphasizes that students will become familiar with the unique challenges of working in Wyoming and other rural areas.
“Our future RDNs are going to be better positioned to work right here in Wyoming communities in a variety of fields, including hospitals, health clinics, long-term care facilities, food service operations, private practice, and much more,” he says.
The GPND begins in spring 2026 and admits students each spring using a cohort model. Students will go through the 18-month master’s program as a group. The program does not admit students during the fall semester.
Undergraduate UW students who are interested in the master’s program are encouraged to major in human nutrition and food. This major offers a dietetics pathway, which will allow them to complete coursework and training to be competitive and successful in the GPND.
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) board. ACEND is an autonomous accrediting agency for education programs preparing students to begin careers as RDNs or as registered dietetic technicians (DTRs).
For more information about the GPND, contact Gilis at jgilis@uwyo.edu or visit https://bit.ly/uw-nutrition-program.
