Boston University MS Program Prerequisite Requirements
Before entering the MS program, students must complete an undergraduate degree and foundational coursework in science and math.
General Guidelines
- Courses must be from an accredited institution and carry at least 3 credit hours.
- Coursework must be completed within 10 years of the program start date.
- A minimum grade of C is required.
- Online courses are acceptable but subject to approval.
Important Notes
- Prerequisites are fulfilled if students have earned a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Foreign Dietitian Education (FDE) verification statement.
- Prerequisites may be in progress at the time of application but must be completed before the program begins. In such cases, applicants receive conditional admission.
- AP/IB credit may be acceptable if the course credit appears on your college transcript.
Required Courses and BU Equivalents
BU equivalents are provided to assist you in evaluating prerequisite coursework. Courses do not need to be completed at BU.
| Prerequisite | Course Content | BU Equivalent(s) |
| Biology 1 & 2 (with labs) | Two-course sequence; genetics coverage required. | CAS BI 105 or CAS BI 107 & CAS BI 108 |
| Human Physiology (with lab) | Physiology of major body systems. Systems physiology course may be acceptable. | CAS BI 211 or CAS BI 315 |
| Genetics | Separate course not required if biology series includes genetic content. | CAS BI 206 |
| General Chemistry (with lab) | Matter, atoms, bonding, formulas, reactions, solutions, acids/bases, gases, kinetics, equilibrium, radioactivity | CAS CH 101 or CAS CH 171 |
| Organic Chemistry (with lab) | Carbon compounds: structure, stereochemistry, functional groups, reactions—biochemical focus | CAS CH 174 or CAS CH 203 |
| Biochemistry | Protein/enzyme structure and function, nucleic acids, metabolism, bioenergetics | CAS CH 373 |
| Statistics I | Summaries of uni-and bivariate data, probability, distributions, one-sample inference. | CAS MA 115 |
| Statistics II | Inference for unknown means, proportions and variances, categorical data, experiment design, ANOVA, regression, non-parametric methods | CAS MA 116 |
| Human Nutrition Science | Scientific foundation of nutrition, digestion, macro- and micro-nutrients, metabolism, and the role of nutrition in human health and disease | SAR HS 251 |
Course Approval
To confirm if your planned or completed coursework meet(s) prerequisite requirements, complete the Equivalency Evaluation Request Form below. Please allow 10 business days for a response.