Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Status

A Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is recognized as the food and nutrition expert in the United States. Many jobs in food and nutrition fields require this credential.

Criteria to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

1. You must earn a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college. NOTE: Beginning January 1, 2024, all eligible to sit for the registration exam must have completed a Master’s degree as well as a Bachelor’s degree.
2. You must complete a series of courses required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) known as the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) either as part of an academic degree or by themselves. (Note that the Dietetics Track of the Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition at BU meets all of these requirements.) Recently, ACEND has accredited Future Education Model programs that require students to complete a set of competencies rather than the DPD program. Completion of either a Future Education Model (Graduate Degree) Program OR a DPD program will allow students to enter supervised practice followed by eligibility to sit for the national registration exam.
3. You must complete an ACEND accredited supervised practice experience. This can be a “stand alone” supervised practice experience, or part of a combined program (e.g., Master’s degree + Dietetic Internship, Future Education Model graduate program).
4. You must pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) national registration exam.
5. It is ACEND’s considered opinion that any program that leads to the Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential is designed to and does meet all state dietetics licensure and certification laws, though some states may interpret their statutes differently.