Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Status

A 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

• You must earn a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college.
• You must complete a series of coursework and knowledge-based competencies required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) known as the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) as part of an academic degree or by themselves. The undergraduate Dietetics track and the DPD/MS+DI graduate program at BU meets these requirements.
• You must complete an ACEND accredited supervised practice experience.  The Dietetic Internship program associated with the DPD/MS+DI and MS+DI graduate programs meets this requirement. 
• You must pass the Commission on Dietetics (CDR) national registration exam.
• Depending upon the state that your practice, you may also need to obtain a license and/or certification.

Learn more about the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

State Licensure Requirements

For more information regarding state requirements, please visit the State Authorization & Distance Education website.