Steps to Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

 
 

Step 1: Complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college or foreign equivalent, and coursework through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP).

Step 2: Complete *1000 hours of supervised practice through an ACEND®-accredited dietetic internship, coordinated program in dietetics, future education model demonstration program or an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) offered through an ACEND accredited program. Completion of the DDIP satisfies this requirement.

Step 3: Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

  • Some states require RDNs to be licensed/certified to practice in the state. Depending on state of residence and/or practice, application for state licensure/certification may be required. Georgia, where Diversify Dietetics resides, requires licensure. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.

NOTE: as of Jan 1, 2024, all persons who want to become RDNs must have a master’s degree before sitting for the exam.

 
 

Technology Requirements

DDIP is a distance program and interns are required to maintain minimum technology requirements to complete program requirements.

  • Email account (Gmail, Yahoo, other)– It is not recommended to use a school account, due to limited access

  • Computer (laptop preferred) with at least 128MB RAM with up-to-date antivirus program and JAVA capable browser

  • Chromebook running Google’s Chrome OS is inadequate

  • High-speed Internet

  • Webcam, microphone, and speakers for Zoom meetings

  • Printer

  • Scanner (may be incorporated into printer or may use smartphone application such as Scannable, Tiny scan, or Genius Scan)

  • Microsoft Office 2010 or later (recommended)

  • PDF Pro 10 or Adobe Acrobat Pro (recommended)

 

Program Completion requirements

In order to graduate from the program, interns must successfully complete the minimum supervised practice hours, didactic learning experiences, and fulfill learning objectives in order to demonstrate competencies laid forth by ACEND and DDIP. Additionally, interns must have obtained a minimum of a master’s degree. For more information on the graduate program completion requirements, please visit the University of Alabama’s Master of Science in Nutrition website or the Georgia State University Master of Health Science in Nutrition website.

DDIP will provide a Verification Statement to interns upon completion of the program. The Program Director will submit names to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) as evidence that the interns are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian (RD) credentialing exam.