How To Become Certified Dietitian

However becoming a registered dietitian isn t as easy as knowing about a healthy diet.

How to become certified dietitian. To become a registered dietitian rd a student must earn a bachelor s degree in dietetics and complete an internship program approved by the accreditation council for education in nutrition and. Along with obtaining your degree you ll need to complete a 1200 hour internship to qualify for the certification exam. To become a registered dietitian nutritionist a path of higher education is a must as well as a dietetic internship from an acend accredited program and passing the national registration examination. Students who wish to become rds must complete an acend approved practice program internship and sit for a written examination.

Once you become a dietitian or nutritionist you ll participate in menu planning and overseeing the preparation of food and educate groups such as senior citizens pregnant women and diabetics about which types of food to eat and which foods to avoid you may also study nutrition for food companies and test new food products and equipment. Forty six states require dietitians both rds and those who aren t to be licensed or certified. Certified dietitian in 1995 the state of wisconsin passed legislation to certify qualified nutrition providers. Get a bachelor s degree if you already have one in a non nutrition field no worries we ll chat about that in a minute.

If you are interested in becoming a nutritionist and practicing medical nutrition therapy which means providing nutrition recommendations or plans for those with disease states i highly recommend becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist rdn or certified nutrition specialist cns. Dietetics is a highly regulated profession where training and higher education matter especially since most states require a license certification to practice and in order to become licensed a secondary degree is required. Once you ve become certified as a dietitian you can also earn board certifications in a specialization such as geriatric pediatric sports or oncology nutrition. The basics of becoming an rd.

Become a registered dietitian nutritionist. Take the courses required by the academy of nutrition and dietetics acend through an acend accredited program. Here is what you need to do to become an rd. The state credential assures consumers that certified dietitians cd provide nutrition services that meet established professional standards and that only those legally qualified may use the term cd.