To become a registered dietitian, students must have
- Completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Applied and successfully completed an ACEND® accredited supervised practice program, such as Morrison Healthcare Dietetic Internship, which allows the intern to write the national examination to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.
- Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For more information regarding the examination, refer to CDR’s website at www.cdrnet.org.
- Once interns become an RDN, if the state they reside require licensure, they will be required to follow that state's requirement to become licensed/certified. It is ACEND's considered opinion that the program is designed to and does meet all state dietetics licensure and certification laws. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.
Student applying to the Morrison Healthcare Dietetic Internship must have:
- A minimum of a Baccalaureate degree from an U.S. regionally accredited university or college or foreign equivalent as determined by a recognized credentialing agency.
- Verification statement from a ACEND-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics within 3 years of application (after Dec 2018). If Verification Statement is older than 3 years, intern must take a refresher course with a grade in Medical Nutrition Therapy (6 credits) and Advanced Nutrition or Nutritional Biochemistry (3 credits) or graduate level courses with similar information within 2 years of applying to internship.
- Relevant work and volunteer experience in food service or nutrition related field
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation, with at least one from an academic professional
- Resume
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- DPD Required Coursework Information
Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), along with the required supervised practice provided by an internship. In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree.
For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here.
Required Computer Skills:
- Basic computer skills
- Experience navigating the Internet and using Internet Browsers
- Basic knowledge of formatting using a word processor
- Web Netiquette– students must know the do’s and don’ts of online class communication
