Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) establishes requirements for eligibility to take the entry-level registration examinations for dietitians and dietetic technicians. Current requirements include academic preparation, supervised practice, and confirmation of academic and practice requirements by verification. These requirements are periodically reviewed and are subject to change.
Academic Degree
Minimum of a baccalaureate degree granted by a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or foreign equivalent. Effective January 1, 2024, a graduate degree will be required for Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentialing.
Current Minimum Academic Requirements
Completion of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Original DPD verification statement must be submitted through the application process.
Experiential Learning Requirements
The supervised experiential learning is for educational purposes and that the students should not be used to replace or eliminate employees. Supervised experiential learning stipulates completion of one of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited pathways. Widener University offers the Future Education Graduate Model Degree (FEM) pathway.
Future Education Graduate Model Degree (FEM)
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) released the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards Graduate (FG) Degree Programs in 2016. This a competency-based education (CBE) program that integrates classroom learning with hands-on supervised experiential learning activities. The model fosters work-readiness. In the Future Education Model (FEM), the curriculum is guided with the competencies and their respective performance indicators, which are clearly defined based on the desired behaviors and job skills targeted. Students are required to complete a minimum of one thousand (1,000) supervised experiential learning hours.
Other pathways not offered at Widener include:
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Accredited Dietetic Internship Program
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Accredited Coordinated Program
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Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP)
For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN visit eatrightpro.org.
State Licensure
Forty-seven (47) states have enacted legislation regulating the practice of dietetics. State licensure and state certification are entirely separate and distinct from registration or certification by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Information on state licensure and certification is provided at https://www.cdrnet.org/state-licensure