Steps to Becoming an R.D.

1) Complete a Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally-accredited university or college.

2) Complete the coursework required by a CADE-accredited DPD program to satisfy the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Standards of Education. Upper level dietetics courses are generally only offered at one of the 228 accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) programs.

Upon successfully completing steps 1 & 2, you will receive a Verification Statement of Program Completion from an accredited DPD Program director and are then eligible to begin a dietetic internship. Completion of a DPD Program is not a guarantee of being matched to a CADE-accredited supervised practice program, commonly referred to as a dietetic internship (DI).

3) Apply by the February or September deadlines, be accepted, and successfully complete a CADE-accredited supervised practice program (dietetic internship).

Applying to dietetic internships (DI) is a highly competitive process – your GPA, dietetics- related work experiences, and the quality of your application materials are important. Completing a DPD Program and receiving a Verification Statement is not a guarantee of being accepted by a dietetic internship.

Students graduating in May or August generally apply to DIs in February, while December graduates generally apply in September.
Applicants are either matched to one DI through the national D&D Digital matching system or not matched to a DI.
Most DIs provide clinical, community, and food service experiences and are referred to as having a general emphasis, while some DIs specialize in one of the areas of emphasis.
DIs last a minimum of 6 months, but can be 21 months or longer if part of a Master’s degree program.
There are currently 253 accredited DIs in the United States mostly located in major cities or affiliated with colleges and universities with food and nutrition graduate programs.

Upon successfully completing step 3, students will receive a Verification Statement of Program Completion from the accredited Dietetic Internship Program director and are then eligible to apply to take the R.D. exam.

4) Study, register for, take, and pass the national R.D. exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). It is important that you to pass the R.D. exam on your first attempt because your performance on the national R.D. exam is an important criteria in the DPD and DI Programs you completed maintaining their CADE accreditation status.

5) Maintain your R.D. status by completing the required continuing education activities.