Requirements for Registered Dietitians | Food and Nutrition Services | UC Davis Health

Dietitians translate the science of nutrition into everyday information about food for health and well-being. Dietitians can work in a range of areas including in acute and community health sectors, as health educators, in private practice, in food service and food industry, sports, research, in the media and in public health sectors.

Registered dietitians (RDs) are food and nutrition experts who have met the following criteria to earn the RD credential:

• Completed a minimum of a bachelor's degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited or approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a food service corporation or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. Typically, a practice program will run six to twelve months in length.
• Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). 
• Completed continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.