Steps to Becoming an RD
Dietitians require a strong knowledge base and excellent skills. To become a Registered Dietitian, a student must graduate from a Didactic Program in Dietetics
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
of the American Dietetic Association (CADE), a specialized accrediting
body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and by
the United States Department of Education. The graduate then must complete a Dietetic Internship accredited by CADE. Following successful completion of an internship, the graduate is eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians and become a Registered Dietitian.
Successful completion of The Didactic Program in Dietetics and
university requirements at BYU qualifies the student to receive the ADA
Verification Statement, and prepares students for the post-graduate
Dietetic Internship. Students may apply to the BYU Dietetic Internship,
which accepts six interns per year, or to any of the more than 250
Dietetic Internships across the country. Click here for more information.
Post-Graduate Dietetic Internship
Admission to internships is highly competitive. To increase the
likelihood of obtaining a position in a DI, students should prepare by:
- maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA,
- having 1000 hours of dietetics-related work and/or volunteer experience,
- participating in meaningful volunteer activity, and
- demonstrating leadership ability in work or volunteer settings.
Meeting these criteria does not guarantee placement in a dietetic
internship, but failure to meet them will almost surely preclude
placement.