Dietitians help people live healthy and active lives through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Learn about the dietetics profession, career options, pathways to the RDN credential, types of accredited dietetics education programs and more.
This video geared toward high school students presents the fields of nutrition and dietetics as an exciting and rewarding career choice.
This video geared toward middle school-aged kids highlights how careers in nutrition and dietetics help build a healthier future for people everywhere.
This video geared toward elementary school-aged children shares how registered dietitian nutritionists help people fuel their bodies with delicious, nutritious food.
This video geared toward high school students presents the fields of nutrition and dietetics as an exciting and rewarding career choice.
Learn about becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist." width="620" height="348" />
This video geared toward middle school-aged kids highlights how careers in nutrition and dietetics help build a healthier future for people everywhere.
Learn about becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist." width="620" height="348" />
This video geared toward elementary school-aged children shares how registered dietitian nutritionists help people fuel their bodies with delicious, nutritious food.
These inspirational registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetic technician, registered, share their experience paving the way for their careers, their colleagues and giving back to their communities.
Have you considered a career in dietetics? From schools and supermarkets to restaurants and athletic fields, the professional opportunities are endless. Learn more about this unique, diverse and rewarding career path.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are food and nutrition experts with a minimum of a graduate degree from an accredited dietetics program, who completed a supervised practice requirement, passed a national exam and continue professional development throughout their careers. There also are specialty credentials in areas of gerontological nutrition (CSG), sports dietetics (CSSD), pediatric nutrition (CSP), renal nutrition (CSR) and oncology nutrition (CSO). Board-certified specialists are credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Career options and specialty areas for dietitians are diverse and flexible. RDNs can:
According to the 2021 Compensation & Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession, the median full-time salary of RDNs is $72,000 per year. As with any profession, salaries and fees vary by region of the country, employment settings, scope of responsibility and supply of RDNs. Salaries increase with experience and many RDNs — particularly those in business, management, education and research — earn incomes above $90,000.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians is projected to grow 7% from 2021-2031, as fast as the average for all occupations, because of the increased emphasis on the role of food and nutrition in preventing and treating diseases, a growing and aging population and public interest in nutrition.
Dietetics education programs in colleges and universities are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics — or ACEND. As an accrediting agency, ACEND makes sure that students preparing for careers as RDNs are getting the education they need to qualify for taking the national RDN exam.
There are several kinds of accredited dietetics education programs — each offering a different experience and "pathway" to RDN eligibility.
Coordinated programs combine classroom learning with supervised practice experiences within one program. When you graduate from a coordinated program, you satisfy both the graduate degree and supervised practice requirements and are eligible to take the national RDN exam.
This pathway consists of two education programs: First you complete a Didactic Program in Dietetics, which is your classroom coursework. Then you enroll in an accredited Dietetic Internship for supervised practice in real work settings. A master's degree must be completed prior to entering a DI program or during the DI program, concurrently with supervised practice. The majority of students who choose this pathway apply for a DI position through a competitive online matching process. However, some DPDs have placement agreements with DIs to ensure their graduates secure dietetic internship positions. If you are considering applying to a Didactic Programs in Dietetics, ask whether the program includes "pre-select matching."
Students who graduate from both a DPD and a DI and have completed a master's degree meet both the degree and supervised practice requirements to take the national RDN exam. Most DPDs offer bachelor's degrees, while others satisfy the minimum graduate degree requirement. DI programs will either offer a master's degree as part of their program, require interns to complete a master's degree of their choosing while they complete the DI, or require interns to complete a master's degree prior to entering the DI program.
This pathway consists of graduate-level coursework and supervised experiential learning incorporated into a one graduate degree program. When you graduate from a GP, you satisfy both the degree and supervised practice requirements to be eligible to take the national RDN exam.
Note: It's important to differentiate accredited GPs from other master's or doctorate programs that may not include the specific coursework or supervised practice required RDN eligibility. Examples are advanced degrees in disciplines that existing RDNs might pursue to complement their credential but that are not accredited by ACEND for their graduates to be eligible to take the national RDN credentialing exam.
While all ACEND-accredited programs meet the standards and requirements for graduates to become RDNs, the decision about which school or program to attend is personal and should be made based on a variety of factors that are important to you, such as:
Talk with program directors (contact information is in the Accredited Program Directory), discuss the program details and ask to visit. It is sometimes helpful to speak with current students and graduates, or RDNs and NDTRs located in the area near the program for insights that may be helpful in making a decision.
Application requirements and admission processes vary depending by program type. For information on applying to accredited dietetics programs, you must research each specific programs requirements and processes. (The programs' websites are listed in the Accredited Program Directory.)
There are many resources to help students pay for college. You may be able to obtain a grant or scholarship from a corporation, community or civic group, philanthropic or religious organization, or directly from your chosen school or college. Federal grants and low-interest loans may also be available.
If you are interested in a nutrition career, you can become a RDN or a NDTR — even if you have a degree in a different area of study. If you already have a degree from a U.S. institutional-accredited college or university that is recognized by the United States Department of Education, you will need to have your college transcripts evaluated by a director of an accredited dietetics program. Because the policies, procedures and costs for the transcript evaluation may vary from one institution to another, you may want to contact more than one dietetics program for further information. The program director will evaluate your previous academic preparation and identify the courses that you will need to complete at that school to meet the educational requirements for dietetic registration. It may be possible to complete the required dietetics coursework while enrolled in a graduate program. The dietetics program director can advise you of your options.
If you completed your education and training outside of the United States, or received credentials in another country, you may be eligible to become credentialed practitioner in the U.S. Individuals who have completed the education and credentialing requirements in one country may be eligible for another country's credentialing examination if the two countries have entered into a "reciprocity" agreement to allow this. If reciprocity does not apply, you must have your academic degree validated as equivalent to the bachelor's or master's degree conferred by a US regionally-accredited college or university and complete any additional required course work plus an ACEND-accredited supervised practice requirement to establish your eligibility to sit for the exam. It is important to note that all individuals who establish registration eligibility — whether under the provisions of a reciprocity agreement or through the combination of a validated academic degree and supervised practice program — must successfully pass the RDN exam. Visit ACEND to learn more.
Looking for credible nutrition information and recommendations? The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' network of credentialed food and nutrition practitioners are ready to help!
