Dietetics as a Profession
Registered dietitians (RDs) are professionals who translate the science of food and nutrition to enhance the well being of individuals and groups. Many dietitians work in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and extended care facilities. Dietitians may also be found working in community health settings such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs; food stamp programs; or feeding programs for the elderly. Because so many people eat meals away from home, dietitians also manage non-commercial and commercial foodservice operations where they apply nutrition knowledge and managerial skills in the delivery of meals to children and adults. Career opportunities also exist in diverse areas such as journalism; sports medicine; wellness programs for business and industry; and sales for food, foodservice equipment, or pharmaceutical companies. Dietitians work for food companies in research and development, as public information specialists for food commodity groups such as dairy, beef or pork councils, or as consultants in private practice serving rural hospitals and nursing homes. The broad range of opportunities for practice within dietetics provides RDs with maximum flexibility as they move through their professional careers.
Requirements to Become a Registered Dietitian
The American Dietetic Association's Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education sets the guidelines for how one becomes a Registered Dietitian (RD). There are three steps in the process.
- You must complete a minimum of a baccalaureate degree which meets the Foundation Knowledge and Skills for entry-level practice in dietetics. If you major in dietetics at Kansas State University, your degree program automatically meets these requirements. If you already have a degree in some other area, we will evaluate your transcripts to ascertain the "gaps" in your coursework and outline for you the other courses you will need to take to meet CADE's academic requirements. Completion of the these academic requirements must be verified by the director of a CADE-accredited program in dietetics who issues an official Verification Statement.
- You must complete a supervised practice (internship) experience in a CADE-accredited program. The supervised practice must be at least 900 hours in length and must provide hands-on experience in clinical nutrition, community nutrition and foodservice management. This experience may be done ALONG WITH your degree in a Coordinated Program in Dietetics or AFTER graduation in a dietetic internship. Kansas State's Coordinated Program in Dietetics has been producing outstanding dietetics professionals since 1971 and is one of the oldest and most prestigious coordinated programs in the country. K-State's Didactic Program in Dietetics does an excellent job of preparing students to apply for post-baccalaureate dietetic internships. Both programs are fully accredited by CADE. Upon completion of supervised practice experience, the student is issued another official Verification Statement, indicating successful completion of the required 900-hour experience.
- After completion of both the academic and supervised practice components, graduates are eligible to sit for the national Registration Examination for Dietitians. Successful completion of this exam allows the individual to use the initials "RD" after his or her name, indicating that he or she is credentialed as a Registered Dietitian. The RD exam is a computer-based test which is available year-round at participating Prometric/Sylvan Testing Technology Centers.
Becoming an RD if You Already Have a Degree
Individuals who already have the minimum of a baccalaureate degree may participate in either the DPD or the CPD at K-State. These individuals may elect to (1) work toward a second baccalaureate degree in dietetics, (2) take only the additional courses needed to meet the academic requirements of the ADA, or (3) pursue a graduate degree in HMD or the Department of Human Nutrition. In the case of a student pursuing graduate study, dietetics faculty members work with the student’s major professor to mesh the dietetics requirements with the individual’s graduate program of study.