Information for current students

This Didactic Program provides the core knowledge for the Registered Dietitian as required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics in order to earn a verification statement. After acquiring a verification statement and graduating from the Didactic Program, students are prepared to apply for and must complete a Dietetic Internship before they are eligible to take the National Dietetic Registration Examination.

The Didactic Program is no longer accepting new students. However, the program will remain active until all current students complete their coursework and graduate. New students are encouraged to consider the Coordinated Program or the Food and Environmental Nutrition Program.

• DP Mission Statement and Program Goals
• DP program guide and curriculum
• DP handbook
• Undergraduate Bulletin

Program requirements: Didactic Program

• Complete your B.S. in Dietetics
• To become eligible to be a registered dietitian, a student must complete a dietetic internship. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has internship information.

"Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited [program type] program at [Institution name] are eligible to [apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program/apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN].

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here.

Due to the current Co-Vid 19 Pandemic, the Coordinated Program in Dietetics has made the following temporary changes;

• The number of supervised practice hours and alternative experiences has been lowered from 1,200 to 900 hours.
• If supervised practice hours are cancelled by a clinical site, the instructor is replacing those supervised practice hours with simulations, case studies, and projects to ensure students are receiving appropriate learning opportunities.
• All didactic coursework is online, or being taught in a hybrid format. Lab classes remain face to face with limited students at a time to allow for social distancing. Students are all receiving the same laboratory experience.

Students with an undergraduate degree in any academic area from an accredited university will be considered for Didactic Program. Students are required to complete a core of courses. To become a registered dietitian, students have to complete a dietetic internship, either through an approved dietetic internship at another institution or the Coordinated Program at UA, and successfully pass the national registration exam.

Data regarding the goals and objectives of the DP are available upon request.