New ACEND Guidelines to Become an RDN, Jan. 1, 2024

The steps to become an RDN are changing.

Effective Jan. 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).

Approval to sit for the registration examination with a bachelor’s degree requires that individuals complete the didactic program in dietetics (DPD) and dietetic internship (DI) — thereby meeting all eligibility requirements — before Dec. 31, 2023 at 12 midnight CT. They must also have submitted the application for approval to take the exam into the CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight CT, Dec. 31, 2023. If you miss this deadline, you will have to have a master’s degree and have completed 1,200 hours of supervised practice to be eligible to apply to take the exam. For questions about this deadline please contact https://www.cdrnet.org/ or call 800-877-1600 ext. 5500. For more information about the new master’s degree requirement visit the CDR website.

Here are the steps to show the options that UMass Amherst BS graduates will have to meet the new requirements.

  • Individuals at UMass complete their coursework in DPD, which is accredited by ACEND by following the undergraduate dietetics track in the nutrition department.
  • Students graduating from the UMass Amherst nutrition undergraduate program have the following options to meet the new 2024 guidelines:
    • Complete the 4+1 master's program at UMass Amherst which allows them to complete the BS and MS in five years and then apply to a DI not associated with an MS degree. These are typically based in hospitals.
    • Complete an MS, MPH, MA, MBA in another department or college (these may be one or two years in duration), then apply to a DI, which is not associated with a graduate degree.
    • Apply to a DI which will result in a graduate degree, typically an MS or MPH, while also completing a DI (these are usually two years in duration).
    • While at UMass Amherst, DPD students are given guidance on how to work through the process of applying to a DI.