With a thorough understanding of food and nutrition sciences, registered dietitians (RDs) play a key role in treating people with illnesses and shaping the public’s food choices.

To become an RD, one must complete an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship that includes a minimum of 1200 supervised practice hours, as well as pass the national registration examination for dietitians.

In 2024, completion of a master’s degree will also be required to become an RD.  The master’s degree can be completed as part of a coordinated program (CP) that also includes the dietetic internship, or the master’s degree can be completed separately from the dietetic internship.

In order to be admitted to a coordinated program (CP) or dietetic internship, prospective students without undergraduate science degrees need to complete the coursework necessary to obtain a Verification Statement, which verifies that all coursework necessary to enter a CP or dietetic internship is complete.

Students can take advantage of the Pre-RD Sequence to work towards obtaining a Verification Statement and being eligible to apply to a dietetic internship program or a coordinated Master’s in Dietetics.

Each of the courses in our Pre-RD Sequence is a prerequisite for UVM’s Master of Science in Dietetics Program in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences.