Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

In order to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, you must complete an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).

The curricula of the following undergraduate Nutrition degrees include the necessary DPD courses:

• BS, Nutrition and Food (Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration)
• BS, Global Public Health/Nutrition and Dietetics
• BS, Global Public Health/Nutrition and Dietetics and MPH, Public Health Nutrition dual degree
• BS, Nutrition and Food Studies: Nutrition and Dietetics/MS Nutrition and Dietetics dual degree
• MS, Nutrition and Dietetics, 40 credit Clinical Nutrition
• MPH, Public Health Nutrition Concentration (School of Global Public Health)

Please note: you do not need to complete a DPD before applying to the MS 40-credit Clinical Nutrition program or the MPH Public Health Nutrition Program.

NYU DPD Mission

The NYU DPD strives to educate students on the role of food, nutrition, and health in society. Integrating knowledge and research into coursework, the program provides students with an understanding of basic sciences, and theoretical and applied aspects of nutrition and dietetics to facilitate preparation of students for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian. 

Goals and Objectives

Program Goal 1: Graduates will have basic and applied knowledge of food, nutrition, and dietetics derived from the best possible research and evidence.

Objective (outcome) 1: At least 80% of program students complete the program within three years (150% of the program length).

Objective (outcome) 2: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian/nutritionists is at least 80%.

Objective (outcome) 3: At least 80% of students will give and average score of ≥ 3 to all DPD courses.

Program Goal 2:  Graduates will be prepared for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. 

Objective (outcome) 1: At least 80% of students completing the DPD will rate the program as preparing them for graduate studies, dietetic internships, or employment in dietetics (score ≥ 3).

Objective (outcome) 2: At least 80% of surveyed alumni students completing the DPD will rate the program as preparing them for graduate studies, dietetic internships, or employment in dietetics (score ≥ 3).

Objective (outcome) 3: At least 80% of alumni will have secured an appointment to a dietetic internship, graduate program, or employment related to the field of nutrition and dietetics within 1 year of completing the DPD program.

Objective (outcome) 4: At least 70% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.

Objective (outcome) 5: Of program graduates who apply to a supervised practice program, at least 80% are admitted within 12 months of graduation.

Objective (outcome) 6: At least 80% of surveyed internship directors will rate the NYU DPD students as “well prepared” (score ≥ 3) for the dietetic internship.

*Program outcomes are available upon request from the DPD Program Director, Dr. Kristie Lancaster at KJL1@nyu.edu.

When to Take DPD Courses

Undergraduate Students

The necessary DPD courses are included within our undergraduate Nutrition program curricula.

Graduate Students

You are not required to take the DPD courses prior to applying to the 40-credit MS. Rather, you can take them while matriculated in the degree. Please note, however, that undergraduate-level DPD courses will not count toward the master's degree. 

Students who may have already met the requirements of one or more of the NYU DPD courses, must discuss this with the DPD advisor Steven Ho (steven.ho@nyu.edu) at the time of admission. The advisor will review students’ transcripts and may also request additional materials (e.g., course descriptions, syllabi, examples of course work) to determine if the course(s) meet NYU DPD requirements. Without advisor approval, the course will not be accepted.

To receive a DPD Verification of program completion from NYU, students must take at least 29 credits at NYU and get pre-approval from DPD adviser Steven Ho for all DPD courses taken outside NYU. Courses taken at two-year colleges that do not have an ACEND-accredited DTR program do not meet NYU DPD requirements.

DPD and Dietetic Internships

Completing a dietetic internship is part of the process of becoming a Registered Dietitian. You may apply to dietetic internships in your final semester of taking DPD courses, but all DPD courses must be completed prior to starting the internship.

DPD Course Requirements

All courses taken to meet DPD requirements must be approved by a graduate nutrition/DPD adviser and completed prior to receiving a DPD Verification of program completion. 

DPD courses may not be taken for graduate credit with the exception of Research Methods, NUTR-GE 2190, and Nutrition Education, NUTR-GE 2199. DPD courses taken for graduate credit outside of NYU, whether prior to or after matriculation, will not be counted toward the graduate degree at NYU.  

The following courses constitute NYU Steinhardt's DPD. For help with planning the sequences in which these courses must be taken and obtain the approval of a graduate adviser or the DPD advisor.

OR

OR

Completion of all DPD courses including the undergraduate and graduate seminars is required for DPD verification of program completion. DPD verification will not be conferred for any department DPD course grade less than C. Undergraduate students are expected to maintain a GPA of 2.5; graduate students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.0. Undergraduate DPD verification completion date is the date of degree conferral. Graduate DPD verification completion is the last day of the semester in which DPD coursework was completed. This applies to the MS, MPH, and 5-year (BS/MS and BS/MPH) programs.

DPD and Supervised Practice Programs
(Dietetic Internships)

Completing a dietetic internship is part of the process of becoming a Registered Dietitian. You may apply to dietetic internships in your final semester of taking DPD courses, but all DPD courses must be completed prior to starting the internship.

Licensure and Certification

Forty-eight states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia currently regulate the dietetics profession or associated titles, e.g., RDN.  Compliance with either licensure or certification requirements is generally necessary for RDNs to practice in a specific state. Certification regulates the RDN credential in New York State. RDNs who have completed an accredited baccalaureate or post graduate program in nutrition are eligible for the Certified Dietitian Nutritionist. Detailed information on licensure and certification and state specific regulations are available from the Academy.

Accreditation Information

The NYU Didactic Program in Dietetics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2290, Chicago, IL 60606-6995 1-800-877-1600, ext. 5400, until June 30, 2030. 

To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), students must hold a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized institutional accreditor and complete course work [Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)] accredited by ACEND, complete a supervised practice program accredited by ACEND, and pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become an RDN. Effective January 1, 2024, CDR requires a minimum of a master's degree to be eligible to take the exam. See the fact sheet for detailed information on the profession of nutrition and dietetics and the RDN.

Additional eligibility requirements for the credentialing exam can be obtained from Coordinated Programs, Future Education Model Graduate Programs, DPD ISPPs, Doctorate ISPPs, Registration Eligibility Reciprocity, Canadian Registered Dietitian, and International Dietetics Programs. The pathways to exam candidacy are described on the CDR exam eligibility webpage.