The process to become a registered dietitian-nutritionist

Eastern Michigan University's Coordinated Program in Dietetics (EMU CP) is carefully designed to provide both the didactic coursework and supervised practice experience (SPE) hours required to be eligible for the national registration examination for dietitians. Students complete lecture-style courses along with 1,040 SPE hours in clinical, community, and food service management settings. 

Upon successful completion of the EMU CP, graduates will receive a verification statement and be eligible to take the national registration examination for dietitians offered through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR). Successful completion of the RD exam is a prerequisite for licensure or certification in most states.

For more information, please refer to the following websites:

Academic Preparation Through a Coordinated Program
Career Opportunities and CDR Credentialing (RD Exam)
Licensure requirements vary by state. Learn more.

Effective January 1, 2024, a graduate degree will be required to sit for the registered dietitian nutritionist credentialing exam. Please see additional information on the CDR website.

Registered dietitian nutritionists complete 75 units of continuing education every 5 years to maintain registration.

About EMU's Coordinated Program

Our dietetics program is committed to teaching you:

• How food and nutrition affect the health and performance of our bodies.
• The knowledge and skills necessary for you to help your future patients and clients make healthful dietary choices.
• The knowledge and skills necessary to practice as an entry level dietitian in the areas of clinical, community and food service dietetics.
• Principles of nutrition research (and opportunities to work with faculty on research).

Our Programs

We currently offer four programs in Dietetics at both the combined (BS + MS) and graduate (MS)  levels. We additionally offer the MS in Human Nutrition.

• Your Path

  Not sure what path to take? We can help with the decision making process.  Check out this Infographic and note that EMU offers a 5-year BS+MS or little more than 2-year stand-alone MS (with a previous undergraduate degree in any field), since the successful completion of a Master's degree is required to be able to earn a verification statement and take the CDR RD exam.  If the state in which an RD/RDN practices requires additional licensure, this is completed individually by the Program graduate, upon graduation and a successful CDR RD credentialing exam. For more information about the credentialing process, go to this CDR link.  Go to our catalog pages for MS or BS + MS in Dietetics to learn about the required prerequisite courses and eligibility requirements for our Program.

• Dietetics (leads to the RDN credential)

  • Combined Bachelor and Master of Science in Dietetics
  • Master of Science in Dietetics

Our coordinated program in dietetics is offered both on campus and distance-online; you can earn your degree from virtually anywhere in the United States. Out-of-state students can take online undergraduate courses at affordable Michigan in-state tuition rates!

• Why Study at Eastern?

  Our programs are evidence-based and respected by employers and the public.

  Our experienced faculty has a range of 5 to 21 years of in-class and online teaching at EMU. Our lecturers bring experience in the field and have an average of seven years of teaching experience. We are committed to investing in future practitioners.

  • Our dietetics programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
  • When you successfully complete our Coordinated Program in Dietetics and earn your degree from EMU, you will be issued a verification statement, which makes you eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
  • We provide location flexibility with on-campus and distance/online courses, allowing you to complete the program within the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) Guidelines for a variety of states within the U.S.
  • We provide student-centered learning opportunities and an exceptional learning environment where you will be constantly interpreting and responding to food and nutrition service delivery and applying new technologies to your dietetic education.
  • Credit can be earned for work or life experience for DTC 251, DTC 372, DTC 375, and DTC 659 through the Prior Learning Assessment process.  The student will review the inquiry packet, available at PLA Inquiry Packet https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VS2DGqHIIAvCpyjapxt6PpbPxu6mY0zy8uWrK3MlEqI/edit)
  • Professional phase course equivalency will be evaluated on an individual basis for students once they are admitted to the CP.  This equivalency is only available for didactic course work; all Supervised Practice Experience (SPE) courses must be completed through the CP at EMU.

  If you are interested in working together to improve health through proper diet and nutrition, then we think you’d be a great fit here. Read the catalog content for more information.

  Watch a sample of what our students accomplish while in our program and see more on the Eagle Nutrition Services YouTube channel!

Contact Us

• Olivia Ford, Associate Professor, co-director
  373B Marshall Building | [email protected]
• Sandy Pernecky, lecturer, co-director
  260 Rackham Hall | [email protected]
• Alice Jo Rainville, Professor, graduate coordinator
  335 Marshall Building | [email protected]

• Apply Now