Registered Dietician Education
Teaching people about proper nutrition and helping them make a plan for a healthier life is the role of a registered dietician. While many people know basic information about food and nutrition, it takes formal education to become a registered dietician. If you're interested in becoming a registered dietician, before you sign up for any college or university with a nutrition program, it's important that you know about registered dietician education.
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Emphasis
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Registered dieticians aren't required to have an emphasis, but some do as they work with athletes, children or other specific groups within the population. If you plan to have a specialty as a registered dietician it's important that you find a school that caters to that specialty. Not only will you get information that pertains to your area of emphasis, but you can also do internships and a supervised practicum that cater to your interests.
Types
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A bachelor's or a master's degree is required to obtain certification as a registered dietician. While associate's degrees are available in dietetics, they don't provide the education or training needed for certification. Graduates of those programs become dietetic technicians, which assist registered dieticians with creating meal plans and educating clients.
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Accreditation
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The dietetics program you attend needs to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education regardless of the type of degree you seek. You can determine what programs at local colleges and universities in your state are accredited by visiting their websites. Failing to attend an accredited institution can result in you not being able to get certification as a registered dietician.
Cost
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Each institution sets its own tuition rates as well as fees for student services such as parking, library access and student activities. You can use the listing of accredited schools to compare the cost of attendance among different schools. However, these aren't all-inclusive of housing, boarding and other college expenses, which is why it's a good idea to contact any schools you are interested in attending for more cost information.
Practicum
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To become a registered dietician you must complete a supervised practicum during the coursework of your degree program. This gives you the opportunity to put into practice what you've learned in the classroom about nutrition while under the watchful eye of your professor. Ideally, your practicum should occur at a facility that caters to your area of emphasis. For example, a student with an emphasis in sports nutrition may do a practicum with university athletes.
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