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Step 1
Earn your Bachelor's degree. To become licensed in most states as a dietician you must have a Bachelor's degree in dietetics from a college or university approved by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). You can find what schools in your state have an approved program by visiting the ADA's website.
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Step 2
Apply for a temporary license. After completing your degree you should apply for a temporary dietician license to be able to perform an internship or supervised work experience. Generally getting the license requires you to submit an application, licensing fee and official copies of your transcript showing your degree.
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Step 3
Complete an internship or supervised work experience. Each state has different requirements for this step. Some require a minimum number of hours working as a dietician while others require 6 months or 1 year of experience. You should check with the licensing agency in your state to determine what you need to do.
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Step 4
Take and pass the Commission Dietetic Registration (CDR) test. The CDR is the credentialing agency for the ADA. They oversee the national exam that all dieticians must take to become licensed on both the state and national level. The test fee is $200. You can visit their website for more information on the test, including a practice test.
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Step 5
Apply for your official license with your state. Once you have successfully passed the national test and completed your work experience you can apply for an official license as a dietician. This should be done with your state licensing agency and may require submission of an application, licensing fee, transcript, test scores, consent for background check, photograph and proof of the supervised experience.
