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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sit the registration examination to become an RD after receiving my BS degree?
No. LSU provides a Didactic Program in Dietetics. As such, students must successfully complete a dietetic internship before they are eligible to sit this examination. Internships include at least 900 hours of supervised practice, and they must be completed at a Commission on Accreditation of Dietetics Education (CADE) accredited internship program before you can sit the exam. To learn more about dietetic internships, visit the web site of the American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org/Public/7782_13280.cfm

How do I get a verification statement?
Verification statements verify that a student has a degree and has completed the knowledge and skill requirements of the American Dietetic Association. They are required to enter a dietetic internship. Verification statements are issued to all students who successfully complete the HED curriculum or HEDIET concentration in the Nutritional Sciences curriculum. Verification statements are issued by the Program Director when she has verified that the student has graduated, and they cannot be issued before graduation day. Usually they are mailed to the student’s permanent mailing address.

My degree is in Nutritional Sciences/Pre-medical, can I apply for a dietetic internship?
No, this concentration does not prepare students to enter a dietetic internship. Many of the courses in the two concentrations are the same, but the difference comes in the food, management, and food service classes that students in the dietetics concentration take. Dietetics students also take courses in psychology and economics. Without these courses, and the knowledge and skill elements that they provide, students cannot receive a verification statement to enter an internship program. To learn more about the knowledge and skill requirements, visit the American Dietetic Association’s website: http://www.eatright.org/Public/Files/2002rdfksc.pdf

I’m a student in the dietetics concentration; I think I want to go to medical school. What should I do?
The answer depends on how far along in the dietetics program you are. If you’re early in the program, it is a simple matter to change to the nutritional sciences/pre-medical concentration. If you’re a junior or senior, you can still change into that concentration, but it may be as easy to stay in dietetics and elect to take the courses required by most medical schools: BIOL 1201, 1202, 1208, 1208; CHEM 1201, 1202, 1212, 2261, 2262, 2364; PHYS 2001, 2108, 2002, 2109. Dietetics students are already required to have BIOL 1201, and CHEM 1201 and 1202.

I have a non-nutrition related undergraduate degree, can I become an RD by taking a Master’s degree in Nutrition?
The MS program at LSU does not prepare students to enter a dietetic internship—student’s without a verification statement from their undergraduate program need to complete the knowledge and skill requirements promulgated by the American Dietetic Association for Didactic Programs in Dietetics. Thus, students in the MS program would need to take a substantial number of undergraduate courses to meet this requirement. Students can elect to do this, although it will slow their progress in the graduate program. Three of the undergraduate courses: HUEC 4010 (Human Nutrition) and HUEC 4011/4014 (Medical Nutrition Therapy I/II) can be taken for graduate credit. To learn more about the knowledge and skill requirements, visit the American Dietetic Association’s website: http://www.eatright.org/Public/Files/2002rdfksc.pdf

Applying for a dietetic internship seems hard--is there help available?

Yes, two workshops are given each year for students to learn about the application process. At the workshop, students receive a packet on applying for internships, but if you can’t make it to the internship workshops, the packet is available through this link:What are the Strategies to Apply for a Dietetic Internship. Also, your faculty advisors, including the Program Director is always available to answer questions.

I have a degree from a university outside of the United States, do I need to take another degree from a school in the States to be able to do a dietetic internship?

Maybe.  If your degree is evaluated by a service that does this, or by a university like LSU that has an international student office, as being “a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a US regionally accredited institution” you do not need to take another degree.  However, you must still meet the knowledge and skill requirements of the American Dietetic Association.  If your degree does not meet this standard, then you must obtain a degree and the knowledge and skill requirements to do a dietetic internship.

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