"How to become a dietitian" is a popular question that I get asked on social media. And I love answering this because I LOVE working as a dietitian. It's a rewarding career that I highly recommend!
When considering a career in dietetics, I would have LOVED a complete guide on how to become a dietitian, but there was none. So, I have decided to make one to help aspiring future dietitians.
This post is all about how to become a dietitian.
Should I Become A Nutritionist or a Dietitian?
Firstly, I will answer a common question: Should I become a nutritionist or a dietitian?
I recommend becoming a dietitian if you have the opportunity. All dietitians are also nutritionists, but not all nutritionists can call themselves dietitians. I recommend checking out my full article explaining the differences between the two available here. I also break down the differences in my YouTube video linked HERE.
Although becoming a dietitian is harder, it's worth it because it opens up many more career opportunities and potentially higher earnings. A dietitian's qualification is highly respected, whereas "nutritionist" can be a less specific title.
Overview: How To Become A Dietitian
There are a few different routes to becoming a dietitian, but at a basic level, what you need is:
- A specific university degree
- A period of practical training
- In some countries, you must also pass a national licensing exam (United States and Canada). This is not needed in Ireland or the UK.
After completing the above, you can apply to your country's professional regulatory board. Once they have reviewed and accepted your application, you can begin practising and using the title Dietitian.
In the UNITED STATES: Effective January 1, 2024, a minimum of a master's degree will be required to be eligible for the RDN exam. So you will HAVE TO HAVE a Master's degree; just having an undergraduate degree will not be enough.
How To Become A Dietitian - Step by Step
Step 1: Obtain a Degree In Dietetics
There are two types of programmes available to qualify as a dietitian:
- Full-time undergraduate BSc (Hons) programme: these are usually four years in length.
- Full-time postgraduate programme or masters programme: these are typically two years in length and can lead to a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in dietetics or a Masters (MSc) qualification in dietetics.
Option A: Undergraduate or Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics:
This is usually done straight after secondary school or high school. This would be after your leaving cert in Ireland, your GCSE's in the UK, and high school in the United States or Canada.
This path is often hard to get into, but it's the quickest and usually most straightforward path to becoming a dietitian. It's hard because the entry requirements are very high - so your grades need to be very good, but you are guaranteed a degree in dietetics at the end, provided you pass.
So, for example, the year I was doing my leaving cert, you needed 565 leaving cert points, which, if you're not familiar with the Irish system, is almost A1's in everything. It would almost have been easier to get into medicine! I knew all I wanted to do was dietetics, so that year, I just put my head down and studied hard. I just adopted the mentality that it would all be worth it…and it was.
So, I got into a "Full-time undergraduate BSc (Hons) programme", which was four years in length.
Entry Requirements For an Undergraduate Or Bachelor's Degree In Dietetics
These vary according to different universities, so you should contact the universities directly for specific entry requirements. But usually, you need pretty high grades, and you often need a minimum grade in math and english. Often, you also NEED certain subjects like chemistry and biology. Some people are unaware of this, and they may get high grades but then realize they don't have the university's mandatory subjects, which can be a sticky situation.
I know for the course that I did, you needed to have chemistry. Some people had the grades but didn't have chemistry, so they had to go back and do chemistry again...which is not ideal.
In Ireland, there are currently two places where you can do an undergraduate dietetics degree (Trinity/TUD and Coleraine).
More details for other countries can be found below:
How to become a dietitian in the UK
How to become a dietitian in Canada
How to become a dietitian in the United States
Option B: Postgraduate Or Masters Degree in Dietetics
Now, if you don't get into one of these undergraduate courses, which is the reality for many people, there is another route. This involves completing an undergraduate degree in something else, for example, Nutritional Science (approx four years). And then, at the end of getting that degree, you can apply for a master's or postgraduate diploma in dietetics - usually another two years. So, your journey to becoming an RD will likely be around six years as opposed to four years if you were lucky enough to have gotten straight into a dietetics undergrad.
The catch is that these postgrad programmes can be challenging to get into and can be competitive.
What you will need:
- Is to have completed an undergraduate degree with an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry. (e.g., Nursing, biochemistry, nutrition science or another health science)
- You will likely need a minimum of a 2.1 in your undergraduate degree.
- If there are limited places, you may also have to go through an interview process to assess if you are a good fit for the course. In these interviews, they often look for experience shadowing dietitians or volunteering and a strong WHY for your application to become a registered dietitian.
Then, hopefully, you will get accepted, and in two years, you will have your dietetic degree.
In Ireland, there are now three places where you can a master's in dietetics (Cork, Limerick and Dublin).
STEP 2: Complete Supervised Practice Placements/Training
As a dietitian, you will need to complete a lot of practice placements in various settings such as an acute hospital, community, industry, and food service. Typically, you must complete around 1000 hours of practice, which may be broken up into smaller amounts each year or as one big block at the end of your course as an internship.
During your placements, you will gain direct hands-on experience in different practice areas under a dietitian's supervision. By the end of your placements, you should be able to manage your own patient caseload. This is where significant learning takes place. Essentially, you will apply everything you have learned in the classroom to the real world with actual patients.
To pass your placement, you will need to demonstrate a list of professional competencies. This can be challenging, and some people do fail. It's a significant change going from the classroom to working with real patients.
Step 3: Undertake Research & Write A Thesis or Dissertation
As part of your degree, you may need to write a thesis or dissertation, which can be a great learning experience in nutrition research. Some dietitians work solely in conducting research and never see clients. Nutrition is a constantly evolving science, so it is essential that research is always ongoing. You will attend classes on research methods, data analysis, writing research papers, referencing, and other related topics. You may also conduct your own research, which can be challenging and stressful but also insightful. You may even have the opportunity to go abroad for research.
For instance, I researched bariatric surgery and iron deficiency in the United States. I had to recruit participants, collect blood samples, administer different iron supplements to different groups, and analyze the results after eight weeks. It was challenging and stressful, but it gave me a genuine appreciation for the work behind the scenes of research.
Step 4: Pass The Licencing Exam
Once you complete your degree and practical training, you should be able to apply to be a licensed/registered dietitian. However, in some countries, there is an additional step. So, in Canada and the United States, you need to pass a licensing exam. This is not required in Ireland or the UK.
Step 5: Register As A Dietitian
Now, once you have your qualification, you can apply to become a REGISTERED Dietitian. This means you are authorized to use the title dietitian in that country or state and begin practicing.
So, to do this, you apply to that country's healthcare professional regulatory board, which is CORU in Ireland, the HCPC in the UK and the Bermuda Health Council in Bermuda.
Usually, you need to provide a copy of your degree, work references, legal documents, passport, visa, etc. Once the authorities are satisfied with your submitted documents, you will be added to the register. This process is usually straightforward if you are applying to the register in the same country where you obtained your degree. For instance, if you got your degree in Ireland and you're applying to be on the Irish register. However, it can be a bit more complicated if you're applying to a different country after qualifying somewhere else, as they might require more information about your university course and so on. For example, when I applied to Bermuda's register, they were not familiar with the dietetics degree from Dublin, so I had to provide additional information on the course.
When On The Register:
Now that you are on the register, you need to stay on it. This shouldn't be difficult. What you need to do is:
- Comply with a code of professional conduct and ethics.
- Keep up a record of regular professional learning. Every 1-2 years, you may need to submit evidence of continuous learning, e.g. attending courses/webinars etc. This is to make sure we as a profession are maintaining high standards and always learning and developing. As I mentioned, nutrition science is always evolving, and as dietitians, we need to keep up to date so our patients can always receive the highest standard of care.
Further Study
Now, you might not want to stop there. One of the reasons I love dietetics is that there are many different areas you can upskill or specialize in. So, for example, you could get a postgrad in sports nutrition and work with elite athletes. Additional certifications I have gained include prenatal and fertility dietetics because they are areas I am interested in. I've also upskilled in becoming a low-fodmap trained Dietitian as I do a lot of private practice work with people with IBS.
Can I Study To Become A Dietitian On A Part-time Basis?
All dietetic courses are full-time. If you have any specific needs to study part-time, it may be worthwhile discussing this with the university.
Can I Study To Become A Dietitian Through Distance Learning?
There is no distance learning route to becoming a dietitian.
My Tips If You Are Planning On Becoming an RD:
- Get some work experience or shadowing with a dietitian first before applying for a course. You may think you will like it, but you may not. Dietetics can be quite different to what many people expect. It's often a lot more medical. That said, there are many different career paths you can take as a dietitian- you don't have to work in a hospital, you don't even have to see patients if you don't want to. But try to speak with dietitians in different areas to give you a better understanding of the career and whether or not it's something that you will be suited to.
- Attend a dietetic careers event at a university. This will let you find out more about becoming a dietitian and what's included in the course itself.
- If you are applying for a postgrad or a master's degree in dietetics, it is definitely good to have shadowing experience with a registered dietitian on your application. This shows you are really interested and you have done research into the career. Experience in care work, working with a nutrition-related charity or as a healthcare assistant is also useful.
- If you are in high school or secondary school, I would choose your subjects wisely. I would recommend trying to do Home Economics if it is an option. It is not required, but it's helpful. I would also do chemistry and biology. They may be a course requirement, but even if they are not, once in a dietetics course, you will have modules in these. It's a huge advantage to have some basic knowledge in these subjects.
- When in the course, I would recommend choosing diverse placements if you can. Try to get experience in paediatrics, acute medicine, industry, etc. This will help broaden your understanding of the career, ultimately giving you a better idea of what area you may like in the future.
- Volunteer - many nutrition-related charities are always looking for volunteers. This can be a great way of getting experience, plus it looks excellent on your resume.
- Look for a mentor/role model. This could be a dietitian you follow on social media, a lecturer or a supervisor on your placement. Seek career advice and guidance whenever possible. I enjoyed meeting with various dietitians, learning about their career highlights, and taking their recommendations.
Closing Words
I hope this post has been informative and helpful. Please comment below and let me know if you are an aspiring dietitian. Also, if you have any other questions or topics you would like me to cover in future blog posts or YouTube videos, please let me know. I would be happy to work on them in the future.
This post was all about how to become a dietitian in Ireland, the UK, Canada and the United States.
More about the author:
Hi there! My name is Maria, and I am a Registered Dietitian practising in Ireland and Bermuda. I have extensive experience in helping clients improve their health through the power of good nutrition. I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Additionally, if there are nutrition topics or recipes you would like me to make in future posts, please let me know. I would be more than happy to help.
Stay happy and healthy 💚
Your Registered Dietitian
Maria xox
Check me out on YouTube!
🎥 Visit my YouTube Channel to learn more about my approach to eating.
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