If You Already Hold a Degree

In order to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, you need to complete a bachelor’s level training at an ACEND-accredited program. The limit on courses taken at CSULB by non-students is 9 units, which is not adequate to fulfill the DPD requirements. It typically takes about 2 years of full-time study to complete DPD requirements if someone already possesses a degree. 

At this time we do not offer any certificate programs or non-degree options to allow students to complete DPD requirements without being an enrolled CSULB bachelor’s degree student. Additionally, DPD classes cannot be taken as part of CSULB’s Master of Science Program in Nutritional Science, which actually requires a degree in Nutrition or Dietetics as part of its admission requirements. Please be aware that having an M.S. in Nutritional Science or a nutrition-related degree alone will not allow you to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. 

We recommend you inquire with other programs to see which classes, specifically for their programs, you can take there or at a community college. The program would need to evaluate your transcripts and give you a list of classes to take based on your course history. You might want to look for their “DPD Director” to find the person with whom you should talk.  If you completed this route elsewhere, then in the future, you could apply to CSULB's Dietetic Internship and/or Master of Science Program in Nutritional Science.

Another route to explore is a Coordinated Program, in which some dietetic internships will accept students who do not have all undergraduate courses completed. Some even combine this course of study with a Master’s degree. There are both local and distance options – a complete list of Coordinated Programs can be found on the ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. We encourage you to contact the programs directly to find out what their pre-requisite requirements are.

As of October 2017, our program is no longer able to offer a pathway to a verification statement for anyone with an international degree, even if it is in nutrition. 

Due to our new 2017 accreditation standards and institutional limits on non-CSULB students taking coursework in our DPD, we have determined that it is not possible for an international degree holder to meet the same Core Knowledge requirements as our program unless they had already completed an ACEND-Accredited program.

We encourage you to reach out to other DPDs, including "Distance Education" options that may offer online learning so that you do not need to physically reside where the institution is located. Contact their DPD Director and ask if they offer a pathway to a verification statement and find out what steps you need to take to have your degree evaluated. You will likely have to take additional coursework to receive a verification statement. You might want to look for their “DPD Director” to find the person with whom you should talk. See a complete searchable list of all undergraduate options. 

If you completed this route elsewhere then in the future you could apply to CSULB's Dietetic Internship and/or Master of Science Program in Nutritional Science.