What is an RD/RDN/LD/DTR?

Registered Dietitians (RD) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are individuals who have:

• Completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree program approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
• Completed pre-professional experience approved by ACEND
• Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)
• Completed continuing professional education requirements

Dietetic Technicians, Registered (DTR) are individuals who have:

• Completed at least a two-year associate’s degree approved by ACEND including supervised practice experience
• Passed a national examination administered by CDR
• Completed continuing professional education requirements

Licensed Dietitians (LD) are individuals who have:

• A bachelor’s or graduate degree with major in human nutrition food and nutrition, nutrition education, dietetics, or food systems management, or equivalent internship or preplanned professional experience approved by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians
• Successfully completed an examination administered by CDR

Fellow of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are registered dietitians who have:

• Exhibited characteristics of advanced-level practice
• Earned a master’s or doctoral degree
• Accumulated at least eight years of work experience.

Board Certified Specialists are registered dietitians who have:

• At least 4000 hours of practice experience as an RD in the last five years in the specialty
• Successfully completed a specialty certification examination that emphasizes applying dietetics principles to the solution of clinical problems