Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Students who graduate from SUNY Oneonta and meet all DPD requirements will receive a Verification Statement from the program director. People who hold a BA/BS in another field may also apply to complete the DPD courses and/or earn a second degree in dietetics and earn a DPD Verification Statement.

Program of Study

Graduates are then eligible to apply for an ACEND accredited dietetic supervised practice program. SUNY Oneonta offers an Early Action Option for SUNY Oneonta dietetics majors to gain early acceptance into our online M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics Program.

Earning the DPD Verification Statement from SUNY Oneonta’s DPD gives students eligibility to apply to over 200 ACEND-accredited SPPs in the country. A unique feature of our program is the required course, NUTR 4098: Dietetic Professional Seminar, which guides students through the application process to SPPs in their Jr/Sr year. Student feedback overwhelmingly states that this course was highly beneficial in helping them navigate this complicated process.

We are proud to report that our SPP acceptance rate for the past three years has been 100% (2022), 91% (2023), and 100% (2024).).

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics maintains a list of accredited of supervised practice programs. There are 3 types of accredited supervised practice programs that students can choose to apply to: 1) Dietetic Internships, 2) Future Education Model Graduate Programs, and 3) Coordinated Masters programs.

During these programs, students will gain experience in the three major areas of dietetics: clinical dietetics, community and nutrition education, and food systems management. Many offer additional experiences in research, sports nutrition, pediatrics, culinary nutrition, retail nutrition, informatics, food sustainability, and other related areas. Programs also vary by length, location, online vs face-to-face, and whether there is graduate credit earned or Master’s degree upon completion. Dietetic internships without graduate degree may be 9 months long, while programs combined with a graduate degree may be anywhere from 16 to 32 months.

Starting January 1, 2024, students are required to complete a masters degree and supervised practice hours to be eligible to sit for the RDN exam. ** To meet this new requirement students have two main options:

1. Attend a SPP that combines the supervised practice hours with the Master's degree, or
2. Complete a Master's degree first, then apply to a "Dietetic Internship" that either does not include a graduate degree as part of the program or offers partial graduate credits. Some DI’s will allow students to complete the program with a MS in progress.

You can apply to supervised practice programs in the fall or spring of your senior year and, if accepted, you will typically start the program in summer or fall. You will be responsible for the tuition and all other expenses associated with that program.

The dietetic program director and faculty provide assistance in the application process for supervised practice programs however, completion of the DPD does not guarantee placement in a supervised practice program. A unique feature of our curriculum is NUTR 4098 Dietetics Professional Seminar which provides detailed information about applying to supervised practice programs. Improving the chances of being a successful applicant begins in the first year of college by working to obtain and maintain the best possible GPA, acquiring extensive volunteer experience, being active in student organizations and working closely with dietetics faculty. Professional behavior is a must.

In light of the competitive nature of DSPPs, the SUNY Oneonta DPD program recommends that students go above and beyond in both academic and extracurricular endeavors. Improving the chances of being a successful applicant begins in the first year of college by working to obtain and maintain the best possible GPA, acquiring extensive volunteer experience, being active in student organizations and working closely with dietetics faculty. Professional behavior is a must. It is highly encouraged that you obtain volunteer or work experience in the dietetics field prior to applying to DSPPs. Suggested locations for volunteer or work experiences include, but are not limited to: clinical setting such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility; a community setting such as a public health program or school garden; a large-scale foodservice operation such as on-campus dining halls or in recipe modification or development or a school nutrition program. Some students opt to take a year between graduation and the supervised practice to gain this extensive experience.

Further, we suggest that students expand professional involvement by joining, participating and holding a leadership role in dietetic organizations such as: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, their regional and local dietetics associations, and student-run clubs like the Food and Nutrition Association and Nutrition for Performance and others. Each organization offers leadership roles and ways to get involved with the profession.

Early Action Option for SUNY Oneonta’s M.S.-Nutrition and Dietetics Program

All students enrolled in the DPD program must be prepared to complete a master's degree in any major if they intend to become registered dietitians. SUNY Oneonta offers an Early Action Option for DPD seniors in our online M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics Program. This Future Education Model Graduate Program integrates supervised experiential learning with graduate coursework and can be completed in one year. With early action, a DPD student at SUNY Oneonta will apply for the online M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics Program in the fall of senior year. The same selection process and criteria will be used to evaluate all candidates.

Early Action seats are limited, so if you think that you might be interested, please review the program website, attend an information session (held every semester), and contact the director of the online M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics Program early in your college career.

Similar to other healthcare careers, RDNs must pass a national registration examination to earn the RDN certification. The Registration Exam is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for those who have successfully completed the first two steps. Considerable information about the RDN exam is available from the CDR website. View more information about becoming an RDN and the RDN exam.

Students who earn their RDN credential and want to practice as Dietitians may need to apply for licensure, before they are eligible practice dietetics and provide nutrition counseling in states that require licensure. Licensing statutes include an explicitly defined scope of practice, and performance of the profession is illegal without first obtaining a license from the state. A list of the states that require licensure is available on the Commission on Dietetic Registration website. In New York State, graduates must obtain certification to practice through New York State Education Department Office of Professions. Licensure will be available in the state of New York in the future.

SUNY Oneonta’s three-year average pass rate for the RDN credentialing exam is 93%, which is well above the programmatic goal of 80%.

No. The computer match was ended in Fall 2024!

Students may apply to as many programs as they wish.

Each supervised practice program reviews its own applications and offers an applicant a seat or not. The applicant then accepts or declines the seat.

Program information may be found within DICAS on the Program Information Page and by accessing the program’s website. Access the Accredited Program Directory for available programs.

Yes. In 2024-2025 application cycle, some coordinated programs (CP) and graduate programs (GP) may not be using DICAS. You may apply to any programs that you wish to attend.

If you are using DICAS, you only need to upload one set of transcripts for all the programs you select within DICAS. Note however, some graduate schools may require an additional set of transcripts. If you apply to programs that are not using DICAS, you may need to order another set of transcripts for each of these programs. This also applies to your letters of recommendations/references.

Yes. In consideration of your fellow waitlisted applicants and the institution that extended you the offer as soon as you make your decision to accept a program’s offer you should inform the program of your decision.

If you receive multiple offers from different programs, it is important to notify the programs you do not plan to attend as soon as possible. Please consider your peers that may be on the waitlist and how your timeliness may affect their options. An example email template is provided for you below.

Sample Email Template:

Dear [Faculty Name]:

Thank you very much for offering me a position in the [Program Name] at the [Program/University Name]. I appreciate the opportunity you provided me; however, after careful consideration, I have decided not to accept the offer.

I want to express my gratitude for your consideration. Thank you once again for the opportunity.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

If you are waitlisted, you will need to wait until accepted applicants reject the offer, at which time the program may reach out to you to fill their open positions. Applicants will not be required to select their program of choice until after the notification date of November 15 (Fall) or March 15 (Spring). You should be hearing from programs on or before the deadline notification date set by the program.

If you are not waitlisted and have not received any offers of admission after November 15, access DICAS and/or the program’s website to learn of any programs that have reopened their applications. Fall open enrollment begins November 16 and programs that do not fill their spots will be opening their applications with new application submission deadlines. Applications are due by December 15th at the latest. It is recommended you contact the program director to express your interest, and you may need to submit an application to that program. See program websites for details.

If you are not waitlisted and have not received any offers of admission after March 15, access DICAS and/or the program’s website to learn of any programs that have reopened their applications. Spring open enrollment begins March 16; programs that do not fill their spots will be opening their applications with new application submission deadlines. Applications are due by July 15th at the latest. It is recommended you contact the program director to express your interest. You may need to submit an application to that program. See program websites for details.

Programs are not required to provide details about decisions or offer suggestions to improve your application. If you were not accepted into a program, you may consult admission staff or faculty to learn how you may correct deficiencies in the application or academic performance; however, you must remain respectful of decisions made by those involved in the admission process.

In consideration of your fellow applicants and program directors, you should only accept an offer from the program that you plan on attending. However, we understand that uncontrollable events happen that may lead to change of plans. In the event of a change in circumstances that necessitate you backing out from the program where you accepted the offer, you MUST notify this program of your decision to withdraw your acceptance within 24 hours of accepting the offer at the new program. In these instances, anticipate that any deposit you paid may not be reimbursed. You may not be enrolled in more than one program at any time.

Yes. Applicants should be advised to submit the application to graduate school at the same time the DI application is submitted. The program's list of preferred applicants will include those who also meet the graduate school requirements.

Students should carefully consider all aspects of each supervised practice program to which they are applying. Consider the length of program, when the program begins, tuition or fees charged, stipends, graduate credits, housing and availability of financial aid.

If you need time to assimilate information, select programs that are twelve months or more in length rather than shorter programs. Shorter programs typically feature faster paced experiences, more on-duty hours per week and little or no vacation time.

If your financial resources are severely limited, give preference to programs that provide some compensation in the form of a stipend or room and board rather than those that charge substantial fees or tuition. Some programs may require only 20 hours of training per week, thus allowing students to obtain outside employment.

Applicants need to follow these Traffic Rules:

• You may not be enrolled in more than one program at any time.

• In fairness to other applicants and nutrition and dietetics programs, if you have decided before March 15 (Spring) or November 15 (Fall) not to attend a program that has offered you admission, promptly withdraw your application from the program(s) by contacting the program director.

• Once you have accepted an offer, if you were offered admission to other programs, you MUST contact the program director(s) to decline offer(s). This allows waitlisted applicants to be given an offer.

• If you receive and accept an alternative offer after you have already accepted an offer, you MUST rescind/withdraw your acceptance at the program where you had previously accepted an offer within 24 hours of accepting the offer at the new program.