Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut

Created by NutritionED.org Contributor

Connecticut

Follow the step by step process or choose what situation that best describes you:

  1. Complete Registered Dietitian Education in Connecticut
  2. Finish your Connecticut Dietetic Internship (DI) in CT
  3. Pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Exam
  4. Apply for Certification as a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut
  5. Maintain Your CDR Registration in CT

Nutrition Careers in Connecticut

As of April 2022, the Commission on Dietetic Registration reported a total of 1,513 Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) in Connecticut. As of May 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that dietitians and nutritionists in the state earned an average salary of $67,060 – that’s about $2,000 more than the national average of $65,620 for this profession. Early career professionals here earned about $57,260, while those with extensive experience earned about $94,870 during this time.*

Registered dietitians may find employment in Connecticut in settings such as long-term care facilities, health care facilities, hospitals, childcare facilities, schools, corporations, and government agencies. Becoming a registered dietitian in Connecticut requires education and experience, as well as passing an examination. Those who want to learn about dietitian licensing in Connecticut will find the answers in this article.

 

Step 1

Registered Dietitian Education in Connecticut

According to the laws of Connecticut, all dietitians must become certified with the state before being legally able to practice. Certification in Connecticut requires that a dietitian earn the Registered Dietitian credential through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This requires that you complete education and experience mandated by the CDR. Registered dietitian education in Connecticut must be accredited CDR’s accreditation organization, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

ACEND-Accredited Programs in Connecticut:

Educational pathways that lead to the Registered Dietitian status in Connecticut are:

ACEND-Accredited Programs Leading to Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR) status in Connecticut:

An alternative to becoming a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut is to become a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR). This career pathway requires a shorter period of education and internship than that of the RD pathway, which makes it attractive to some students. One DTR Program in Connecticut combines coursework leading to an associate’s degree and a 450-hour internship:

Completion of the above program renders you eligible to take the CDR’s Dietary Technician, Registered Examination.

 

The following bachelors and Master’s programs offer career-focused instruction delivered by trained nutritionists with experience in the field. Find out more what each individual course of study offers through the locations below.

Featured Nutritionist Programs

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Step 2

Finish Connecticut Dietetic Internship (DI)

The next step is to complete a Dietetic Internship (DI), which again must be accredited by ACEND. This type of program provides valuable work experience in dietetics and must be 1200 hours long. In Connecticut, Dietetic Internships include:

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Step 3

Commission on Dietetic Registration Examination

The Coordinated Program in Dietetics, or your Didactic Program in Dietetics combined with your Dietetic Internship, should have prepared you quite well for the next step on the path to becoming a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut: passing the CDR’s Registered Dietitian exam. Look over the Comprehensive Study Outline and Study Guide and the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates, both by the CDR. These will help you in preparing for and applying for the exam.
You must register for and pay for the exam online at the CDR website. Pay the exam fee of $200 by credit card only online. Once your payment is received, Pearson VUE Exam Centers will contact you to schedule your exam date and time. Connecticut Pearson VUE Exam Centers include:

  • Wallingford – 35 Thorpe Avenue, Suite 105
  • Wethersfield – 100 Great Meadow Road, Suite 404, Putnam Park
  • Norwalk – 20 Glover Ave, Ground Level, 2nd Door, Merritt on the River

You will be given 180 minutes to complete between 125 and 145 multiple-choice questions on the computer. You must answer 125 or more questions in order for the computer to score your exam. You may not skip, go back and change, or review your answers. Questions are based on your studies in dietetics and nutrition in four major areas: Food and Nutrition Services, Management of Food and Nutrition Programs and Services, Nutrition Care for Individuals and Groups, and Food Service Systems and Management. 

Once you have completed the exam, your score will be given to you at the test center that day. A scaled score of 25 or better on a scale of 0 to 50 passes the exam. If you do not pass, you can re-take the exam 45 days after your first attempt. Contact the CDR via email at [email protected] or by phone at (312) 899-4859 to do so. You must provide your CDR ID number and the last four digits of your social security number when you apply for reauthorization to take the exam again.

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Step 4

Certification as a Registered Dietitian in CT

Well done! You have completed the necessary education and experience and passed the CDR examination and are now a Registered Dietitian! To be able to legally work in Connecticut, you must now apply for certification through the state. Visit the State of Connecticut ELicense site to apply for Initial Application for Dietitian/Nutritionist Certification. Pay the initial certification fee of $190. Have the Commission on Dietetic Registration send verification of your registration in writing directly to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.  Mail your application, money and any requested supporting information to Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Dietitian/Nutritionist Certification, 410 Capitol Ave, MS# 12 APP, P.O. Box 340308, Hartford, CT 06134-0308.

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Step 5

CDR Registration and Apply for Specialty Cert.

Maintaining Your Connecticut Certification

Your certification as a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut must be renewed on an annual basis. The Connecticut Department of Public Health will mail you a renewal notification 60 days before the expiration date of your certification. A link to renew online will be provided. You must also pay a renewal fee of $105. The state of Connecticut does not require Registered Dietitians to complete continuing education in order to maintain certification to practice.

Maintaining your CDR Registration as a Registered Dietitian in Connecticut

The CDR requires that you complete 75 continuing professional education units (CPEUs) every five years, at which time you will renew your registration. This PDP Guide  can instruct you on approved CPE activities and documentation of CPE activities. Currently, 5 approved CPE activities in Connecticut are listed on CDR’s online CPE database. They include (but are not limited to):

  • 2-Day Certificate in Nutrition for Mental Health Disorders by PESI Inc. (12.5 CPEUs)
  • Thrive: A Mastermind for Pediatric Nutritionists by Jill Castle Nutrition, LLC (28.0 CPEUs)
  • Symposium on Neonatal Advances Update on Feeding and Nutrition by UConn Health (6 CPEUs)
  • Case Studies for the University of St. Joseph Interns by University of St. Joseph (8 CPEUs)
  • 2019 MeadJohnson Nutrition Clinical Practice Workshop by Kendra Schreiner (4 CPEUs)

Specialty Dietary and Nutrition Certification Options for Connecticut Dietitians

Registered Dietitians in Connecticut may choose to become certified in a specialty in which they practice. This certification can sometimes serve to satisfy CDR’s continuing professional education requirement. In Connecticut, some of the most popular specialty certifications for Registered Dietitians are:

  • Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • American Academy of Sports Dietitians and Nutritionists – AASDN Nutrition Specialist
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration – Board Certified as a Specialist in Oncology Nutrition
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration– Board Certified as a Specialist in Renal Nutrition
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration– Board Certified as a Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration– Board Certified as a Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration– Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics

View how to become a nutritionist in Connecticut here.

*2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures and job growth projections for dietitians and nutritionists reflect state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Salary statistics representing entry-level/early career = 25th percentile; senior-level/highly experienced = 90th percentile. Data accessed April 2022.

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