Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian in Vermont

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

1. Obtain a Comprehensive, ACEND-Approved Education in Vermont
2. Apply for a Dietetic Internship (DI) in Vermont
3. Pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Exam
4. Apply for State Certification as a Registered Dietitian in Vermont
5. Maintain your Credentials as a Registered Dietitian in Vermont

Job Info in Vermont

As of April 2022, the Commission on Dietetic Registration reported a total of 285 Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) in Vermont. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2021, nutritionists and dietitians in the state earned an average salary of $70,450 – that’s about $5,000 more than the national average of $65,620 for this profession. Early career professionals earned about $59,500, while seasoned professionals earned about $100,660 during this time.*

Registered dietitians (RDs) are experts in food and nutrition, and their work requires them to translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions using evidence-based research. Dietitians in Vermont are governed by the “advisor” model of regulation created by the legislature. Two licensed dietitians are appointed by Vermont’s secretary of state to advise Vermont’s director of the Office of Professional Regulation in matters relating to the registered dietitian profession. This is how Vermont certifies RDs to practice in the State of Vermont.

To become a certified and registered dietitian in Vermont, you must complete a number of steps:

ACEND-Approved Education in Vermont

Under Vermont law, you must obtain a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to become a registered and certified dietitian. Coursework within a program approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) typically includes the following: microbiology; food and nutrition sciences; business; economics; computer science; sociology; food services systems management; biochemistry; physiology; and chemistry.

ACEND-Approved Programs Leading to Registered Dietitian (RD) Certification in Vermont:

A dietetic program in Vermont may either be a Coordinated Program (CP) or a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).
CP programs offer a comprehensive program in dietetics, which includes supervised practice through a dietetic internship (DI). As such, you are eligible to complete the CDR exam upon completed of a CP.
A DPD program culminates in either an undergraduate or graduate degree, but does not include a DI. Upon completion of a DPD, you must apply for a DI to qualify to take the CDR exam and become a registered dietitian.
Coordinated Programs in Vermont:

• University of Vermont, Burlington
  • Master of Science in Dietetics
  • Concentration in Community Health and Nutrition, focus on sustainable food systems research and education

Didactic Programs in Dietetics in Vermont:

• University of Vermont, Burlington
  • Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, Nutrition and Food Sciences

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.

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Dietetic Internship (DI) in Vermont

Upon successfully completing an ACEND-approved didactic program in dietetics, you will be required to apply to, and successfully complete, a supervised practice program through an ACEND-approved DI.
Although there are no DI programs in Vermont, the following ACEND-approved DI programs are located in nearby New Hampshire:

• University of New Hampshire, Durham
  • • Full-time degree program of 21 months’ duration
    • Culminates in a Master of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences
    • Emphasis on health promotion/disease prevention and sustainable food services
  • Keene State College, Keene
    • Full (11 months) or part-time (18 months) non-degree program
    • Emphasis on community nutrition education and wellness

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Vermont Dietetic Registration (CDR) Exam

Upon completed of a CP or DI, your institution will inform you of your eligibility to write for the CDR examination. Your institution should instruct you on how to register for the exam. You must register and take the CDR within one year of graduating from a DI or CP.

Register to take the examination and pay the $200 application fee, which can be done online.

Once payment and registration have been received, Pearson VUE Exams, the exam centers where you must take the CDR, will send you an email, asking you to schedule the date, time, and location of your exam. There are more than 250 Pearson VUE testing centers nationwide, and you can take the exam any time throughout the year. In Vermont, there is a Pearson VUE testing center at:

• 30 Kimball Avenue, Suite 202, South Burlington, VT 05403

Before taking the exam, you may prepare by reading both the Comprehensive Study Outline and Study Guide and the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates.

On the day of the examination, you must show up on time and bring your confirmation email from Pearson VUE and a government-issued ID with you.

You will have 30 minutes to familiarize yourself with this computer-based, multiple-choice examination and 2 ½ hours to complete the exam, which includes about 125 questions. You must answer each question to move on with the exam and, once you have answered a question and moved on, you are not permitted to go back and change any answer. Pearson VUE will provide you with a simply calculator to complete the examination; you are not permitted to bring your own calculator.

You can expect to receive an immediate score report by clicking on the Report button of your online account once you have finished the exam. To pass the exam, your score must be at least 25 (on a scale of 0 to 50).

If you fail the test, you may retest after 45 days. You must obtain reauthorization (and pay the examination fee) by email at [email protected], or by telephone at (312) 899-4859.

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Certification as an RD in Vermont

After passing the CDR exam, you must apply for certification to practice in the State of Vermont. You must complete the Application for Dietitian Certification online and pay the non-refundable processing fee of $100. You will also be required to ask the school where you received your dietetic degree to send a set of certified, sealed transcripts, and to provide a copy of your CDR membership card.

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Maintain Credentials as an RD in Vermont

Maintaining your Vermont Certification

You must complete at least 30 continuing education credits every two years to qualify to renew your certification in Vermont. However, you are not required to meet the continuing education requirements upon renewing your dietitian certification for the first time. All courses that you take for continuing education must be approved through CDR. Renewal is handled online.

Maintaining your Registration as a Registered Dietician in Vermont

You must also maintain your CDR Professional Development Portfolio by completing at least 75 continuing education units every five years. You must complete a learning plan online through CDR before participating in any continuing education.

You may achieve continuing education credits by completing:

• Interactive workshops
• Exhibits
• Academic coursework, including distance learning
• Journal clubs
• Research
• Professional reading
• Professional leadership
• Posters
• Seminars, lectures, webinars and teleseminars
• Experience skill development
• Sponsored independent learning

View how to become a nutritionist in Vermont 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 = 90^th percentile. Data accessed April 2022.

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