Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian in Kansas

Created by NutritionED.org Contributor

Kansas

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

  1. Complete Registered Dietitian Education in Kansas
  2. Apply to a Dietetic Internship (DI) in Kansas
  3. Pass the CDR Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians
  4. Apply for Licensure as a Dietitian in Kansas
  5. Maintain Your Licensing and Registration as a Dietitian in Kansas

Kansas Nutrition Career Description

As of April 2022, the Commission on Dietetic Registration reported a total of 1,000 Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) in Kansas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kansas nutritionists and dietitians earned an average salary of $67,090 – that exceeds the national average for this profession by about $2,000. Early career professionals earned about $48,690, while those with extensive experience earned about $89,410 during this time.

The average salary for dietitians and nutritionists is often higher in larger metro areas like Wichita, which reported an average salary of $72,280 as of May 2021.*

The Kansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the Kansas Dietetic Association) celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2017 as a non-profit organization, composed of dietetic professionals working across the state. Its members may be Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) or Dietetic Technicians, and may work in areas including, but not limited to, media, business, education, industry, food service management, education, research, healthcare institutions, government agencies, and community organizations.

Becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist in Kansas is limited to those who complete the correct registered dietitian education in Kansas, pass an exam, and fulfill all licensing requirements. Please keep reading if you wish to learn how to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Kansas.

 

Step 1

Complete RD Education Program in Kansas

Dietitians in Kansas must be licensed, which means they must first receive Registered Dietitian (RD) status from the Commission on Dietitian Registration (CDR) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). This requires completion of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-approved course of study, culminating in at least a bachelor’s degree.

ACEND-Accredited Educational Programs Leading to Registered Dietitian (RD) status in Kansas:

      • Coordinated Programs in Dietetics (CP) – Coursework combined with an internship fulfills the CDR requirement for dietary education:
      • Didactic Programs in Dietetics (DPD)- Coursework only:

Both types of dietitian education programs in Kansas will require that you complete coursework in:

  • English (writing)
  • Communications (public speaking)
  • Psychology or sociology
  • Macroeconomics
  • Biology
  • Anatomy and physiology of the human body
  • Microbiology
  • Environmental issues in hospitality
  • General organic chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Algebra
  • Calculus
  • Statistics
  • Biometrics
  • Basic human nutrition
  • Science of food
  • Nutrition assessment
  • Life span nutrition
  • Public health nutrition
  • Nutrient metabolism
  • Clinical nutrition
  • Food production management
  • Financial management in dietetics
  • Counseling strategies in dietetics
  • Human ecology
  • Research in dietetics

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

Apply to a Dietetic Internship (DI) in Kansas

The next requirement of CDR and Kansas for registration and licensing as a dietitian nutritionist is to complete at least 900 hours of a supervised dietary internship.

  • University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
    • 10 months full-time program
    • Emphasis is in medical nutrition therapy
    • Four options are available:
      • Dietetic internship graduate certificate- complete 1240 hours of supervised dietary practice and 24 graduate credit hours
      • Dietetics and integrative medicine graduate certificate – complete 12 web-based credit hours
      • Masters of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition – includes courses in the behavioral, clinical and biochemical aspects of nutrition
      • Ph.D. in Medical Nutrition Science – prepares you to conduct research and perform statistical analysis in dietetics and nutrition

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Step 3

Pass the CDR Registration Exam in Kansas

After meeting the CDR’s and the state of Kansas’ requirement for education and internship, you are ready to take CDR’s National Registration Exam for Dietitians. It should last approximately three hours and is computer-based and multiple-choice. You must answer 125 of a possible 145 questions in order for the computer to score your exam correctly. You may not skip or change any answers once you have entered them into the computer. The test cost $200 and covers the above-mentioned subject matter, with which you should be quite familiar by now. You can register online to take the test at Pearson VUE Exam Centers, which in Kansas include:

  • Hays – 205 E. 7th St., Suite 237, Hadley Center
  • Overland Park – 8700 Indian Creek Pkwy., Suite 120, Corporate Woods, Bldg. 3
  • Topeka—4125 SW Gage Center Drive, Suite 201, Gage Center Office Suites
  • Wichita – 7701 E. Kellogg, Suite 750, 7th Floor, Equity Financial Center

Your score will flash on-screen as you complete the exam. You must get at least 25 on a scaled score from zero to 50 in order to pass. If you fail, you may re-take the exam, but not for at least 45 days from your first try. Passing the CDR National Registration Exam for Dietitians gives you the credentials RD (Registered Dietitian) and allows you to move on to the next step, applying for RDN licensure in Kansas.

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Step 4

Apply for Licensure as a Dietitian in Kansas

Now that you have fulfilled Kansas’ and the CDR’s requirement for education, experience and examination, you are ready to apply for licensure through the state of Kansas. Download and print the Application for Kansas Dietitian License. You must include a check or money order for $140 payable to Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). Along with your application and licensing fee, include:

  • A copy of your social security card
  • Have your school send official transcripts to Health Occupations Credentialing at the address below
  • A copy of your CDR registration card

Mail all documents and money to KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing, 503 S Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS 66603.

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Step 5

Maintain Your Licensing as a Dietitian in Kansas

Maintaining Your Kansas Dietitian Licensing

Your Kansas dietitian license expires biennially. During each two-year span, you must complete 15 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) to maintain your license. At the renewal time, you must apply for renewal online and pay the renewal fee of $135. Keep all of your CPE documentation as you may be randomly audited. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Health Occupations Credentialing department publishes approved CPE activities online.
Approved topics of education for Kansas’ CPE purposes include:

  • Nutrition Services
    • Screening, assessment and monitoring of individuals
    • Screening, assessment and monitoring of groups
    • Planning and intervention in normal nutrition and health promotion
    • Planning intervention in clinical nutrition
  • Food Service Systems
    • Food planning and production
    • Service distribution
    • Sanitation and safety
    • Facility management
  • Management
    • Personnel management
    • Financial management and resource procurement
    • Marketing products and services
    • Management responsibilities and functions
  • Education and Communication
    • Assessment and learner evaluation
    • Program development and planning
    • Implementation of educational programs
  • Evaluation
    • Research
    • Program and services evaluation
    • Professional standards
  • Other topics appropriate for CPE in Kansas:
    • Environment
    • Stress management
    • Computer users
    • Nutritional methods of self and others

Ways to earn CPE in Kansas include, but are not limited to:

  • Workshops
  • Meetings
  • Seminars
  • Conferences
  • Journal club meetings
  • National meetings
  • Preparing and presenting a seminar, lecture or workshop
  • College coursework (must be an accredited institution)
  • Publication of a book or journal article
  • Journal article
  • Self-study (via video tapes, audio tapes, study kits, web based, or journal articles)
  • Poster sessions
  • Food exhibitions
  • Initial specialty certification as a:
    • Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian (CNSD) through the American Association of Diabetes Educators
    • CDR board certification in renal nutrition or pediatric nutrition
    • Certified Diabetes Educator through the American Association of Diabetes Educators or National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators
    • IBLCE certified lactation consultant through the International Board of Lactation Consultant Educators

Keep records of your CPE, as you may be selected to be randomly audited by the Board.

Maintaining your Registration as a Registered Dietitian in Kansas

Your registration as a dietitian with the CDR is renewed every five years. During that time, you must satisfy their CPE requirement of 75 CPE hours. Activities specific to the Kansas area may be found by searching the CDR’s online CPE database. The CDR’s PDP Guide will demonstrate how to create and maintain a CPE portfolio, which is also a requirement for registration renewal. Currently listed CPE programs in Kansas cover the following subject matter:

  • Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: A Mindful Approach to Integrative Healing by Institute for Natural Resources (6.0 CPEus)

View how to become a nutritionist in Kansas 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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