How to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Twelve months, across three consecutive semesters: summer, fall, and spring. You complete 36 graduate credit hours and more than 1,000 hours of Supervised Practice Experience in that time.

No more than 16. A small cohort lets faculty know you well and gives us room to consider your professional interests when planning Supervised Practice Experiences, your Applied Project, and mentorship.

The program combines graduate education with the supervised practice required for RDN eligibility. You may still hear "dietetic internship" used in the profession, but we say Supervised Practice Experience because it better describes what you are doing — coursework, research, professional development, and practice are integrated throughout the year.

No. Some coursework includes online learning, but you will have roughly one day of in-person class each week and complete supervised practice at sites throughout Memphis. Students must be located in or near Memphis during the program.

In the summer semester, continuing through fall and spring.

No. This is a full-time, cohort-based 12-month program. Coursework and supervised practice are sequenced across the three semesters and completed together.

We strongly prefer a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, though the minimum for consideration is 3.0. A GPA does not tell us everything, and applicants between 3.0 and 3.25 can significantly strengthen an application by passing the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered credentialing examination.

Applicants entering through the traditional DPD pathway should have completed, or be on track to complete, an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics. If you are unsure whether your education meets this requirement, contact us before applying.

No. We welcome qualified applicants who completed DPD requirements at other ACEND-accredited colleges and universities.

No.

Selective, because each cohort is capped at 16. We look for students who are academically prepared and ready to grow professionally, weighing academic performance alongside professional experience, communication, recommendations, and evidence that you understand the demands of the program.

No. The program coordinates your required experiences and maintains relationships with preceptors and sites throughout the Memphis area. You are not expected to arrive with your own rotation sites.

Some experiences are required so every student achieves the competencies for entry-level practice. But your year does not have to look like everyone else's — we ask about your interests and, when possible, look for elective experiences, projects, and preceptors that let you explore them. Specific sites and specialties cannot be guaranteed.

Throughout Memphis and the surrounding region in healthcare, community, food service, wellness, and sports nutrition settings. Several experiences are also available on campus, including campus dining, the Tiger Food Lab, Student Wellness, Football Nutrition, and Olympic Sports Nutrition.

More than 1,000 across the program. A typical week may include about one day of in-person coursework and up to 32 hours of supervised practice, though schedules vary by semester and site.

Students are responsible for transportation to and from practice sites. Because experiences take place throughout the Memphis area and schedules vary, you should have access to reliable transportation.

36 graduate credit hours.

No. You complete an outcomes-based Applied Project instead, investigating a meaningful nutrition or health question while building skills in research, program evaluation, data analysis, professional writing, and presentation. We encourage students to connect the project to their professional interests.

The program is intensive. Coursework, up to 32 hours a week of supervised practice, Applied Project work, and travel between sites make a full schedule. Some students work limited hours, but employment must be flexible and cannot interfere with classes, supervised practice, or competency completion. Consider the full-time commitment carefully before making employment plans.

There really is no typical week, and that is part of the experience. You may spend one day in graduate classes and several days at a practice site. Another week might include an Applied Project meeting, a clinical skills workshop, or a professional presentation. Your schedule changes as you rotate through different areas of practice.

Yes — it is one reason we cap the cohort at 16. You will work closely with the Program Director, Clinical Coordinator, course faculty, and preceptors all year. We want to know what interests you, what you are good at, where you need to grow, and where you might fit in this profession.

Tuition depends on residency status, enrollment, and current University rate schedules. Rather than publishing a number that goes out of date, we link to the University's current figures on our Costs & Financial Support page.

Potentially. Eligible Tennessee resident graduate students may benefit from the University of Memphis graduate tuition cap. See Costs & Financial Support for details.

Yes, substantially. Eligible students can take up to 12 approved graduate hours through the ABM program while finishing the bachelor's degree. Those hours count toward both degrees and are taken at undergraduate tuition rates, saving nearly $11,000 across both degrees.

Students who complete all degree requirements, required Supervised Practice Experience, and required competencies go through the program's verification process for examination eligibility. The Commission on Dietetic Registration makes the final determination.

No. The degree is one requirement. After completing the required education and supervised practice and establishing eligibility, you must pass the national Registration Examination for Dietitians administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to earn the RD/RDN credential. State licensure requirements may also apply.