Training to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) at Simmons
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics outlines the current requirements to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. The first step to becoming an RDN is completing didactic coursework accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). This is followed by a graduate degree in any field (unless previously obtained) and an ACEND accredited Supervised Practice program (e.g. Dietetic Internship).
Simmons University continuously has Dietetic Internship placement rates that exceed national average, as our students work closely with faculty to secure supervised practice placements locally and nationwide.
How to complete the RDN requirements at Simmons
You have two pathways to choose from:
- Complete our (post baccalaureate) Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) program or BS in Nutrition and Dietetics in conjunction with our Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health Promotion (if there is no prior graduate degree in any field), or
- Complete the DPD as a standalone program and then apply to the combined Masters and Dietetic Internship.
Simmons offers a Master's in Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion and Dietetic Internships program which students in the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics can apply with a "pre-select" (early preference) option. We also have "pre-select" arrangements with Dietetic Internship programs at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Learn more about our Internship Partnerships and Pre-Select Options
Looking to change careers and become a Dietitian?
Our program is for you! You do not need to have a BS in Nutrition or an undergraduate degree in the natural or health sciences in order to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Our Certificate in Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) will give you the necessary coursework to prepare you for the next two stages (graduate degree and supervised practice) to become a RDN.
You will work with your advisor to fill in missing prerequisites from your undergraduate education, as you pursue your dietetics education.
Learn More About Our DPD Certificate Program
The future education model was developed by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics several years ago to develop programs that integrate the academic and supervised practice components of dietetics training. Simmons has not adopted the FEM model, since we already have all the necessary components for students to complete their training as Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists. By keeping our components separate, we are able to offer our students more flexibility in completing the requirements and more choice to customize their own path to becoming a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. One example of this is that our graduates have choices about the type of supervised practice (internship) they would like to pursue. In addition to our own internship, we have preselect (i.e.,early application) relationships with several dietetic internships that offer specialized training in areas of dietetics that the Simmons internship program does not offer, so our students are able to customize their training to meet their personal career goals.