Pre-Dietetics

Advisor
Virginia Bennett, PhD, RD, CD
Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Sciences Department
Dorothy Purser Hall, room 134
509-963-3360

A registered dietitian (RD) is an expert on foods and how they affect human health. An RD is registered by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) as an individual who has completed an accredited four-year undergraduate program. The BS in food science and nutrition (nutrition and dietetics specialization) is an accredited program with the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE). In addition, the individual must complete a 1,200-hour accredited supervised practice experience at one of over 200 dietetic internship sites. Finally, individuals must then pass the registration examination to attain the RD credential. Please see the advisor for more information. Dietitians may work in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes as clinical dietitians; for government and public health agencies as community dietitians, and in food service departments of hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and restaurants as management dietitians. In addition, dietitians also are employed as researchers, educators, and as consultants in a variety of settings.