There
are 41 states that have laws regulating dietitians or nutritionists
through licensure, statutory certifica-tion, or registration. For
state regulation purposes, these terms are defined as the following:
Licensing (stat-utes include an explicitly defined scope of practice,
and performance of the profession is illegal without first obtaining
a license from the state). Statutory certification (limits use of
particular titles to persons meeting predetermined requirements, while
persons not certified can still practice the occupation or profes-sion).
Registration (the least restrictive form of state regulation. As with
certification, unregistered persons are permitted to practice the
profession. Typically, exams are not given and enforcement of the
registration requirement is minimal. Dietetics practitioners are licensed
by states to ensure that only qualified, trained professional provide
nutrition services or advice to individuals requiring or seeking nutrition
care or infor-mation. Only state - licensed dietetics professionals
can provide nutrition counseling. Nonlicensed practi-tioners may be
subject to prosecution for practicing without a license. States with
certification laws limit the use of particular titles (eg, dietitian
or nutritionist) to persons meeting predetermined requirements; however,
persons not certified can still practice. Consumers in these states
who are seeking nutrition ther-apy assistance need to be more cautious
and aware of the qualifications of the provider they choose. Should
you plan to practice dietetics in these states it is important that
you contact a state regulatory agency prior to practicing dietetics.
Information on New York certification of dietitian and nutritionist
appears below:
Dietetics-Nutrition
in New York State
This section covers the basic requirements and procedures to follow
in applying for certification as a Dieti-tian-Nutritionist in NYS.
Article 157 of NYS Education Law is a title protection law.
Any use of the titles "Certified Dietitian," "Certified
Nutritionist", or "Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist"
within NYS requires cer-tification by the NYS Education Department.
General
Requirements
To be certified as a Dietitian-Nutritionist in NYS you must:
1) Be at least 18 years of age
2) Meet education, examination, and experience requirements
3) Send the application for certification, along with the appropriate
fee and all other applicable forms in this packet to the Office of
the Professions of the NYS Education Department. It is your responsibility
to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material. The specific
requirements for licensure are contained in Article 157 of
NY’s Education Law and Subpart 79-6 of the Commissioner's Regulations.
Copies of the relevant sections of NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's
Regulations are available upon request by calling the Forms Management
Unit at (518) 474-3817, ext. 320, or E-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov.
You should also read the general licensing information applicable
for all professions.
Fees
The certification and initial registration fee for Dietetics-Nutrition
is $270. Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law
when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively).
You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.
Do not send cash. Make your check or money order payable to the NYS
Ed Det. Personal checks are accepted. Mail the appropriate forms and
fee to: NYS Ed Dept, Office of the Professions, Division of Professional
Licensing Services, Fee Section, State Ed Bldg - 2nd fl, 89 Washington
Ave., Albany, NY 12234-1000. Your canceled check is your receipt.
Education and
Experience
Requirements
To meet the education and experience requirements for certification
in dietetics-nutrition, you must satisfy either A or B below.
A.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Education: Completion of a program in dietetics-nutrition leading
to the baccalaureate degree or a higher academic credential that is,
at the time you completed the program, registered by the State Education
De-partment as qualifying for certification in dietetics-nutrition
or accredited by the Commission on Accredi-tation for Dietetics Education,
or is the equivalent of such a program. The program must include at
least 45 semester hours of course work in the professional dietetics/nutrition
content area and have at least 20 se-mester hours of course work in
the human biological sciences and social and behavioral sciences content
area. Courses appropriate for each of these content areas are defined
in the next section.
Experience:
Completion of one-half of a full-time equivalent year of planned
work experience (800 hours), which could have been a structured
part of your educational program. Otherwise, the experience must have
followed the completion of your educational program. Planned work
experience means continuous work experience in dietetics-nutrition,
which reflects increased levels of professional growth and is under
the supervision of a New York State Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist
or someone who is registered by or a member of a national dietetic
or nutrition association acceptable to the State Education Department.
If you have questions, contact the State Board for Dietetics and Nutrition
by telephone at 518-474-3817, ext. 560 or by e-mail at dietbd@mail.nysed.gov.
B.
Associate's Degree
Education: Completion of a program leading to the associate's
degree in dietetics-nutrition that is, at the time you completed the
program, registered by the State Education Department as qualifying
for certifica-tion in dietetics-nutrition, accredited by the Commission
on Accreditation for Dietetics Education, or the equivalent of such
a program. The program must include at least 30 semester hours of
course work in the professional dietetics-nutrition content area and
have at least 15 semester hours of course work in the hu-man biological
sciences and social behavioral sciences content area. Courses appropriate
for each of these content areas are defined in the next section.
Experience:
You must have completed a combination of ten full-time equivalent
years of education and supervised experience within the fifteen years
preceding your application for certification. If your education was
undertaken within the last fifteen years, you will be credited with
one year of credit for every 30 semester hours of acceptable education
up to a maximum of two years. A full-time equivalent year of work
experience in dietetics and nutrition is 1,600 hours. The experience
must include at least two and one-half full-time equivalent years
of planned work experience. Planned work experience means continu-ous
work experience in dietetics-nutrition, which reflects increased levels
of professional growth and is under the supervision of a New York
State Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist or someone who is registered
by or a member of a national dietetic or nutrition association acceptable
to the State Ed Dept. Contact the State Board for Dietetics! ! and
Nutrition by telephone at 518-474-3817, ext. 560 or by e-mail at dietbd@mail.nysed.gov.
Endorsement
of Acceptable Dietitians or Nutritionists: You must obtain the
endorsement of three ac-ceptable dietitians-nutritionists; i.e., a
NYS Certified Dietitian/Nutritionist or someone who is registered
by or a member of a national dietetic or nutrition association acceptable
to the State Ed Dept. If you have questions, contact the State Board
for Dietetics and Nutrition by telephone at 518-474-3817, ext. 560
or by e-mail at dietbd@mail.nysed.gov.
Professional
Dietetics and Nutrition Content Area includes coursework that
covers all of the following curricular areas:
1. principles of nutrition in health and disease;
2. human nutrition needs throughout the life span;
3. assessment and evaluation of the nutritional status of individuals,
families, and communities; nutrient composition of food;
4. food service management, including but not limited to such topics
as human resources, planning, pur-chasing, preparation and service,
delivery, and sanitation;
5. diet modifications;
6. counseling, education, and communication skills;
7. interpretation of nutrition information and its application;
8. ethics and professionalism
Human
Biological Sciences and Social and Behavioral Sciences Content Area
includes coursework in the following curricular areas:
1. human biological sciences, including principles of biochemistry
and physiology;
2. social and behavioral sciences, including cultural aspects.
Examination
Requirement
At present, there are two examinations that satisfy the examination
requirement for certification in dietetics-nutrition. (1) Registered
Dietitian (RD) examination offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration
http://www.eatright.org (2)
Certifying examination offered by the Certification Board for Nutrition
Specialists Web: www.am-coll-nutr.org
E-mail: office@am-coll-nutr.org
If you do not meet the admis-sion requirements for either of these
examinations, you should call the Office of the Professions' Dietetics-Nutrition
Unit at (518) 474-3817, ext. 270 for information on being admitted
to the registered dietitian ex-amination as a NY certification candidate.
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Laws that Regulate
Dietitians/Nutritionists (with special reference to New York State)