Online Training Programs to Become a Registered Dietitian
Higher Education Articles October 14, 2015Become a Registered Dietitian
Nowadays, it is completely possible to become a registered dietitian even after having taken your training classes online. The only additional requirement is to complete an in person internship, then you will be ready to be registered by the American Dietetic Association as a qualified member. Read this article to learn about getting registered as a dietitian after attending classes online.
Online Courses for already Registered Dietitians
First of all, you cannot be registered without a Bachelor’s Degree in any related field, and besides that, you must enroll for an internship program that have to be approved by the American Dietetic Association’s commission in regards to Dietetic Registration (CDR). In addition, you have to pass an examination offered by the CDR.
There are good schools that offer flexible Bachelor’s Degree programs in dietetics while still allowing them to pursues online coursework and sometimes even allow them to attend internship programs to a recognized facility near the school. The coursework in most cases, must be related or be able to supplement the dietetics program that you will learn at campus.
Curriculum
Most of the online classes that students learning dietetics attend, offer knowledge on topics such as Chemistry, biochemistry, psychology, microbiology and statistics. The core course, which is dietetics, addresses issues with nutrition at varying stages and also highlights some of the roles the cultures people practice have on their health. Depending on the University, the students may be taught about topics such as food science, nutrition and nutrition education.
Internships
The duties of dietetics interns are usually not complicated. They plan timetables for schools, monitor the preparation and cooking of food and plan menus for schools, pantries or hospitals. The interns have to work for at least 32 hours per week which means that students working on a coordinated Degree program might have to wait till the course program is over for them to commence with their internship or meet the requirements at a semester to semester basis.
Most schools have their own way of ensuring that their students go through an internship program before they graduate. Even for distance learning students, schools can limit the number of hours used for coursework in order to allow the students to look for a place to have the internship program, mostly in a hospital or school. Finally, put in mind that most internship programs take between 10-12 months, although this can be achieved quickly if there is good cooperation between the university or college administration and the students themselves.
Higher Education Learning Options
If a student is interested, he or she may further their studies in dietetics up to Doctor’s or above levels, provided that they take their programs in a recognized university that offer ADA registered dietitians. Nowadays, most of these programs can be pursued online as their main areas of studies include medical nutrition and disease, macronutrients and nutritional evaluation tests.
