Make a difference through nutrition
Registered Dietitians (RD’s) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN’s) are food and nutrition experts who have earned the RD or RDN credential. RDs or RDNs work in a wide variety of settings, including health care, business and industry, community/public health, education, research, government agencies and private practice. Many work environments, particularly those in medical and health-care settings, require that an individual be credentialed as an RD or RDN.
To learn about how to become a RDN, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) website Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Iowa's Program
The University of Iowa (UI) Master of Clinical Nutrition (MCN) is a Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (GP) that integrates graduate-level coursework with supervised experiential learning to meet the required competencies for entry-level dietetics practice within a single degree program.
The program is housed within University of Iowa Health Care, a fully integrated academic medical center. MCN coursework is taught in the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine (CCOM), while supervised experiential learning takes place throughout the University of Iowa Health Care clinical enterprise. This integrated model provides students with hands-on training in a leading academic healthcare environment.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates earn a Master of Clinical Nutrition degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and receive a Verification Statement, making them eligible to take the national registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
After passing the CDR registration examination, graduates must also obtain state licensure or certification to practice in Iowa and most other states. The RDN credential is accepted by all states for licensure purposes.
If you’re aiming to be a registered dietitian, this is the perfect program, especially if you want to specialize in clinical nutrition. You will earn your Master’s degree and complete supervised practice all within two years, yet since it is a small class, you will receive close attention and guidance from the faculty and supervisors to facilitate your learning.
Exam requirements
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website.
In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Master of Clinical Nutrition program at the University of Iowa are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.
For more information
- For more information about state licensure requirement, visit the Licensure page.
- Information specific to Iowa is available through the Dietetics | Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing.
- You can also review the University of Iowa Professional Licensure Disclosure by Program for additional information.