The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) is the American Dietetics Association's accrediting body for schools. Any school offering a program to train registered dietitians or dietetic technicians must be accredited by CADE. The criteria for accreditation are available on its website. Schools wishing to maintain accreditation must engage in a continual cycle of self-assessment and self-improvement. Some specializations within the field may require further accreditation.
While CADE concerns itself with standards of accreditation for schools, the ADA also has a separate credentialing agency for individuals. This agency is the Commission on Dietetic Registration, or CDR. Once a student has graduated from a CADE-accredited educational program, the CDR administers a national examination to ensure that each practitioner meets its individual standards of competence. As with schools, individuals are required to engage in a regular cycle of professional development in order to retain their certification.
CADE and the CDR oversee the education of two kinds of credentialed dietetic professionals. A registered dietitian (RD) is a skilled professional with a deep knowledge of food and nutrition. At a minimum, RD students must complete a four year bachelor's degree in a CADE-accredited program, and a period of supervised clinical practice typically lasting six months to a year. Potential RDs must then pass the CDR's national examination before they are certified to practice. RDs work in a variety of environments including sports facilities, universities, hospitals and HMOs, private practice or in advisory roles at various levels of government.
A dietetic technician, registered (DTR) is a skilled technician who has completed a combination of academic instruction and supervised clinical practice. The minimum academic standard is a two-year associate degree at an accredited school, in conjunction with at least 450 hours of practice. Alternately, a student may opt for a four year bachelor's degree with required areas of specialization. In either case, students need to pass the CDR's national examination to practice as a DTR. DTRs typically work with registered dietitians in a supporting role.