According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2013, nutritionists in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area earned a median annual salary of $58,350, or $28.14 per hour.
The District of Columbia’s Board of Dietitian and Nutrition, under the Department of Health and Health Professional Licensing Administration, licenses both nutritionists and dieticians and therefore recognizes these professions as being distinct and independent of one another.
If you want to learn how to become a nutritionist in Washington D.C., you must be able to successfully complete the following:
You must be able to meet the general requirements for nutritionist licensure in Washington D.C., which include:
You must also possess a specific educational background, which includes one of the following:
Your degree must have been received from an institution that was approved by the appropriate accrediting body and recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.
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Upon completion of your post-secondary education, you must successfully complete a course of pre-professional experience to be eligible for a nutritionist license in Washington D.C. This experience component must meet the following requirements:
Note: you are deemed to have met the pre-professional requirements and therefore do not have to complete the above pre-professional experience if you:
Applicants for nutritionist licenses in Washington D.C. must take and pass an examination on the practice of food and nutrition through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
The CDR Examination includes (but is not limited to) the following topics:
To become a nutritionist in Washington D.C., you must complete a New License Application for Nutritionist and complete the Application Checklist for Nutritionist, which includes ensuring that the following documents are included with your application:
All documents must be sent to:
Department of Health
Health Professional Licensing Administration
Board of Dietetics and Nutrition
899 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington D.C. 20002
You can contact HPLA’s Customer Service line at 1-877-672-2174 with any questions regarding the application process.
Your D.C. nutritionist license will expire on November 1 of odd-numbered years. You can expect to receive a renewal notice in the mail about 3 months before the expiration of your license. To renew your license, you must complete the renewal questionnaire and submit evidence of the satisfaction of the continuing education requirements.
To qualify for licensure renewal, you must complete at least 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education credits during the 2-year licensure period. A few of the continuing education activities approved by the Board include:
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