The Delaware Board of
Dietetics/Nutrition requires all registered dietitians in the state to be licensed. In order to become licensed, you must fulfill certain requirements. It is only once you become licensed that you may legally call yourself a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist, Licensed Dietitian or LDN in Delaware.
Here, we will take an in-depth look at the qualifications that one must fulfill in order to become a dietitian licensed to practice in the First State.
Dietetic Experience and Education in Delaware
The Dietitian Nutritionist Licensure Act in the state of Delaware mandates that all registered dietitians must be licensed to work in the state. In order to obtain that license, you must meet the requirements of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This includes completion of a dietetics education program that has received accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). You may complete this education at any ACEND-accredited program in any state. In Delaware, three such programs currently exist:
- Coordinated Program in Dietetics at Delaware State University in Dover, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutritional Sciences with a Concentration in Dietetics (this program combines coursework with supervised practice)
- Didactic Program in Dietetics at University of Delaware in Newark, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, and must be followed by a Dietetic Internship
- A Master of Science Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Delaware, followed by a Dietetic Internship
The Dietetic Internship, which may be found integrated into the Coordinated Program above or as a stand-alone program, is mandated by the CDR and must be a supervised practice experience of at least 1000 hours. A registered dietitian must supervise and document your experience.
Delaware’s Dietitian Nutritionist Licensure Act specifies that your education must include:
- 3 semester credits of biochemistry
- 3 semester credits of human physiology
- 12 semester credits of human nutrition and/or dietetics, including 3 semester credits in nutrition and disease or diet therapy
It is vital to keep in mind that, as of January 1, 2024, the CDR will mandate that all registered dietitians possess at least a master’s degree.
Registered Examination for Dietitians in Delaware
Delaware requires all registered dietitians to pass the Registration Examination for Dietitians, administered through the CDR, prior to state licensure. The Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates can greatly assist you in knowing what to expect on the exam and preparing to pass it. When you register for the test online, you will pay the $200 exam fee. Pearson VUE testing centers in Dover and Wilmington administer the test.
After passing the test, your CDR registration card will be mailed to you. You will then be ready to apply for dietitian licensure in Delaware.
Applying for Dietitian Licensure in Delaware
Delaware requires that the CDR send your registration verification directly to the Board of Dietetics/Nutrition. Everything else you need for your application will be completed and submitted online through the DELPROS system. You will also pay a $233 licensure fee online through this system.
You can reach the Division of Professional Regulation’s Board of Dietetics/Nutrition at (302) 744-4500 or customerservice.dpr@delaware.gov.
Once you are licensed in Delaware, you must renew your license every two years. Delaware requires that you complete 30 hours of continuing education, approved by the American Dietetic Association, during each licensure period.
Registered Dietitian Salaries in Delaware
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor tallied 170 dietitians and nutritionists working in the state in May 2021, with an annual median wage of $69,550. Those earning in the top 25 percent make $77,310 annually, while those earning in the top 10 percent make $87,750 yearly.
Registered Dietitian Jobs in Delaware
Another way to examine the salaries of registered dietitians in Delaware is to look at what is offered in current job openings for registered dietitians statewide (as of July 2022):
- Registered Clinical Dietitian, Metz Culinary Management – Wilmington, DE
- Salary: $55,000 to $62,000 per year
- Requires bachelor’s degree, RD credential, licensure by state of Delaware
- Registered Dietitian, Nutrition That Works, LLC – Wilmington, DE
- Salary: $59,600 to $75,400 per year
- Requires RD credential, licensure by state of Delaware
- Clinical Nutrition Director, Forefront Healthcare – Wilmington, DE
- Salary: $60,000 per year
- Requires RD credential, licensure by state of Delaware
- Requires three years of registered dietitian and long-term care experience
- Clinical Dietitian, Tidal Health – Seaford, DE
- Salary: $43,600 to $55,200 per year
- Requires bachelor’s degree, RD credential, licensure by state of Delaware
- One year of clinical dietitian experience preferred
- Registered Dietitian, Beebe Healthcare – Lewes, DE
- Salary: not specified
- Requires bachelor’s degree, RD credential, state licensure in Delaware
Other Dietetic Certifications for Registered Dietitians in Delaware
After you have your RD credential and license to practice in Delaware, you might want to pursue other specialized certifications, depending upon your interests and where you want to work. A few examples of credentials that you will notice that some registered dietitians in Delaware have include:
- CDCES- Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist– This credential is provided by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) to registered dietitians who have accumulated 15 hours of continuing diabetes education in the past two years, 200 hours of diabetes experience in the past year, and pass an examination.
- CSSD- Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics – This credential is provided by the CDR to RDs who have held that credential for at least two years, have 2000 hours of supervised practice in sports dietetics, and pass an examination.
- CCTD – Certified Clinical Transplant Dietitian – This credential is provided by NATCO, the Organization for Donation and Transplant Professionals, to RDs with experience in the nutrition care of transplant candidates, recipients and living donors. You must have 4000 hours of transplant dietitian experience and have published in a journal, presented a paper, served on a committee, or completed 30 transplant-specific continuing education units.