One in five children face hunger
in the state of Arkansas, per Feeding America. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides temporary assistance to those in Arkansas and other states who need that help in order to purchase food. Of the households in Arkansas receiving SNAP, 48.3 percent of them have children. It is clear that hunger is a real crisis in Arkansas, and where hunger becomes an issue, healthy eating also follows. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to make healthy food choices when you can barely afford enough food to keep you and your family alive.
Registered dietitians in Arkansas must be licensed by the state in order to provide nutrition care services to residents. When licensed, registered dietitians in Arkansas may:
- Assess individual and group nutritional needs
- Establish goals, priorities and objectives to meet these nutritional needs and that work under the available constraints and resources
- Provide nutritional counseling to individuals and groups
- Develop, use, and manage nutrition care and food service programs
- Evaluate, change, and maintain standards for quality in food and nutrition care services
Regulating Licensed Registered Dietitians in Arkansas
The Arkansas Dietetics Licensing Board regulates registered dietitians in the state. Their contact information is as follows:
5800 W. 10th St., Suite 103
Little Rock, AR 72204
(501) 661-2530
Executive Secretary, Jessica Cordray: [email protected]
Registered dietitians in Arkansas are actually regulated by two agencies: the Arkansas Dietetics Licensing Board, and the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). The CDR registers them, and the Board licenses them. Both of these actions are necessary if you wish to legally work in Arkansas as a dietitian.
Education and Experience for Registered Dietitians in Arkansas
The CDR mandates that all registered dietitians complete an educational program that has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The CDR is slowly phasing a change into its requirements. By Jan. 1, 2024, all registered dietitians will be required to have a master’s degree. Most accredited programs in Arkansas and elsewhere are making changes to their educational programs to reflect this change.
A list of approved, accredited educational programs for registered dietitians may be found here (link to Registered Dietitian Schools). In Arkansas, the following types of programs are available for prospective registered dietitians:
- Didactic Program in Dietetics – This program offers the coursework leading to a degree needed to become a registered dietitian.
- Dietetic Internship – This program follows a DPD and requires that students complete at least 1000 hours of supervised practice experience, which is mandated for registered dietitians.
- Graduate Program – This program provides the coursework leading to a master’s (or higher) degree, as well as the experience necessary to become a registered dietitian.
Taking the Commission on Dietetic Registration Examination in Arkansas
Your program director at your school will provide you with information on applying for the CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians after you have finished your educational/experiential program. You will also be directed to read the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates.
You will then be contacted by Pearson VUE, the company responsible for administering the exam. They will give you an Authorization to Test, valid for one year. Pearson VUE will also require you to pay the exam fee of $200 online, and choose a test center, day, and time to take the exam. As of 2022, Pearson VUE test centers in Arkansas may be found in Little Rock, Fort Smith, Rogers, and Texarkana.
On the day of the exam, you will be tested on everything you have learned up to this point: nutrition care for groups and individuals, principles of dietetics, nutrition and food programs and services management, and management of food service systems. You will receive a score report immediately upon finishing the exam. If you pass, you are now a registered dietitian.
Seeking Licensure in Arkansas as a Registered Dietitian
The next step along your pathway to becoming a registered dietitian in Arkansas is to apply for licensure so that you can legally work in the state. This process is begun online. You must print one of the forms and have it notarized, send proof of your CDR registration, and send a check or money order for $110 for your license fee, payable to Arkansas Dietetics Practice Fund. Everything must be mailed or emailed to:
Arkansas Dietetics Licensing Board
5800 W. 10th St., Suite 103
Little Rock, AR 72204
Upon receiving your license, you may now legally practice as a registered dietitian in the state of Arkansas. Your license must be renewed every year, which also requires that you complete 12 hours of continuing education annually. Information on what counts for continuing education hours, as well as how to submit your hours to the Board, may be found here. The renewal fee for your dietitian license is $50, payable via check or money order to the Arkansas Dietetics Practice Fund.
Earnings of Registered Dietitians in Arkansas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor reports that, as of May 2021, there are 680 dietitians and nutritionists working statewide in Arkansas. They earn an annual median wage of $57,800. Those earning in the top 25 percent make $61,440 per year; and those in the top 10 percent earn $77,210 annually.
There are 120 dietitians and nutritionists working in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area making an annual median wage of $59,280. The 40 dietitians and nutritionists working in Fort Smith average an annual median wage of $55,560. Jonesboro’s 40 dietitians and nutritionists average $57,550 per year. There are 290 dietitians and nutritionists working in the Little Rock- North Little Rock-Conway area, making $58,220 annually. The 50 dietitians and nutritionists working in the North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area earn an annual median wage of $55,240.