The National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity states that, circa 2016, 36.6 percent of North Dakota’s adults are overweight, and 32.2 percent are obese. In adolescents, the statistics are a bit better, with 15.1 percent overweight and 13.5 percent obese. Still, these numbers are worrisome to health care professionals, as obesity and being overweight can lead to chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
North Dakota’s registered dieticians are specially trained to help people make better choices when it comes to their daily diet. Working with a registered dietitian can be beneficial to North Dakotans of all ages, but first, there must be an ample supply of registered dieticians with whom they can work. If you strive to be a registered North Dakota dietitian, you are expected to meet certain requirements. We will examine those further here.
North Dakota Dietitian Schools
The North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice follows the requirements for training, practice experience and testing set forth by the American Dietetic Association’s (ADA) Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). The first thing that a registered dietician candidate must do in North Dakota is to choose a dietician school. Your school must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition & Dietetics (ACEND). There are only three accredited North Dakota programs (but you may choose an accredited program from any state, or online):
- North Dakota State University’s Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)- This program at North Dakota State University (NDSU) offers just coursework, not experience, and culminates in a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics.
- North Dakota State University’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP)- This program, which is also at NDSU, combines coursework with 1000 hours of monitored practice, and is an accelerated program that gives you a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and a Master of Science in Exercise Science and Nutrition.
- University of North Dakota’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP)- This program at the University of North Dakota combines coursework with 1000 hours of monitored practice, and is an accelerated program that gives you a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and Counseling or in Nutrition Science.
By January 1, 2024, the CDR is requiring that all registered dietitians have a minimum of a master’s degree. Many college dietetic programs are changing their degree options to fit this new requirement.
North Dakota Dietitian Exam
The next requirement that registered dietician candidates must fulfill is to succeed on the CDR’s Registration Examination for Dietitians. You will be given the Registration Examination for Dieticians Handbook for Candidates by a representative at your school, and it offers a wealth of details about the exam. You will register to take the exam at a Pearson VUE exam center and pay them the $200 exam fee. There are just two North Dakota centers, in Fargo and Bismarck, but you may take the exam at any Pearson VUE center in the United States or Canada that is convenient for you. You will learn your score upon finishing the test. You can expect to receive your Registered Dietitian card by mail from the CDR, in the event that you pass, within a few weeks after passing.
North Dakota Dietitian Licensure
Passing the examination gives you the right to fill out the North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice Application for Licensure. Make sure to check the correct box indicating that you are applying for an Initial License as a Registered Dietitian, and pay the $75 licensure application fee online or by mail (if you choose to pay by check by mail, checks must be written as payable to the North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice). Mail your application and any supporting documentation requested to NDBODP, 603 Foster Ave. NW, Cooperstown, ND 58425 or fax it to (888) 681-2813.
Your dietician license is renewable each year, and may be done so online. You must pay an annual fee of $75 to keep your license current.
North Dakota Dietitian Salaries
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that as of May 2021, the annual median wage for dieticians and nutritionists practicing within the state of North Dakota is $60,490. Dietitians practicing in the Bismarck area earn an annual median wage of $60,850; while those employed in the Fargo area make $59,990 yearly.
North Dakota Dietitian Jobs
Another way to examine how much North Dakota registered dietitians are making is to take a look at available jobs. The following jobs were posted for registered dietitians in North Dakota (circa Sept. 2022):
- Director of Food Service/Chief Clinical Dietician, Fargo Rehab- PAM Health, Fargo
- Salary: $53,600 to $67,800 annually
- A bachelor’s degree is essential
- Must be an RDN with CDR and a North Dakota LD
- Director, Sanford Bismarck Clinic- Sanford Health, Bismarck
- Salary: $24 to $34.50 hourly
- A bachelor’s degree is essential
- Must be an RDN with CDR and a North Dakota LD
- Registered Dietician, North Dakota- Teladoc Health, Remote
- Salary: $59,100 to $74,900 annually
- A bachelor’s degree is essential
- Must be an RDN with CDR and a North Dakota LD
- Licensed Registered Dietician – Northland PACE, Bismarck
- Salary: $52,700 to $66,700 annually
- A bachelor’s degree is essential
- Must be an RDN with CDR and a North Dakota LD
- Three to five years’ experience as an RDN required
- Registered Clinical Dietician, Fargo Rehab – PAM Health, Fargo
- Salary: $69,100 to $87,500 annually
- A bachelor’s degree is essential
- Must be an RDN with CDR and a North Dakota LD
- Three years’ experience in clinical setting preferred
- Experience in rehabilitation environment a plus