EIU Nutrition and Dietetics

About the Program

The undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is granted accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-5400. As of July 1, 2018, the Didactic Program in Dietetics, EIU's undergraduate nutrition and dietetics major, is now a part of the new College of Health and Human Services.

For more information about the undergraduate DPD, please contact Bethni S. Gill, MA, RDN, LDN.

For more information on how to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), click here. There are several steps to becoming a RDN:

1. Complete your bachelor’s degree at EIU.

With an EIU DPD verification statement, you will be eligible for pre-selection into the EIU graduate DI program. Contact the DPD coordinator for more information.

2. Apply to an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship (DI).

As obtaining a DI is highly competitive, doing all that you can during your undergraduate years will strengthen your DI application. Completion of the DI enables students to take the registration exam for dietitian nutritionists. You are also eligible to apply to a Coordinated Program in Dietetics, or an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP). Once you have applied and been matched, complete the required amount of hours through the supervised practice experience.

3. Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For more information refer to CDR’s website: www.cdrnet.org.

4. If working in Illinois, obtain Illinois state licensure.

5. Complete professional educational requirements.

As you consider EIU for your undergraduate dietetics degree, please note the different sources of financial aid and scholarships that are available for qualifying students. To lower the cost of attending EIU, EIU utilizes a textbook rental program. Many of the laboratory courses (foods and chemistry) have nominal course fees that are billed directly to your student account. Other expenses include the purchase of hairnets and a chef's coat for your foods labs. Check out the other wonderful services and facilities we have on campus through EIU's virtual tour.

If you completed your bachelor's degree in another area and would like to complete your DPD courses through EIU, please contact Bethni S. Gill to complete a transcript review. Official transcripts from all universities and community colleges attended need to be submitted for review. The review will include a tentative timeline for completion for all deficiencies. The cost for the review is $20 and can be paid at https://commerce.cashnet.com/eiudietics or by sending a check payable to Eastern Illinois University and mailed to Mrs. Gill, 600 Lincoln Ave, Nutrition and Dietetics, Charleston, IL 61920.