Education · 1 of 5

The path

The degree is the easy part. The internship is the bottleneck.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Grade 12 biology, chemistry, math and English.

2. 2

   Accredited nutrition degree

   4 years

   A 4-year university degree in nutrition or dietetics accredited by PDEP (the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice). Lots of chemistry, biochemistry and physiology.

3. 3

   Dietetic internship or integrated master's

   8 to 12 months, or 2 years for a master's

   Supervised practice in hospitals, community and food service. Spots are limited and applications are competitive. Some schools fold the practicum into a master's degree instead.

4. 4

   Write the CDRE (the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination)

   After the internship

   The national exam, used in every province except Quebec.

5. 5

   Register with your provincial college

   A few weeks

   For example the College of Dietitians of Ontario. Then you can use the title.