Graduate Certificate in Dietetics

Program Goals and Measured Outcomes

Program outcomes data are available on request.

Goal 1

Graduates of the program will be prepared for entry-level practice as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists/Registered Dietitians (RDNs/RDs).

• Objective 1: At least 80% of program graduates complete program requirements within 16 months (150% of the program length - standard completion time is 11 months). 
  • Outcome: 97% of interns from the last five years finished the program within 16 months. 
• Objective 2: 95% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
  • Outcome: 99% of graduates from the last five years took the RD exam within 12 months of program completion.
• Objective 3: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%
  • Outcome: 96% of graduates, over the last five years, passed the credentialing exam within 1 year of program completion. (84% pass the exam on the first attempt.)

Goal 2

Graduates of the program will became gainfully employed as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists/Registered Dietitians (RDNs/RDs).

• Objective 1: Of graduates who sought employment in dietetics, 50% will be employed within 3 months of program completion (and after starting job search) in nutrition and dietetics or related fields, and 95% within 1 year.
  • Outcome: 69% of graduates from the last five years found employment within 3 months, and 98% within 12 months.
• Objective 2: 80% of employers of DI graduates will consider them to be prepared for employment.
  • Outcome: 85% of employers who responded to the survey considered graduates from the last five years, to be prepared.
• Objective 3: At least 80% of graduates will be employed in a nutrition/dietetics related position located in the greater San Francisco Bay Area one year after program completion.
  • Outcome: 86% of graduates from the last five years, one-year post program completion, were employed in the Bay Area.

Outcomes for Interns Completing the Program, 2015 - 2020

• 96% passed the credentialing exam within 1 year of program completion.
• 69% found employment in the nutrition/dietetics field within three months of program completion, and 98% found employment in the field within 12 months of program completion.
• 86% were employed in the Bay Area one year after program completion. (The rest were employed outside of the Bay Area, mostly in Southern California.)

Master's Degree Requirement for RD/RDN Credential Starting in 2024

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian/registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023.

For more information about this requirement visit the CDR website.

In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited [program type] program at [Institution name] are eligible to [apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program/apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN].

Cost and Length

Tuition^*

Certificate in Dietetics only, for those who already have a graduate degree: $13,200
Certificate in Dietetics and the M.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences: $19,672 CA residents, $23,236 CA non-residents

^*Please see the Estimated Costs list for cost details.

Length

The Dietetic Internship and M.A. graduate degree program are full-time, and will take 18 months to complete, from July until December the following year.

When to Start

Summer

Financial Aid

Those enrolled in the Certificate in Dietetics/Dietetic Internship may be eligible for financial aid.

Accreditation

This is an accredited Dietetic Internship (DI) program of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). A DI offers the practicum experiences and competencies required prior to taking the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) exam which is given by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Upon successful completion of this program and all its requirements, graduates receive a verification statement from the DI Director. Graduates are then eligible to sit for the RD/RDN exam.

In July 1997, San Francisco State University’s Dietetic Internship Program was granted an initial accreditation for a period of ten years by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), now ACEND. A five-year interim report was submitted in February 2002. The Self-Study was submitted February 2009 and the re-accreditation site visit was in May 2009. The program was granted continued accreditation for 10 years. The five-year interim report was completed in November 2014 and approved for continued accreditation. The program submitted a Self-Study in August 2018 for re-accreditation. The Re-accreditation Site Visit took place in November 2018 and the program was granted continued accreditation through December 2027.

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995

Phone: (800) 877-1600, ext. 5400
Website: ACEND

Family, Interiors, Nutrition & Apparel (FINA) Department

This program is offered in partnership with the Family, Interiors, Nutrition & Apparel (FINA) Department, part of the College of Health & Social Sciences.

The FINA Department is composed of four programs, uniquely woven together to provide an integrative student experience, advancing understanding of contemporary issues that impact the food, shelter, clothing and relationship needs of individuals, families and communities.

At the heart of the FINA programs is the goal of providing an enriched student educational experience that builds on the tenets of the family and consumer sciences body of knowledge through research-based practices that address quality of life issues.