During your senior year of the 3+2 program, qualified students will be admitted into our IMSND program, accredited by Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which combines the required minimum 1,050 hours of supervised experiential learning with coursework and the required ACEND competencies to prepare you to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians and become a registered dietitian. 

Successful completion of the IMSND prepares you for the RD exam and for active membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. We encourage you to talk with your faculty adviser prior to taking the RD exam to ensure you are fully prepared. You will meet with your academic advisor in the dietetics department each semester to ensure that all requirements are met.

The Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, administers the Registration Examination for Dietitians to individuals seeking the professional distinction and credential of Registered Dietitian (RD).  

After passing the national Registration Examination for Dietitians, if you wish to practice in Wisconsin you can become a Certified Dietitian (CD), a status required by most employers. Contact the Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services for details. 

If you wish to practice outside of Wisconsin, you should investigate the certification or licensure requirements in the state where you plan to practice.  

Most states have licensed or certified dietitian status. This process is entirely separate from the registered dietitian requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Requirements for licensure or certification vary by state. Individuals should review their state's licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license. 

More information about state licensure and certification can be found at this link: State Licensure. 

Meagan Gibson, MS, RDN, LDN, CPT 
Department Chair/ Assistant Professor/ Graduate Program Director 
Phone: (414) 930-3337 
Email: maritatm@mtmary.edu 
Expertise: Foodservice management, private practice, national diabetes prevention program 

Erin Berg, MS, RDN, CSSD, CD 
Assistant Professor, Graduate and Undergraduate Program
Office (414) 930-3345 
Email: berge@mtmary.edu   
Expertise: Sports nutrition, clinical nutrition 

This career is ideal for students who are interested in health, science, and making a positive impact on others' lives. This profession offers diverse career paths, strong job demand and opportunities to work directly with patients and communities. 

Dietitians who work in clinical dietetics assess, educate and counsel individuals to help manage or prevent medical conditions. They can also manage large food service departments or provide nutrition services to the community.  

As a dietitian, you may counsel people to help them manage obesity, diabetes, heart disease, eating disorders or other conditions requiring a modified diet, manage a large foodservice operation, or provide nutrition services to the community. You could work in areas or for organizations such as sports teams, food product companies, government agencies, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, research, private practice—and more!

According to 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median annual salary for dietitians is $73,850.