Skip to main content

Candidacy for Accreditation

It is highly recommended that any institution considering development of a new nutrition and dietetics education program for ACEND® accreditation consult with ACEND staff early in the development process, complete all ACEND web-based education courses and attend an ACEND-sponsored workshop.

The Candidacy for Accreditation Process includes:

  • An Eligibility Application Review
  • A Self-study
  • An On-site Visit

These steps allow ACEND to verify the proposed program is progressing toward compliance with the Accreditation Standards and demonstrates institutional readiness to implement the proposed program.

After the ACEND Board grants Candidacy for Accreditation status to a proposed program, the program may enroll students. Students on premises and enrolled after Candidacy is granted will be considered graduates of an accredited program upon successful completion of the program. Policies and procedures related to candidacy for accreditation can be found in the ACEND Policy and Procedure Manual.

ACEND Decision Calendar

The ACEND Board follows the decision calendar for candidacy program reviews.

ACEND Board Ends Moratorium on New Didactic Programs in Dietetics

At its September 14, 2020 meeting, the Board of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics voted to end the moratorium on new Didactic Programs in Dietetics. Programs interested in applying for candidacy for accreditation of a Didactic Program in Dietetics may complete the Eligibility Application located on this web page. The ACEND Accreditation Standards for Didactic Programs in Dietetics are located here: 2022 Accreditation Standards. For more information, you may contact ACEND staff.

Eligibility Applications for Programs Seeking ACEND Accreditation

Programs seeking eligibility must submit a digital copy of the eligibility application and fee at least 12 months in advance of the planned enrollment of the first class of students. The application must be submitted electronically as one PDF file to  ACEND Reports.

In this Section

Find an ACEND-Accredited Program

ACEND has more than 600 accredited programs across the United States and select countries internationally, with in-person and online options. Use the search filters to find the program that fits your needs.

Find Programs