Future Education Model
The ACEND® Standards Committee has been developing standards and competencies for a new model for education in nutrition and dietetics with the purpose of advancing the profession and protecting the public.
The ACEND® Board released the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Associate, Bachelor and Graduate Degree Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics. ACEND® invites programs interested in being accredited under these standards to apply to be an early adopter demonstration program.
Webinar: Future Education Model Standards
ACEND® has a webinar that provides background on the development of the Future Education Model Standards, discusses plans for the adoption of the Standards by demonstration programs and provides future plans for data collection and analysis.
Future Education Model Accreditation Standards
Future Education Model Accreditation Standards Documents
- Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Associate Degree Programs
- Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Bachelor's Degree Programs
- Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Graduate Degree Programs
Guidance Information and Templates for the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards
- Guidance Information for Associate Degree Programs
- Guidance Information for Bachelor's Degree Programs
- Guidance Information for Graduate Degree Programs
- Templates for Future Education Model Standards
Competencies and Performance Indicators in the Future Education Model Standards
For information on practice illustrations and demonstration of assessment for each of the competencies refer to Appendix A in the Guidance Information document.
- Competencies and Performance Indicators for Associate Degree Programs
- Competencies and Performance Indicators for Bachelor's Degree Programs
- Competencies and Performance Indicators for Graduate Degree Programs
Demonstration Program Application
ACEND® invites applications from organizations interested in sponsoring a nutrition and dietetics program that would be accredited under the ACEND® Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Associate, Bachelor's or Graduate Degree Programs as an early adopter demonstration program. Applications for the third cohort of demonstration programs are due by 11:00 a.m. (Central time) on January 11, 2019.
- Information about the Demonstration Program Application Process
- Application for Future Education Model Associate Degree Demonstration Program
- Application for Future Education Model Bachelor's Degree Demonstration Program
- Application for Future Education Model Graduate Degree Demonstration Program
- Webinar on Application Process
ACEND Standards News
The ACEND® Standards Committee provides a brief update about its Standards development work in a newsletter published every other month. Review recent updates for the Standards Committee. Contact ACEND® at acend@eatright.org or call 800-877-1600 x5400 with any questions or comments.
FAQ for the Future Education Model
ACEND® has received many questions about the Future Education Model and has compiled a Frequently Asked Questions document with the most commonly asked questions and ACEND®'s response to each. Download PDF of Frequently Asked Questions.
Rationale for Future Education Preparation of Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners (January 2017)
This report summarizes data collected in multiple projects conducted with stakeholders, shares information collected in the environmental scan and recommends a new model for future education of nutrition and dietetics practitioners. Download a PDF of the Rationale Document and the document's appendices.
Virtual Town Hall
ACEND® hosts a virtual town hall quarterly to answer your questions about ACEND®'s work. The next town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, January 8 at 11 a.m. (Central time). All stakeholders are invited to participate. Learn more about Virtual Town Hall Meetings.
FNCE® ACEND® Forum Presentation
The ACEND® Forum presentation at FNCE® 2017 provided an update on ACEND®'s Standards work and the Future Education Model. Also discussed were the topics of competency-based education and competency assessment. You can view the presentation and the slides using the links below: