Accreditation Standards, Fees and Policies

The United States Department of Education requires ACEND to publish its accreditation standards, fees, and policies for public access. The ACEND 2022 Standards and Templates are the current standards in place for ACEND-accredited programs. The Future Education Model Standards and Templates are based on a competency-based education model and are optional standards for those programs who apply to become demonstration programs. These standards and documents outline accreditation requirements for current programs, as well as provide the templates needed to demonstrate compliance with these standards. Prospective programs can visit the Candidacy for Accreditation page or the Candidacy for Non-U.S. Based Programs page to access specific templates for candidacies.

Minor Revisions to the ACEND Standards

ACEND has formally revised the Accreditation Standards for all program types related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to ensure compliance with recent federal directives and evolving legal interpretations. Following ACEND policy, the Board is requesting feedback regarding these minor revisions. Please note that only comments that comply with the federal directive and legal interpretations will be considered. The survey may take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. You can stop the questionnaire and re-enter at a later time to finish your response.

The survey may be accessed until September 29, 2025. Survey responses will remain anonymous. We appreciate your taking time to complete the survey.

Draft Accreditation Standards

• Draft 2022 Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Programs (CP) (.pdf)
• Draft 2022 Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Internship Programs (DI) (.pdf)
• Draft 2022 Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Didactic Programs (DPD) (.pdf)
• Draft 2022 Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Technician Programs (DT) (.pdf)
• Draft 2022 Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Education Programs (FDE) (.pdf)
• Draft Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Graduate Degree Programs (GP) (.pdf)
• Draft Advanced Practice Doctoral Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (.pdf)

ACEND's Policies and Procedures outline ACEND's structure and provide guidance to programs and staff. The U.S. Department of Education requires ACEND to monitor and approve substantive changes that have the potential to affect the ability of an ACEND-accredited program to meet the Accreditation Standards. The Substantive Change Guidelines were developed to explain the requirements for submitting a substantive program change. Various templates and other guidance documents are included in this section as well.

The ACEND board reviews programs based on the timing of site visits or other report submissions. The ACEND Decision Calendars outlines due dates and timelines for this process. The Fee Schedule outlines payments due for annual accreditation as well as intermittent activities throughout the calendar year and for candidacy applications.