There are three eligibility requirements to earn the CNS:
Education, Practice Experience, and Examination.
Education
All candidates must be graduates of an ACNPE-accredited program, OR meet the following degree and coursework requirements:
Degree Requirement
- Master of Science or Doctoral degree in a field of nutrition or a related field (including, but not limited to Public Health, Health Science, Biochemistry, Nursing, Physician’s Assistant, Dietetics) from a United States regionally accredited college or university, or its foreign equivalent; OR
- Doctoral degree in a field of clinical healthcare (including, but not limited to, DC, DDS, OD, Doctor of Nursing, ND, PharmD) from a United States regionally accredited college or university, or its foreign equivalent.
Coursework Requirement
- Coursework must be from a regionally accredited* institution; credits are semester credit hours.
- Thirty-five credit hours of relevant coursework to provide the foundational knowledge for the development of core competencies required for the practice of effective personalized nutrition** as indicated by the CNS Examination Content Outline.
*Regionally accredited means an institution that was accredited, at the time the degree was awarded, by a regional accreditation body in the United States which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. Degrees from institutions outside the U.S. must be from that country’s equivalent of a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
**Personalized nutrition is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon a broad range of sciences to advance human health. It considers the unique makeup of individuals and specifically identified sub-groupings of people with similar characteristics, and encompasses a person-centered approach to nutrition science evidence, education, and clinical care.
1. Graduate Nutrition Science Courses- Twelve (12) semester credit hours
Examples may include but are not limited to:
- Developmental Nutrition
- Metabolism of Vitamins & Minerals
- Micro/Macro Nutrients
- Nutrition Assessment
- Therapeutic Nutrition
- Endocrine System Therapeutics
- Botanical Medicine
2. Graduate or undergraduate Biochemistry Courses – Six (6) semester credit hours
Examples may include but are not limited to:
- Biochemistry of Nutrition
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Medical Biochemistry
3. Graduate or undergraduate Physiology or Anatomy/Physiology - Three (3) semester credit hours
Examples may include but are not limited to:
- Anatomy and Physiology I, II
- Anatomy
- Medical Physiology
- Physiology
- Health and Wellness Physiology I
4. Graduate or undergraduate Clinical or Life Sciences – Twelve (12) semester credit hours
May be prerequisites for the above courses and include, but are not limited to:
- Biology
- Botany
- Micro-Biology
- Nutrition Science
- Organic/Inorganic Chemistry
5. Graduate or undergraduate Behavioral Science – Three (3) semester credit hours
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychology
- Motivational Counseling
- Principles and Practices of Health Behavior and Self-Care
- Foundations of Health Behavior and Health Education
*Posted June 2022 - Candidates applying to sit for the CNS exam in December 2022 may use 2 semester credit hours or 30 Continuing Education (CE) credits to fulfill this requirement. As of January 2023, candidates applying to sit for the CNS exam are required to hold 3 semester credit hours in Behavioral Science to fulfill this requirement. If a candidate was approved to sit for the CNS exam and either postponed for 1 exam cycle or did not pass, the initial requirements for which they were approved will remain the requirements for the upcoming exam or re-exam(s).
Regionally Accredited Graduate Programs & Courses
Practice Experience
Practice experience requirements for RDs differs from that of other healthcare professionals. In order to be approved to sit for the Certification Examination for Nutrition Specialists application, RD candidates must submit:
-
Documentation of completion of dietetic internship (RD registration will fulfill this requirement); and
-
Documentation of one Personalized Nutrition** case that has occurred within the past 5 years using one Personalized Nutrition Case Data Collection; and
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Documentation of 75 Continuing Education credits in personalized nutrition** obtained within the past 5 years using the CE Report.
**Personalized nutrition is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon a broad range of sciences to advance human health. It considers the unique makeup of individuals and specifically identified sub-groupings of people with similar characteristics, and encompasses a person-centered approach to nutrition science evidence, education, and clinical care.
Certification Examination
Applicants are required to pass the Certification Examination for Nutrition Specialists℠ to demonstrate that their education, experience, and training have resulted in a mastery of the knowledge and skills required of the Certified Nutrition Specialist.
Certification Examinations for Nutrition Specialists℠ are held twice a year.
The next CNS exam will be held June 10 - 14, 2023; applications are due April 14, 2023.
The following exam will be held December 9 - 13, 2023; applications are due October 27, 2023.
The examination contains 200 multiple-choice, single answer questions, and covers the broad spectrum of basic and applied nutritional science, based on an explicit set of competencies outlined in the Examination Content Outline. Competencies are determined by a job analysis study conducted on practitioners.
Complete the Exam Application for Nutrition Professionals and upload to your portal with all supporting documentation.