§ 43-44-07 — Requirements for licensure - Licensed nutritionist

1. An applicant for licensure as a licensed nutritionist shall file a written application with
the board, submit any fees required by the board, and submit proof of completion of
the following requirements:
a. Have received a master's or doctoral nutrition degree or validated foreign
equivalent with a major course of study in human nutrition, foods and nutrition,
community nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition
science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition
and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health,
or a comparable course of study, or a master's or doctoral degree or validated
foreign equivalent, in a field of clinical health care from a college or university
accredited at the time of graduation from the appropriate regional accrediting
agency recognized by the council on higher education accreditation and the
United States department of education, and have completed coursework leading
to competence in medical nutrition therapy which must consist of the following
courses:
(1) Fifteen semester hours of clinical or life sciences, including such courses as
chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, molecular biology, biotechnology,
botany, genetics, genomics, neuroscience, experimental science,
immunotherapy, pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, research methods,
applied statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, energy production, molecular
pathways, hormone and transmitter regulations and imbalance, and
pathophysiologic basis of disease. At least three semester hours must be in
human anatomy and physiology or the equivalent.
(2) Fifteen semester hours of nutrition and metabolism, including such courses
as nutrition assessment, developmental nutrition, nutritional aspects of
disease, human nutrition, macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and

minerals, clinical functional medicine nutrition, molecular metabolism,
nutrition, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and digestive health, and public
health nutrition. At least six semester hours must be in biochemistry or an
equivalent as approved by the board.
b. The applicant must have completed a board-approved internship or a
documented, supervised practice experience demonstrating competency in
nutrition care services and the provision of medical nutrition therapy of not less
than one thousand hours including at least two hundred hours of nutrition
assessment, two hundred hours of nutrition intervention, education, counseling,
or management, and two hundred hours of nutrition monitoring or evaluation. A
minimum of seven hundred hours of supervised practice experience is required in
professional work settings and no more than three hundred hours can be in
alternate supervised experiences such as observational client-practitioner
interactions, simulation, case studies, and role playing. This experience must be
under the supervision of a qualified supervisor. A qualified supervisor shall
provide onsite supervision of an applicant's supervised practice experience in the
provision of medical nutrition therapy and provide general supervision of an
applicant's provision of other nutrition care services that do not constitute medical
nutrition therapy.
c. The applicant meets one of the following criteria:
(1) The applicant has successfully completed a board-approved examination
such as the certification examination for nutrition specialists administered by
the board for certification of nutrition specialists or the diplomate
examination administered by the American clinical board of nutrition; or
(2) The applicant has either a valid certification with the board for certification of
nutrition specialists that gives the applicant the right to use the term
"certified nutrition specialist" or "CNS" or a valid certification with the
American clinical board of nutrition which gives the applicant the right to use
the term "diplomate, American clinical board of nutrition" or "DACBN".
d. The applicant shall complete a background check or fingerprinting if requested by
the board.
2. An applicant for renewal of a license as a licensed nutritionist:
a. Shall comply with subsection 1.
b. Must have satisfactorily completed continuing education requirements as
specified and approved by the board.
c. Shall complete a background check or fingerprinting if requested by the board.