Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining health and in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are the food and nutrition experts who translate the science of nutrition into personalized recommendations to help people prevent and manage medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and many more.<br><br>To become an RDN, students must complete required coursework as well as 1,200 hours of supervised practice from an accredited program and then pass a national examination. Required courses include biology, chemistry, biochemistry, medical nutrition therapy, nutrition assessment, diet selection and planning, and food service systems management.<br><br>At Purdue, students complete all required coursework for dietetics in the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND), and then apply to either an outside dietetics internship or the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD) at Purdue to complete the required supervised practice. Upon completion of supervised practice, students are eligible to sit for the national registration examination for dietitians.