Section 1245.110  Application for Examination/Licensure

a)         An applicant for examination to obtain licensure as a dietitian nutritionist shall file an application, on forms provided by the Department, at least 90 days prior to the examination date.  The application shall include:

1)         Certification of education and an official transcript indicating the applicant holds one of the following:

A)        A baccalaureate degree or post baccalaureate degree in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, food systems management or nutrition education from a school or program accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); or

B)        A baccalaureate degree or post baccalaureate degree in an equivalent major course of study recommended by the Board and approved by the Department in accordance with Section 1245.130 of this Part;

2)         Verification of 900 hours of experience, on forms provided by the Department:

A)        Prior to July 1, 1995, an applicant shall document 900 hours of employment as a dietitian nutritionist;

B)        Experience earned after July 1, 1995, shall be supervised experience as defined in Section 1245.140 of this Part;

3)         A complete work history;

4)         The required fee set forth in Section 1245.305; and

5)         Certification, on forms provided by the Department, from the state or territory of the United States in which the applicant was originally licensed and the state in which the applicant is currently licensed, if applicable, stating:

A)        The time during which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction, including the date of the original issuance of the license;

B)        A description of the examination in that jurisdiction; and

C)        Whether the file on the applicant contains any record of disciplinary actions taken or pending.

b)         In lieu of the documents in subsections (a)(1) and (2) an applicant for licensure as a dietitian nutritionist who at the time of application has maintained a "registered dietitian" designation from the Commission on Dietetic Registration shall submit a copy of his/her current registration from the Commission.  The applicant will not be required to take the examination set forth in Section 1245.120.

c)         If an applicant for licensure is not a registered dietitian but has taken and passed the dietetic examination given through the Commission on Dietetic Registration within 12 months before applying for licensure, the applicant shall not be required to retake the exam.  The examination scores shall be submitted to the Department directly from the testing entity.

d)         When the accuracy of any submitted documentation or the relevance or sufficiency of the course work or experience is questioned by the Department or the Board because of lack of information, discrepancies or conflicts in information given or a need for clarification, the applicant seeking licensure shall be requested to:

1)         Provide such information as may be necessary; and/or

2)         Appear for an interview before the Board to explain such relevance or sufficiency, clarify information, or clear up any discrepancies or conflicts in information.

e)         An applicant who has filed a completed application with the Department may work under direct supervision as defined in Section 1245.10 of this Part.

f)          Pursuant to P.A. 92-0642, the Department will no longer issue a separate license as a dietitian after October 31, 2003.  All individuals will be issued a dietitian nutritionist license.

(Source:  Amended at 28 Ill. Reg. 4867, effective March 5, 2004)