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Your Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) credential is a public guarantee of your dietetic expertise. As an APD, we'll promote you as a trusted professional who helps people be healthy and well.

Gain your credential by joining our APD Program. It's the national credentialing program for dietitians in Australia.

 
On this page:

Benefits of being an APD

As an Accredited Practising Dietitian, you'll get recognition for your professional qualifications. You'll also get help with your ongoing training and practice standards.

Our APD Program helps dietitians deliver high-quality dietetic services in Australia.

Benefits

APDs, dietitians and nutritionists

In Australia, all dietitians are nutritionists. But not all nutritionists can call themselves a dietitian.

As a profession, nutritionists aren't regulated and can have limited qualifications.

Dietitians are university educated and qualified to deliver evidence-based services, including:

  • food service management
  • group dietary therapy
  • individual dietary counselling
  • medical nutrition therapy

Dietitians have the knowledge and skills found in the National Competency Standards for Dietitians.

Learn more about the difference between dietitians and nutritionists.

How to become an APD

For the credential, you must join the APD Program. It's Australia's national credentialing program for dietitians.

How to join
Apply to become an APD

Program requirements

All APDs must commit to:

Detailed program requirements are in the APD Handbook on our Member Portal

Some of the requirements

Types of APDs

Most dietitians will enter the program as a Provisional APD for at least 12 months. You must finish all provisional requirements within 2 years to become a Full APD.

Your status as a Provisional APD is for our internal purposes only. You can use your credential and promote yourself as an APD during your provisional program.

As a Full APD, you will have completed your Provisional APD level. You must meet our program requirements to maintain your APD status.

The Advanced APDs (AdvAPD) credential is for dietitians who are emerging leaders in their field. We recommend you work as a dietitian for at least 5 years before you apply for AdvAPD. AdvAPDs must meet our advanced competency criteria.

The Fellow of Dietitians Australia (FDA) is both a credential and an award. Being a Fellow is about visionary and strategic leadership. Fellows are leaders who continue to grow personally and professionally while encouraging and mentoring others to grow and emerge as leaders in their own right.

Governance

Our APD Program aligns with standards set by the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professionals.

The Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council is responsible for the regulating the APD credential. 

Learn more about the Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council. 

Register of APDs

We keep an up-to-date register of all APDs. Members can check the APD status of a dietitian using our Register of Accredited Practising Dietitians.

To find an APD in your area for a dietetic consultation, use our Find a dietitian search.

Get in touch

If you have questions about becoming an APD, contact us at apd@dietitiansaustralia.org.au or call 02 6189 1200.

To be credentialed, you need to join our Accredited Practising Dietitian Program. How you join depends on when you graduated and if you've worked as a dietitian.
If you're a qualified dietitian who hasn't practised in more than 3 years, our Resumption of Accredited Practice pathway might be your way to become an APD.
Join our community of dietetic professionals as a member of Dietitians Australia. You'll enjoy access to many career-building resources to help in your work.