A Verification Statement is issued upon successful completion of all DPD requirements. This is an official Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) document indicating that Oregon State University confirms that all knowledge requirements have been met and the student is prepared to apply for dietetic internship supervised practice, the next step in education to achieve the RDN credential.
Students that already have a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a U.S. regionally accredited college or university need only to complete DPD courses to earn a Verification Statement at Oregon State and be eligible to apply to dietetic internships. However, the difference between completing the DPD and completing a second bachelor’s degree is 2-3 courses. For this reason, students are regularly advised to pursue the second degree.