Internationally Educated

All applicants must meet these 9 requirements:

IMPORTANT
If traveling from abroad, please make sure you have an official copy of all the documents needed for your application to the College of Dietitians of Ontario before you leave your country of origin. Some applicants have difficulty obtaining their official documents once they have left their country which causes a delay in their application. The documents you will need are listed in this checklist.

Application Process

Step 1: Assessment of Degree

Before applying to the College of Dietitians of Ontario for registration, you must first have the level of the degree you received outside of North America assessed through the World Education Service (WES). This service will determine whether your degree(s) is equivalent to an undergraduate degree in Canada.

Step 2 – Apply to the College

Depending on the scheduling of the next College Registration Committee meeting, processing your application can take from 4-12 weeks from the time your complete application package is received at the College. To minimize delays, the College will inform applicants about the submission deadlines associated with each meeting.

Download the application form
Submit documents demonstrating that you have met the registration requirements for internationally educated applicants (see checklist). If you are having difficulty accessing the required documents, contact the College for assistance.
Pay the application fees according to the instructions on your application form.

Step 3 — Fill the gaps to meet the registration requirements.

If the College assesses your application and determines that you do not fully meet one or more of the registration requirement, you will receive directions about filling gaps before your application can proceed further. Most internationally educated applicants are required to take an advanced clinical nutrition course and to complete a Canadian practical training program. Timelines for this step depend on an applicant’s ability to access and complete the required programs. Most internationally educated applicants use the Internationally Educated Dietitians Pre-Registration Program from Ryerson University, Toronto. The program begins in September every year and the application deadline is in May. Late applications may be considered pending space in the program.

Step 4 – Write the CDRE Exam

The Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam (CDRE) is written twice each year, in May or November. Once an applicant is deemed eligible to write the CDRE, they are also eligible for a Temporary Certificate of Registration.