Category F – Information on Requirements

This page has been developed to help potential Category F applicants better understand the law as it relates to the academic requirements and supervised practice requirements for licensure under this pathway.

Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) applicants for licensure should first understand that licensure in North Carolina is currently not by endorsement of the CNS credential. Rather, the law requires the Board to independently review an applicant’s academic program and supervised practice program to ensure both have met the law’s requirements. The CNS and DACBN exam are recognized as qualifying exams to meet the exam requirement under N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(3).

Academic Requirements

Specific degree & coursework requirements are noted in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(1):

(1):  The applicant has received any of the following from a college or university accredited at the time of graduation from the appropriate regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education, or a validated foreign equivalent: a master's or doctoral nutrition degree with a major in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, community nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health, or an equivalent course of study or a master’s or doctoral degree in a field of clinical health care. Regardless of the course of study, an applicant shall have completed coursework from a regionally accredited college or university in medical nutrition therapy that shall consist of the following courses:

  1. Fifteen semester hours of clinical or life sciences, including such courses as chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, botany, genetics, genomics, neuroscience, experimental science, immunotherapy, pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, research methods, applied statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, oxidative/reductive dynamics, energy production, molecular pathways, hormone and transmitter regulations and imbalance, biotransformation pathways and imbalances, and pathophysiologic basis of disease. At least three semester hours must be in human anatomy and physiology or the equivalent.

  2. Fifteen semester hours of nutrition and metabolism, including such courses as nutrition assessment, developmental nutrition, nutritional aspects of disease, human nutrition, macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, functional medicine nutrition, molecular metabolism, clinical nutrition, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and digestive health, and public health nutrition. At least six semester hours must be in biochemistry.

*Important Notes:

  • Not all universities operate on semester hours; be sure you understand what credit system you completed coursework under. Quarter Hour programs will require conversion to meet the law’s requirements.
  • Six semester hours must be in Biochemistry-titled courses; partial credit from non-Biochemistry titled courses will not be accepted.

Supervised Practice Requirements

Specific supervised practice requirements are noted in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(2):

  • The applicant must have completed a Board-approved internship or a documented, supervised practice experience in nutrition services of not less than 1000 hours involving at least 200 hours of nutrition assessment, 200 hours of nutrition intervention, education, counseling, or management, and 200 hours of nutrition monitoring or evaluation under the supervision of a Certified Nutrition Specialist, a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a licensed dietitian/nutritionist, a licensed nutritionist, a State-licensed health care practitioner whose licensed scope of practice includes dietetics or nutrition, or an individual with a doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university with a major course of study in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, community nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health, or an equivalent course of study, with a reasonable threshold of academic credits in nutrition and nutrition sciences as described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. Supervisors who obtained their doctoral degree outside of the United States and its territories must have their degrees validated by the Board as equivalent to the doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university.

*Important Notes:

  • As shown in the list of supervisors above, “State-licensed health care practitioner” has been determined by law to mean “NC-licensed health care practitioner.” It should be noted this supervisor “type” is only required if the supervisor is NOT already one of the other designations.
  • Additional supervised practice requirements are also provided in 21 NCAC 0104. For full details, please review the PDF accessed below.

For a full snapshot of Category F licensure requirements, please review the PDF posted here: 

 

The required supplemental forms for Category F licensure are located on our website here.