Do CDR-Approved Courses Count Toward BCNS Recertification?

Do CDR-Approved Courses Count Toward BCNS Recertification?

Yes—The Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS) does accept continuing education courses approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), provided those courses meet key content and quality criteria. 

To qualify, the course must contain at least 50% nutrition-focused content and be educational, evidence-based, and scientifically rigorous. For a course to meet the 50% threshold, at least half of its instructional time, content, or learning objectives must directly relate to nutrition—such as:

  • Nutrient metabolism and biochemistry
  • Clinical nutrition assessment and interventions
  • Food and nutrient interactions with chronic disease
  • Functional nutrition strategies
  • Medical nutrition therapy
  • Nutritional genomics or nutraceuticals
  • Ethics, as long as it directly applies to clinical practice, patient communication, or healthcare decision-making

This means that many CDR-approved courses offered through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or other reputable CE providers may also satisfy BCNS continuing education requirements.

BCNS Continuing Education Requirements at a Glance

To maintain Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) certification, BCNS requires certificants to complete the following every five years:

  • 75 continuing education (CE) credits total
  • Certificants must maintain documentation for all CE activities in case of audit

A Streamlined Option for Dual-Credentialed Professionals

If you are both a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), this overlap means you can often use one course to satisfy the recertification requirements for both designations—provided you select courses that are rooted in clinical nutrition and scientific practice.

For example, a CDR-approved course on nutritional genomics, inflammation pathways, or integrative nutrition therapies would likely meet BCNS criteria. However, CE activities focused on billing, practice management, or coaching techniques without a strong nutritional science foundation may not qualify.

Where to Find Dual-Eligible CEUs

Looking for high-quality, evidence-based CDR-approved courses that also meet BCNS requirements?

Explore expert-led courses at AllDietitians.com—designed with clinical depth and dual-certification compliance in mind.

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