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How to Get Continuing Education Units as a Dietitian (some free)

How to Get Continuing Education Units as a Dietitian (some free)

"I need to get my CEUs! Right away!" I often receive emails for fellow dietitians in a panic who are seeking to fulfill their continuing education requirements to maintain the registered dietitian credential (also me every 5 years when my recertification cycle is nearing completion).

We've got you covered! This article shares all you need to know about how to find continuing education units, both paid and free options.

A little background: once you become a Registered Dietitian, you need to maintain your dietetic credential by completing 75 Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs) over the course of five years and submit that to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

The Commission on Dietetic Registration uses the term Continuing Professional Education credits, but continuing education is also known as Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or Continuing Professional Education units (CPEUs). For this article we will refer to them simply as CEUs.

Some dietitians love attending educational seminars, summits, webinars, workshops, and conferences, so getting those 75 hours is easy. But for others, the deadline can creep up quickly, without having attended a single conference! We've got some resources to help you out.

Why do we need Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are credentialed food and nutrition experts and healthcare professionals promoting evidence-based nutrition education and care. CEUs ensure that RDNs are maintaining their training and credentials. Here are some additional reasons why you want to get continuing education as a dietitian:

  • Stay up-to-date with cutting-edge, evidence-based information and latest research.
  • Enhance your knowledge.
  • Grow your expertise.
  • Expand your scope of practice.
  • Network and connect with other professionals both in and out of the dietetic industry.

The CDR also requires to complete at least 1 hour of continuing education related to the topic of ethics during each 5-year cycle, known as the CDR Code of Ethics. The CDR has a list of options to fulfill that requirement.

Sources of CEUs

There are many ways to get CEUs. Here are some resources.

  • Magazines - Today’s Dietitian magazine offers free self-study courses and recorded webinars that will provide CEUs upon completion.
  • Dietetic Practice Groups (DPGs) - If you are a member of a Dietetic Practice Group through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you can get free CEUs through their webinars, newsletters, and articles. Membership costs money, but the CEUs are free for members.
  • Conferences and Events - Attending a conference or event costs money, but they generally offer a large number of live event CEUs based on the length of the conference. You can receive CEUs for lectures, poster sessions, time spent at the exhibitor hall, or other educational opportunities. Another added benefit is networking with other professionals. Conferences can be done in-person or virtually.
  • Training Programs - Depending on your areas of interest, there are many training programs to enhance your career from pediatrics, patient care, gut health, weight management, sports nutrition, eating disorders, and more. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a list of many programs. Master The Media*, a media dietitian training program offers a whopping 65 CEUs.
  • Webinars - Many companies will sponsor free webinars as a form of conveying their messaging and products. In addition, there are webinars for various specialty topics such as clinical nutrition, nutrition support, clinical practice, the field of diabetes, FODMAPs, Intuitive Eating, Heart Health, and more.
  • Books - Some health professional books provide CEUs upon completing them.
    - Skelly Skills has a list of books that offer CEUs.
    - Advanceddietitian.com offers CEUs from books.
    - Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide by Barbara J. Mayfield* offers free CEUs from the book
  • Podcasts - This option is growing. Select episodes of Melissa Joy Dobbins podcast, Sound Bites Podcast, offer continuing education units for dietitians, as well as Dietitian Connection.
  • Universities and Colleges - Enrolling in graduate-level courses related to nutrition, dietetics, or healthcare can count towards continuing education credits. Universities often host workshops, seminars, and short courses specifically designed for healthcare professionals.

Where to find free CEU and free CPEU for dietitians and dietetic technicians

Why not obtain your CEU requirements for free! Here's a list of organizations that provide free CEUs for our profession. The CDR also maintains a list of free CEU's here.

    Where to find CEUs for dietitians (both paid and free)

    Here is a list of resources for free and paid CEUs. The offerings frequently are updated and expanded so check back frequently! You can never have too many CEUs.

    Fulfilling your Ethics or Health Equity Requirement

    RDNs and NDTRs are required to complete at least 1 hour of continuing professional education (1 CPEU) related to ethics OR health equity during each five-year recertification cycle.

    Search the CDR CPE Database for activities that satisfy the ethics OR health equity requirement.

    Here's what the Commission on Dietetic Registration says: A specific ethics OR health equity activity has not been designated to satisfy the 1 CPEU requirement. Practitioners may select, complete, and record an ethics OR health equity activity of their choosing; the activity must meet CDR’s Content Criteria, adhere to an Activity Type definition, and deliver at least one hour of educational content devoted to ethics OR health equity. Practitioners will be unable to submit the Activity Log without including at least 1 CPEU in ethics OR health equity.

    Here's a partial listing of activities that have received CDR Prior Approval of CPEUs:

    Provider

    Link

    Course Expiration
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Ethics (eatrightstore.org) Please reference CDR’s CPE Database to search for course expiration dates.
    Becky Dorner & Associates Ethics Isn’t Optional: Understanding and Applying the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Code of Ethics 2nd Edition 10/24/2025
    Health Equity Course 7/22/2027
    Long Term Care Regulatory Updates: What You Need to Know to Pass the Survey 1/19/2026
    Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 RAI Manual v1.18.11 (Rev.10-2023) Course 7/11/2027
    Commission on Dietetic Registration 2024 Scope and Standards of Practice Learning Module 12/5/2026
    Megan Boitano Ethics 101 - What Dietitians in Online Business Need to Know 7/18/2027


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    About the Authors

    Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist specializing in Weight Management and Sports Nutrition for youth and adults. She writes articles for multiple publications, provides customized nutrition coaching, and is a brand spokesperson. She is founder of MIJA, a superfood supplement company, and Haumea Health, a fertility wellness clinic. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

    Katie Padva, MS, RDN, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian passionate about delivering nutrition education through writing, teaching, and counseling to help prevent and manage chronic diseases. She works in a private practice helping individuals be the best version of themselves through healthy nutrition. She also works as an adjunct instructor at a University educating students on nutrition concepts. When she is not working, Katie enjoys being outside, running, writing, cooking, doing yoga and hiking! Connect with her on LinkedIn.

    Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, is the Founder Owner of NutritionJobs and an established dietetic career expert. She helps steer dietetic and nutrition professionals to a successful job search process with the top-ranked dietetic job board platform, NUTRITIONJOBS. Stacey is the author of The Dietetic Resume Guide and numerous dietetic career action-ables. She gives the tools to create a modern standout dietetic resume to land that job interview, help with job interview prep, and with creating All-Star LinkedIn profiles. Stacey has interviewed and hired many dietitians and in running NutritionJobs since 2000, she has reviewed thousands of dietetic resumes. She works closely with dietetic hiring managers and recruiters to know what standout resume elements land a job interview.

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