Academic & Accreditation Information

Legal Citation: N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5


One need not attend a North Carolina-based educational institution to fulfill the NCBDN’s minimum academic requirements for licensure. However, degrees and academic coursework must be obtained at a regionally accredited institution or a foreign equivalent, and meet the law’s minimum course requirements. Certificate programs or certifications obtained online do not equate to regionally accredited coursework.

Many programs may claim to be “accredited” but applicants should be aware that simply being “accredited” does not necessarily equate to regional accreditation. To learn if your granting institution is regionally accredited, please review the following information:

“Regionally Accredited” means the institution is accredited by one of the following regional accrediting bodies:

  1. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
  2. Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  3. WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
  4. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC)
  5. Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
  6. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
  7. New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)

 

notice-icon-green Note: For all categories, a board-approved supervised practice program, as well as the passing of an exam, are also part of North Carolina’s licensing requirements.

Academic & Accreditation Information FAQs

How Can I Verify Regional Accreditation? 
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We recommend cross-checking in a few different ways, including:

  • Ask the college/university to identify whether or not they are regionally accredited, and if so, by which regional accrediting body. Then, visit the website for the regional accrediting body (see links above), and look up your college/university in their listing of accredited institutions.
  • Information for the regional accrediting bodies can be found at: https://www.chea.org/regional-accrediting-organizations-accreditor-type

What is Programmatic Accreditation?
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Regardless of geographical location, if a bachelor’s or graduate academic program is ACEND-accredited, the academic program will meet the NCBDN’s academic requirements for the LDN license. For more information on ACEND-accredited distance education programs, please visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website and use their program search tool.

The Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists has an accrediting body for the academic program required for the CNS credential. For more information on programs accredited by this body, the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE), please visit the ACNPE’s website and use their program search tool.

To review specific requirements for each pathway to licensure, please visit: Types of Licensure.