Application Guidelines for Alternate Process for Full APD Status

There is an alternate process for achievement of full APD status for experienced and suitably qualified Australian trained dietitians who are currently practising.

Dietitians who have graduated from accredited courses in Australia but who have worked overseas may count their overseas dietetic experience toward the five years if the experience is gained in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland or New Zealand (includes those countries with which DAA has negotiated  mutual recognition or where the healthcare and education systems are substantively similar).

Potential APDs have two options for achieving APD status: the process of provisional status which includes a mentoring component; or, if eligible, this alternate method. Whichever method is chosen DAA strongly encourages all members to participate in mentoring activities across their professional life.

This process is designed for a specific group of potential APDs and has strict assessment criteria. Applicants who fail to address and meet the selection criteria will not be offered full APD status.

Assessment Criteria

Eligibility for the APD program

To be eligible for membership of the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) program dietitians must have completed:

  • A DAA accredited/approved Graduate Diploma or Master degree course in dietetics; or
  • A DAA accredited/approved four-year undergraduate degree majoring in nutrition and dietetics; or
  • The DAA dietetics examination for overseas educated dietitians.

Greater than five years working as a dietitian in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Ireland or New Zealand  or using your dietetic qualifications in those countriesThis alternative process is for experienced dietitians only, thus applicants must demonstrate that they have had over five years experience working as a dietitian or are using their dietetic qualifications in their work.

Currency of dietetic practice

Applicants must be currently practising as a dietitian and have currency of practice over the last five years. Applicants will need to demonstrate that they have undertaken greater than 4,500 hours of work as a dietitian over the last five years. 

Application Requirements

  • Applicants must provide a copy of their most recent curriculum vitae.
  • Applicants must provide DAA membership number or certified transcripts of qualifications.
  • Applicants must provide evidence of their currency of practice. A list of positions held, key tasks and time worked. Applicants are also asked to identify which of the entry-level competencies were demonstrated in each role.
  • Applicants must provide an overview of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) goals, activities and outcomes for each of the last five years and their proposed learning goals for their first year in the APD program. Applicants are asked to provide evidence of CPD activities undertaken where possible.
  • All applicants are asked to provide a written reference from a full status APD using the template provided. DAA will contact all referees to confirm the content of applications.

Applicants are encouraged to check the information on the APD Program and must ensure that  all parts of the application, including the referee report, are submitted in full. Applications will not be assessed unless all components are received together. To assist the assessors in reading the material, applicants are asked to clearly mark all documents and number any appendices.