Application Guidelines for Alternate Process for Full APD Status

The DAA Board has recently reviewed the requirements of the alternate process to achieve full status for experienced and practising dietitians.

Dietitians who have graduated from accredited courses in Australia but who have worked overseas may now count their overseas dietetic experience toward the five years if the experience is gained in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland or New Zealand i.e. those countries with which DAA has negotiated or is in the process of negotiating mutual recognition.

Assessment Criteria

There are a number of criteria dietitians must meet to be eligible for Full APD status via this process.

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.

2.  Greater than five years working as a dietitian in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Ireland or New Zealand  or using your dietetic qualifications in those countries

This 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.

3.  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

• Curriculum Vitae
  Applicants must provide a copy of their most recent curriculum vitae.
• Evidence of eligibility for APD status
  Applicants must provide DAA membership number or certified transcripts of qualifications.
• Evidence of at least five years working as a dietitian, or using your dietetic qualifications, and currency of practice (at least 4,500 hours in the last 5 years)
  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.
• CPD Activities
  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.
• Reference
  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.

Application Submission

• Applicants are encouraged to check the information on the APD Program.
• Applicants 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.

Application Form

DAA Entry Level Competencies for Dietetic Practice

Referee Report Template